Love as an Imitation of Christ

Transcription

1 Love as an Imitation of Christ Summary and Goal Seek whatever situation (marriage or singleness) will give you the best opportunity to be an imitator of God. Main Passages Ephesians 5:1-2 Session Outline 1. Forgive Like Christ (Ephesians 5:1a) 2. Coheirs With Christ (Ephesians 5:1b) 3. Love Sacrificially Like Christ (Ephesians 5:2) Theological Theme Imitating Christ means showing the same grace and mercy to others that He has shown to us. Christ Connection Jesus life provided a model for the manner in which Christ followers are to engage others. Specifically, believers are to sacrificially love and forgive others as they have also been forgiven. Missional Application Imitating Christ means relating to the world with the same loving humility and Gospelfocused sacrifice that Christ demonstrated. By doing so, Christ followers point others toward Christ through their words and deeds. 1 Leader Guide

2 Historical Context of Ephesians Purpose Paul implicitly addressed matters raised by the mystery religions in the Lycus Valley. The letter has much to say about redemption (Eph 1:7) and the divine intention for the human race (Eph 1:3-14). Additional themes include grace (Eph 1:2), predestination (Eph 1:4-5), reconciliation, and union with Christ (Eph 2:1-21). Author Paul referred to himself by name as the author of the Book of Ephesians in two places (Eph 1:1; 3:1). Date Written Tradition suggests that Paul wrote the letter from Rome around A.D., which would have transpired while Paul was under house arrest in guarded rental quarters (Ac 28:30). Where Written Paul penned the letter while in prison (Eph 3:1; 4:1; 6:20). Setting While Paul was imprisoned in Rome, the need arose to respond to new religious philosophies influencing the Asia Minor area. The impetus to write the letters came to Paul from Epaphras, who informed him of the threats to Christianity in the Lycus Valley. In response, Paul wrote a letter to the church at Colossae. About the same time (either shortly before or shortly thereafter), he penned a more expansive and general letter intended for churches in Asia Minor, including Laodicea (see Col 4:16) and Ephesus. Key Verses Ephesians 2:1-10; 5:22-33 Special Features Central to the message of Ephesians is the re-creation of the human family according to God s original intention for it. The new creation destroys the misguided view that God accepts the Jew and rejects the Gentile. Paul said the distinction was abolished at Christ s sacrificial death. Thus, no more hindrance remains to reuniting all humanity as the people of God, with Christ as the head (Eph 1:22-23). Excerpted and paraphrased from the Holman Christian Standard Study Bible, Holman Bible Publishers, Date of My Bible Study: 2

3 7 Session Plan Love as an Imitation of Christ For Further Discussion Loving others sacrificially is hard because, by definition, there is loss in this type of love. The loss may include comfort, convenience, personal gain, opportunity, or something else. However, those in Christ are free to love sacrificially because they have gained more in Christ than could ever be had otherwise. Discuss the riches gained in Christ from loving sacrificially. Introduction Does your life reflect faithfulness to God as the highest priority? What would need to change to make this the case? How are you serving Christ currently? What reward have you seen from this? How have you been drawn closer to Christ, even if this service is difficult and at times seems without reward? In this week s session, we ll take a look at Paul s instructions to the congregation in Ephesus to live out their faith in Christ by imitating the life Christ lived while on earth. These two verses served as a bridge between two sections that dealt with living the new life in Christ by putting away the patterns of life before Christ. 1. Forgive Like Christ (Ephesians 5:1a) Paul was instructing the Ephesians to live in accordance with their salvation. Their identity in Christ was the foundational issue. Because they were new creations in Christ, they should live the changed lives that Christ died to give them. When you read the list of contrasts in Ephesians 4:28-32, which observable proof of transformation would you say is most evident in your life? Which of the contrasts represents the area of your life in which you would most like to grow in Christlikeness? What connotation does the idea of imitating someone bring up in your mind? When was the last time you consciously attempted to be like someone else? Why did you pick that person? 2. Coheirs With Christ (Ephesians 5:1b) Jesus death and resurrection had not provided an entrance to heaven that was given begrudgingly by God. It had not secured a hearing with God in which He was a disinterested deity tolerating their cries. Paul wanted 3 Leader Guide

