"Be imitators of God.." - Ephesians 5:1-2 (TPT)

Actors are people who mimic others, and the best actors can represent the thoughts and feelings of another person with fidelity.

In contrast, you should not be able to tell the difference between the actor and the character they are playing. That is what Paul is indicating here through the word “imitators.”  

He is using this word as comparative and not as a rule. The “imitation” Paul is suggesting is not an act. There is the perception that acting is pretending and not the real thing, and in some ways that part is true, but that is not what Paul is saying. 

We don’t pretend to be followers of Christ any more than we can pretend to be someone or something else. Actors, in reality, do not physically become the characters they play, it is only for a short time they work on their imitation skills to portray the character of their liking and then return back to their natural self. 

Paul is saying let our natural self is being transformed into the likeness of God in everything we do, which is the type of imitation he is referring to which is in line with the body of scripture. 

Many psychologists have learned and taught the concept of behavior modification to their clients if they want to behave a certain way, then they will have to start acting the way they want to be, eventually, they will become the person they want to become by the way they act. 

For example, If you want to be a kinder person, then start showing kindness, if you want to be more assertive, then start demonstrating assertiveness in your actions. The shorter version of this concept is “fake it until you make it.”

None of us have been born with Godlike characteristics, these are traits that are learned or acquired by long term relationships with Jesus. If we hang out with Jesus and are drawn to the power of His love, then we are affected by that love; it can’t help but change us to become more loving people, which in turn changes our behavior. 

Our behavior is more than acting or imitation, and it is a reflection of the true nature of our inner-self of who we are. We behave based on a set of guidelines or rules which we were taught as children by our parents or other authority figures in our lives, which enforced these behaviors either by affirmation or by punishment, positive or negative reinforcement.

This matter is so critically important for it strikes at the core of who we are as human beings, for it is our behavior that Jesus wants to transform into His image of love.

Paul is suggesting here that we modify our behavior to become more like Christ in our responses. 

We already have a relationship with Him, so we already know what the love of Jesus means to us. It is that love that is transformative, which can grab ahold of our hearts and heal the wounds which have formed us into the person we have become.

We are never fully complete in our growth process with Jesus, and we are always changing and learning what it means to be His sons and daughters. 

You see, we are not just loved; we are beloved, which is so much more, for it means that we are all unique and special to Jesus, so much so that He would die for us that we may know the depth of His love. His sacrifice for us was the supreme demonstration of what love is. 

Love is never complete in itself; it has to be expressed and sacrificed for others so that it may grow and develop. It is when love is released in this way that it brings pleasure to the Father.

Paul describes Christ’s love for us “like an aroma of adoration—a sweet healing fragrance.” There are many ancient healing practices, like utilizing the resin or sap from the myrrh tree to bring healing to the body, which was a common practice in Paul’s day. Myrrh resin had an aromatic fragrance compared to our current day tea tree oil, typically the myrrh resin was waxy and could be applied directly to the skin or mixed with wine and ingested. 

Myrrh resin had many antiseptic properties, which made it useful in Paul's day. 

Paul was comparing the love of Christ to the healing and aromatic properties of this type of practice of applying different kinds of natural tree products to the body. Whether or not anyone was healed from these products is unclear, but one thing is clear is the representation or example that was given regarding the purpose of the application and the aroma that is emitted when it is applied.

We are not always perfect in the ways we respond to others, sometimes the love of Christ is the furthest thing from our minds, which is what makes us unique and special in God’s eyes.  We are not perfect, but dependent upon Him to transform us and continuously renew our minds that we may reflect Christ in our behavior and our actions. 

I often ask the question, why didn’t God make us perfect?  Why must we go through all of these changes?  The reason is we wouldn’t feel like we needed Him like we do if we were made perfect. 

We were taught and reared by imperfect parents, and our behavior requires that we need a savior. A significant part of that need is modifying our behavior to become more like Jesus, as we pursue His love it transforms us and brings us to Him who is perfect that we may trust Him to make us like He is. 

It is Jesus who does the changing in us, and not us alone; we only open ourselves to the possibility, and that pleases the Father. 

Be Blessed;

Stephen Barnett