Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” This verse comes in the midst of Paul’s encouragement to the Ephesian Christians to walk in love and avoid sexual immorality. But what exactly does it mean for us as Christians to be imitators of God?
1. We are called to imitate God’s character
First and foremost, imitating God means reflecting His character and nature in our own lives. As 1 John 4:8 tells us, “God is love.” Everything God does flows out of His perfect, selfless love. As His children, we are called to display the same kind of sacrificial, unconditional love toward others. This kind of love was perfectly modeled by Christ, who gave Himself up for us (Ephesians 5:2).
In addition to love, other aspects of God’s character we are called to imitate include His holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16), mercy (Luke 6:36), faithfulness (1 Corinthians 1:9), goodness (Matthew 5:48), patience (2 Peter 3:9), forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32), and compassion (Psalm 103:13). The more we grow in godly character, the more we will walk as authentic imitators of our heavenly Father.
2. We imitate God through obedience
A second key part of imitating God is living in obedience to His commands. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Our obedience shows that we are submitted to Christ’s lordship and desire to honor God with our lives.
In Ephesians 5, Paul specifically calls the Ephesians to avoid the sins of sexual immorality, impurity, and greed (Ephesians 5:3-5). They were instead to walk in the light and have nothing to do with evil deeds (Ephesians 5:7-11). Like them, we imitate God by turning from sinful behaviors and clinging to what is good and pleasing to the Lord.
3. We are to imitate God’s mercy and forgiveness
A third aspect of imitating God is showing mercy and forgiveness to others, just as He has shown mercy and forgiveness to us. Jesus told His disciples to “be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). In the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God to “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).
Because God does not count our sins against us but has forgiven us through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:19), we are called to extend that same lavish forgiveness to those who have wronged us. Refusing to forgive others indicates we have not fully understood God’s mercy toward us.
4. We imitate God by walking in love
Walking in love is foundational to imitating God. We reflect Him by displaying sacrificial, Christ-like love in our relationships and going out of our way to meet others’ needs. Paul says we should “walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us” (Ephesians 5:2). He also encourages us to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
God’s love compels us to love others through serving, honoring, encouraging, and giving generously to meet their needs. Our lives will radiate God’s presence when they are marked by loving actions.
5. We are to imitate God’s generosity
Since God is a generous giver, we imitate Him by generously sharing what we have been given. Just as God meets our needs, He calls us to be openhanded toward others. Paul commends the Macedonians for imitating God’s generosity in the way they gave to help others despite their own poverty (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). He instructs the Ephesians that “thief must no longer steal but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need” (Ephesians 4:28).
Imitating God includes living generously, freely sharing our time, abilities, and resources to be a blessing to those around us and further His kingdom work.
6. We are to imitate God’s grace and humility
Although God is infinitely high and exalted, He also displays incredible humility and grace in the way He interacts with us. The incarnation itself—God becoming man—is the ultimate picture of humility (Philippians 2:5-8). Even though we are sinful and undeserving, He sacrificed Himself for us.
We are called to reflect that grace and humility in our relationships with others. That means not thinking of ourselves as better than others, but rather elevating and serving them in lowliness of spirit (Romans 12:3, 10, 16). We are to extend grace to others in the same way it has been lavished upon us through Christ (2 Timothy 2:1).
7. We imitate God by living holy lives
As children of God, we are called to pursue purity and live holy lives that honor Him. Peter reminds us that just as God who called us is holy, we are also to “be holy in all [our] conduct” (1 Peter 1:15). We are to “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).
Making choices that reflect moral purity and separating ourselves from worldly attitudes and behaviors is key to imitating our holy God. We are to be His holy people, shining as lights in the world (Philippians 2:15).
8. We imitate God by walking in wisdom
Proverbs tells us that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). As we reverence and know God, we gain His perspective and insights. Walking in godly wisdom requires spending time in God’s Word and prayer, as well as submitting ourselves to the counsel of other believers. As we grow in wisdom, we are better equipped to navigate life’s decisions in a way that reflects God’s heart and brings glory to Him.
Wisdom is revealed by our speech, conduct, attitudes, priorities, and how we carry ourselves. By depending on God rather than our own understanding, our lives will demonstrate His wisdom at work (James 3:13-18).
9. We imitate God by shining His light
Jesus called His followers the “light of the world” and told us to let our lights shine before others so they may see our good deeds and glorify God (Matthew 5:14-16). As imitators of Christ, the light of God’s truth, love and grace is now reflected through us.
We live as children of light by displaying the fruits of righteousness, learning what pleases the Lord, and having nothing to do with deeds of darkness (Ephesians 5:8-11). Our lives marked by goodness point people toward our Father in heaven.
10. We imitate God by depending on His strength
Only with God’s power at work in us can we effectively imitate His character and walk in obedience to Him. Paul prayed for the Ephesians to be “strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3:16). Later he urges them: “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Ephesians 6:10).
Rather than trying to imitate God in our own strength, we must rely on the inner working of the Holy Spirit. As we yield to Him, He transforms us increasingly into the image of Christ from the inside out (2 Corinthians 3:18).
While we will never attain perfect imitation of God in this life, we grow closer to that goal as we walk in intimacy with Him. Our desire should be to increasingly reflect our Father’s character for the glory of His name.