4 the Ephesians to realize the depth with which God loved them. Paul intentionally painted a picture of a Father who was overflowing with love for His children. How would you explain to someone what it means to be a coheir with Christ? What is the significance of being an heir to someone? Why is Paul s descriptor, dearly loved, important for understanding how a believer is viewed by God? What are some obstacles that would inhibit a person s ability to see himself or herself as a dearly loved child of God? 3. Love Sacrificially Like Christ (Ephesians 5:2) Just as Paul taught that one of the marks of the Christ follower was that he or she would be characterized by good works, he now taught that their imitation of Christ included being characterized by the same type of sacrificial love for others that Christ demonstrated in His death and resurrection. If walking in love is compared to Christ s love for us, who can we say is outside the realm of this love? When John wrote of Christ s love for us as demonstrated by His death on the cross, he connected an inner reality with an outward act. Who have you witnessed demonstrating that type of sacrificial love for others? Who was the last person that you demonstrated this type of costly love to? Conclusion How do you view God? Do you see Him as a reluctant giver of grace? Or do you see Him as a Father running to His wayward children to welcome them home? What does it mean to you to be a dearly loved child? When you think of the various parts of your life, which parts are most readily offered to God as a fragrant offering? What areas should you ask Him to help you grow in? How interruptible are you? In other words, when opportunities to love others sacrificially present themselves, how ready are you to engage those opportunities? How likely are you to place the needs of others before your calendar? When you think of sacrificial love, how does Paul s description of Christ s love for you, even when you were still lost in the darkness of your sin, help you reconsider your attitude toward others? Session 7 4

5 Expanded Session Content 7 Love as an Imitation of Christ Introduction Dr. Bill Wallace was a Southern Baptist missionary to China from He served faithfully as a surgeon at the Baptist-run Stout Memorial Hospital in Wuchow. In his biography of Bill Wallace, Jesse C. Fletcher described Wallace s early days of training for the work in China in Canton. Wallace made multiple new relationships during the process of acclimating to his new home, particularly with other missionaries as they struggled to learn the various dialects of Chinese. Wallace struggled mightily with the language portion of his training, which would continue for the rest of his life. The struggle was made easier by the company of his fellow students at the language school. Wallace lived as a boarder in the home of a veteran missionary couple, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Snuggs. His closest friends were two new missionaries, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Hill. In his immediate context, Wallace was one of the few missionaries who were not married. This fact became surprisingly well-known throughout China. Fletcher wrote: By this time single women missionaries from all over China had heard of Bill s arrival, and it was remarkable how many of them found themselves in Canton from time to time. It became a subtle battle for the honor of sitting next to him at mission dinners, but he was not too discomfited by it. He became adept at being a charming, witty companion without betraying any awareness of the female wiles directed toward the downfall of his bachelorhood. This was his defense. It did not mean he was dedicated to bachelorhood far from it but he was dedicated to awaiting the right girl. 1 For Wallace, the right girl never came, though it never diminished the power or devotion to fulfilling his calling. In fact, considering the pace of Wallace s missionary work, which almost constantly involved being surrounded by warfare of one type or the other, his singleness was an augmentation to his service. The risks he took to keep his colleagues safe were easier to take knowing that the only life risked was his own. Toward the end of his life, Wallace was constantly on the run, ultimately being captured by the Communist army and dying in prison. Even still, the 5 Leader Guide

6 impact of his ministry and his obedience to his calling created ripples that far outlived his 43 years on earth. When you read about Bill Wallace, what impact do you think his singleness had on his story? Does your life reflect faithfulness to God as the highest priority? What would need to change to make this the case? How are you serving Christ currently? What reward have you seen from this? How have you been drawn closer to Christ, even if this service is difficult and at times seems without reward? Session Summary In this week s session, we ll take a look at Paul s instructions to the congregation in Ephesus to live out their faith in Christ by imitating the life Christ lived while on earth. These two verses served as a bridge between two sections that dealt with living the new life in Christ by putting away the patterns of life before Christ. 1. Forgive Like Christ (Ephesians 5:1a) Paul s use of the word therefore in the opening of chapter 5 indicates that his words would be predicated on the closing section of Ephesians 4. Whether therefore referred to the entirety of the final section of Ephesians 4, which would include verses 17-32, or merely to the final thought of chapter 4, be kind and compassionate to one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ, the general thought is the same. Paul was instructing the Ephesians to live in accordance with their salvation. Their identity in Christ was the foundational issue. Because they were new creations in Christ, they should live the changed lives that Christ died to give them. To make the transformation clear, the close of Ephesians 4 featured a series of old life/new life contrasts. The series of don t do this/do this instead contrasts culminated with Paul s appeal to demonstrate kindness to one another. This appeal also opened the appeal to being like God by replicating His observable character. When you read the list of contrasts in Ephesians 4:28-32, which observable proof of transformation would you say is most evident in your life? Which of the contrasts represents the area of your life in which you would most like to grow in Christlikeness? Session 7 6

7 What connotation does the idea of imitating someone bring up in your mind? When was the last time you consciously attempted to be like someone else? Why did you pick that person? The theme of imitation with the goal of spiritual growth was significant in Paul s writings. Generally speaking, he encouraged the believers in the congregations to which he wrote to imitate him. In a modern context, that sort of instruction might come across as arrogant or self-righteous. This was certainly not Paul s motivation. As the apostle to the Gentiles, Paul s audiences did not have the prior context of the law of God and could better understand what it meant to be a Christ follower with an example to follow. To that end, Paul offered himself as the example to follow. Further, Paul did not call his readers to follow him only, but to follow him as he followed Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). They knew him, had personal history and interaction with him, and had observed the manner in which Paul lived his life. Doing so helped Paul instruct them how to live by using practice as well as precept (the verbal precept would in any case have been worthless if it had been contradicted by apostolic practice). 2 Beloved Read the passages in the Gospels for moments in which God the Father proclaimed His love for God the Son: Christ s baptism (Matt. 3:16-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22) and the transfiguration of Christ (Matt. 17:5-6; Luke 9:35). These two episodes from Christ s ministry offer important insight into what it means to be a child of God and coheir with Christ. 2. Coheirs With Christ (Ephesians 5:1b) The foundational issue for Paul s address to the Ephesians was their identity in Christ. For this reason, after challenging the Ephesians to forgive as God had forgiven them in Christ, Paul reminded them why imitating Christ was the true reflection of their new identity. The phrase, as dearly loved children, characterized the manner in which the Ephesians were to imitate God. Paul used this phrase intentionally to remind them of the grandeur of their salvation. Paul s intent was closely related to the instruction he gave the believers in Rome in Romans 8:16-17: The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God s children, and if children, also heirs heirs of God and coheirs with Christ if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. How would you explain to someone what it means to be a coheir with Christ? What is the significance of being an heir to someone? Why is Paul s descriptor, dearly loved, important for understanding how a believer is viewed by God? What are some obstacles that would inhibit a person s ability to see himself or herself as a dearly loved child of God? 7 Leader Guide

8 Paul s careful description of believers as being dearly loved provided an important perspective for the Ephesians to understand their position with God. Jesus death and resurrection had not provided an entrance to heaven that was given begrudgingly by God. It had not secured a hearing with God in which He was a disinterested deity tolerating their cries. Paul wanted the Ephesians to realize the depth with which God loved them. Paul intentionally painted a picture of a Father who was overflowing with love for His children. 3. Love Sacrificially Like Christ (Ephesians 5:2) The phrase walk in is used to describe those things that would characterize a person s life. For example, earlier in Ephesians (2:10), Paul spoke of believers as being created in Christ Jesus as God s workmanship for the purpose of good works. Paul went on to say that those good works were prepared beforehand so that believers would walk in them (NASB & ESV). Just as Paul taught that one of the marks of the Christ follower was that he or she would be characterized by good works, he now taught that their imitation of Christ included being characterized by the same type of sacrificial love for others that Christ demonstrated in His death and resurrection. The type of love that walking in love would yield, Paul s logic progressed, was the same sacrificial love that Christ demonstrated for humanity. John communicated this same truth in 1 John 3:16: This is how we know we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. This was exactly the idea Paul was communicating to the Ephesians. With Christ s love for humanity as the model, we are reminded of Paul s explanation of that love to the Romans in Romans 5:6-8: For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. If walking in love is compared to Christ s love for us, who can we say is outside the realm of this love? When John wrote of Christ s love for us as demonstrated by His death on the cross, he connected an inner reality with an outward act. Who have you witnessed demonstrating that type of sacrificial love for others? Who was the last person that you demonstrated this type of costly love to? Session 7 8

9 The One True Sacrifice In Leviticus, when God described to Moses the various types of sacrifices which were to be offered to Him, the idea of a fragrant offering to God referred to an offering that was pleasing to God. Much went into that pleasing sacrifice, including the method of how it was offered. Of utmost importance was the purity of the one offering the sacrifice. If the priest had not carefully observed his own purification, the sacrifice would be defiled. With Jesus, He was His own priest who needed no cleansing because He was without sin. His fragrant offering of Himself was the most perfectly pleasing aroma possible. Christ s demonstration of His love was His death, burial, and resurrection. Paul concluded verse 2 by describing that demonstration in terms of a sacrifice. This terminology immediately tied the atoning work of Christ on the cross to the Old Testament sacrificial system that was mediated by the Levitical priests. The Old Testament system was one of constant bloodshed, as sacrificial animal after sacrificial animal was slaughtered to make atonement for Israel s sin. That system, however, was incomplete because sin was never fully atoned for. There was always one more sacrifice that needed to be made. The animals sacrificed were not willing sacrifices; their lives were taken from them. Christ was different, though, in that He gave His life for humanity; it was not taken from Him. His sacrifice perfected the broken sacrificial system of the Old Testament because, after Jesus sacrifice, no other sacrifice would ever be needed again. It was finished. The sacrificial love of believers points to the final sacrifice of Christ as they imitate this love to others. Conclusion Paul s teaching to the Ephesians regarding their imitation of Christ is no less significant in our modern culture. Putting off of the habits and actions of the old man is a constant struggle for believers and will continue to be until Christ returns. Nonetheless, the exhortation toward Christlikeness, in word and deed, is necessary for discipleship. The practical nature of what this discipleship looks like aids believers in moving forward in their faith in significant ways. First, understanding our spiritual standing before God is foundational for imitating Christ. Many believers are trapped in the belief that God has forgiven their sin, but He isn t particularly happy about it. Their understanding of a Father comes with deeply impressed images of a harsh disciplinarian, an unrelenting taskmaster, or some other similarly disapproving image. Loving others will be extremely difficult until we come to grips that, if we are believers in Jesus Christ, we are also dearly loved children. Zechariah 3 proclaimed how God sings over His people. For Christ followers, God passionately loves them, sings over them, and desires to see them enjoy the abundant life that comes with becoming increasingly like Jesus. This is not merely sentiment or a warm notion; it is the reality for everyone who trusts Christ as Savior. Second, just like Christ s love for us, our love for others must find a demonstrable expression. This is one of the most powerful ways to proclaim the Gospel. Walking in love includes celebrating Christ s love for us by showing that love to others. It is important to remember that sacrifice should increasingly be part of the believer s life. This sacrifice can take the form of finances, time, emotional investment, physical strength, 9 Leader Guide

10 or personal productivity. Loving others means, by definition, that our personal desires become less important. Third, the believer s life is an offering to God. There is not a facet of life that God does not desire for the believer to turn into an offering. Parenting is an offering. Work is an offering. Relationships are an offering. Talents and skills are an offering. Marriage is an offering. Every individual component of the believer s life can be turned back to God as a fragrant offering in which God is well pleased. This requires the believer s heart yielded to God, humble before Him, and receptive to His leading and direction. When the believer lives his or her life with this type of worldview, God is well pleased. How do you view God? Do you see Him as a reluctant giver of grace? Or do you see Him as a Father running to His wayward children to welcome them home? What does it mean to you to be a dearly loved child? When you think of the various parts of your life, which parts are most readily offered to God as a fragrant offering? What areas should you ask Him to help you grow in? How interruptible are you? In other words, when opportunities to love others sacrificially present themselves, how ready are you to engage those opportunities? How likely are you to place the needs of others before your calendar? When you think of sacrificial love, how does Paul s description of Christ s love for you, even when you were still lost in the darkness of your sin, help you reconsider your attitude toward others? Prayer of Response Pray that you would be motivated to love others sacrificially as Christ has loved you. Pray that the Spirit would help you to believe that you are God s child, perfectly loved by Him. Additional Resources The Singing God by Sam Storms A Call to Die by David Nasser Follow Me by David Platt Session 7 10

11 For Next Week Memorize 1 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, 2 and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. Ephesians 5:1-2, CSB 11 Leader Guide

12 Extended Commentary Ephesians 5:1-2 Be like God (5:1-2). The command to imitate God is breathtaking to us, but it is a thoroughly biblical idea and not unusual in Jewish or Greek thought. Although other texts may not be this explicit, the Bible assumes that God s covenant people take their character from him. Leviticus 19 is perhaps the most striking text, for the Israelites are commanded to be holy because God is holy. At least fourteen times in that chapter a command to Israel is followed by the words I am the Lord, to show that ethical action is determined by God s character. Similarly, in Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus commanded his disciples to love their enemies in order to be like the Father and to be perfect as their heavenly Father is perfect. Elsewhere Paul urges readers to imitate him or to imitate him as he imitates Christ. The second half of 5:1 shows why the command to imitate God is legitimate: The readers are God s children, whom he loves. These words point to the ideas of adoption in 1:5 and of family in 2:19 and 3: A person 253 takes the characteristics of the family to which he or she belongs (cf. 1 Cor. 4:15-16). Since Paul s readers belong to God s family and, as his children, have received love, they should be like him and show love. The imitation of God and his love is changed in 5:2 to the imitation of Christ and his love. Living in love sums up 4:25-5:1. Love is the sphere in which the believer lives. The standard by which Christian love is shaped and energized is the self-giving love of Christ on the cross. This verse is an important soteriological one, for it focuses on Christ s giving himself rather than on God s giving or sending his Son, and on the death of Christ as a sacrifice (see also 5:25). Christ gave himself for us or on our behalf. Christ s death is presented here as an example for our lives, but his death is never merely an example. With it comes a theology of atonement grounded in the love of God and Christ. Ideas of substitution, representation, and sacrifice are clearly present. In the Old Testament sacrificial system, smoke from an offering ascended as a pleasant smell to God, which was a way of expressing God s pleasure at the worship being offered. The image is adapted to express God s pleasure in what Christ s death accomplished. Paul used similar language to describe the ministry of Christians (2 Cor. 2:14-16) or the gifts of others to assist him (Phil. 4:18). 3 Session 7 12

13 References 1. Fletcher, Jesse C. Bill Wallace of China. Bloomington, IN: CrossBooks, Bruce, Frederick Fyvie. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, Snodrass, Klyne. Ephesians. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, Leader Guide

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