Imitating God: Living as Loved Children

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Our Identity as Loved Children

As believers, we are called to be imitators of God, rooted in our identity as His loved children. This identity is not something we earn; it is a gift given through the sacrificial love of Christ. By understanding ourselves as loved children, we are empowered to reflect God's character, beginning with forgiveness. This call to imitate God is not about striving to earn His love but living out the reality of being part of His family. Our actions, therefore, should naturally flow from this identity, as we embody the love and grace we have received. [02:59]

Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV): "Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."

Reflection: How does understanding your identity as a loved child of God change the way you approach your daily interactions and decisions today?

Day 2: The Power of Forgiveness in Imitating God

Forgiveness is central to our imitation of God. Just as God in Christ forgave us, we are called to forgive others. This act of forgiveness is not merely a command but a reflection of the transformative power of God's love in our lives. When we forgive, we mirror the forgiveness we have received, allowing God's love to flow through us and impact those around us. Forgiveness is a powerful testament to the grace we have experienced and a vital aspect of living out our identity as God's children. [03:37]

Colossians 3:12-13 (ESV): "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

Reflection: Think of someone in your life you need to forgive. Can you ask God to help you begin to extend His love and forgiveness to them today?

Day 3: Adoption Through Christ's Redemption

Our adoption as God's children is a result of Christ's redemptive work. This adoption was predestined by God and achieved through the forgiveness of our sins, highlighting the depth of God's grace and the intentionality of His love. Being adopted into God's family is not an afterthought but a central part of His divine plan. This understanding should fill us with gratitude and inspire us to live as His beloved children, reflecting His love and grace in all we do. [06:34]

Galatians 4:4-5 (ESV): "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons."

Reflection: How does knowing that your adoption into God's family was part of His predestined plan affect your sense of belonging and purpose today?

Day 4: Experiencing the Distinguishing Love of God

The love God has for His children is a distinguishing love, different from His general love for the world. It is a love that makes us alive in Christ and secures our place in His family. This love is transformative, prompting us to live as His beloved children. Understanding this unique love should inspire us to reflect God's character in our relationships and actions, knowing that we are secure in His family through His sovereign grace. [10:47]

1 John 3:1 (ESV): "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him."

Reflection: In what ways can you reflect the distinguishing love of God in your interactions with others today?

Day 5: Joyfully Living Out Our Identity

Imitating God is not a burden but a joyful expression of our identity as loved children. We are called to live out this identity by reflecting God's love and grace in our actions. This joyful response is rooted in the assurance that we are secure in His family through His sovereign grace. As we embrace our identity, we find joy in living out the fullness of who we are in Christ, impacting the world around us with His love. [12:47]

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV): "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

Reflection: What is one way you can joyfully express your identity as a loved child of God in your community today?

Sermon Summary

In Ephesians 5:1-2, we are called to be imitators of God as loved children. This profound call is rooted in the understanding of our identity as those who have been forgiven and adopted into God's family through the sacrificial love of Christ. The term "loved children" emphasizes the unique and distinguishing love God has for His elect, a love that is not merely sentimental but transformative. This love is the foundation upon which we are called to imitate God, not as a means to earn His love, but as a response to the love we have already received.

The "therefore" in Ephesians 5:1 connects this call to imitate God with the preceding exhortation to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving, as God in Christ forgave us. This connection highlights that our imitation of God begins with forgiveness, mirroring the forgiveness we have received. It is through Christ's redemptive work—His blood shed for our sins—that we are forgiven and adopted as God's children. This adoption is not an afterthought but a predestined plan, demonstrating the depth of God's grace and love.

As loved children, our imitation of God is not a burdensome task but a natural outflow of our identity in Christ. We are not striving to earn God's love; rather, we are living out the reality of being part of His family. This imitation is rooted in the great love with which God has loved us, a love that made us alive in Christ and continues to transform us. The call to imitate God is a call to live in the fullness of our identity as His children, reflecting His character in our relationships and actions.

Key Takeaways

1. Imitating God as Loved Children: Our call to imitate God is deeply rooted in our identity as loved children. This identity is not earned but given through the sacrificial love of Christ, who forgave us and brought us into God's family. As loved children, we are empowered to reflect God's character, beginning with forgiveness. [02:59]
2. The Transformative Power of Forgiveness: Forgiveness is central to our imitation of God. Just as God in Christ forgave us, we are called to forgive others. This act of forgiveness is not just a command but a reflection of the transformative power of God's love in our lives. [03:37]
3. Adoption Through Redemption: Our adoption as God's children is a result of Christ's redemptive work. This adoption was predestined by God and achieved through the forgiveness of our sins, highlighting the depth of God's grace and the intentionality of His love. [06:34]
4. Distinguishing Love of God: The love God has for His children is a distinguishing love, different from His general love for the world. It is a love that makes us alive in Christ and secures our place in His family, prompting us to live as His beloved children. [10:47]
5. Living Out Our Identity: Imitating God is not a burden but a joyful expression of our identity as loved children. We are called to live out this identity by reflecting God's love and grace in our actions, knowing that we are secure in His family through His sovereign grace. [12:47]
** [12:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:20] - Introduction to Ephesians 5:1-2
[00:38] - Understanding "Loved Children"
[00:56] - The Significance of "Therefore"
[01:30] - Connection to Forgiveness
[02:15] - The Call to Imitate God
[02:35] - Forgiveness as Imitation
[03:17] - Generalizing Imitation
[04:15] - Loved Children and Forgiveness
[05:17] - Adoption Through Christ
[06:14] - Redemption and Forgiveness
[07:30] - Entering God's Family
[09:10] - The Great Love of God
[10:11] - Distinguishing Love
[11:25] - The Love That Makes Us Children
[12:47] - Imitation as a Joyful Response

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

Ephesians 5:1-2
Ephesians 1:5-7
1 John 3:1

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Observation Questions:

What does Ephesians 5:1-2 call believers to do, and how is this connected to their identity as "loved children"? [00:20]
How does the sermon explain the significance of the word "therefore" in Ephesians 5:1? What is it connecting to? [01:30]
According to the sermon, what is the relationship between forgiveness and our adoption as God's children? [06:34]
How does the sermon describe the difference between God's general love for the world and His distinguishing love for His children? [10:47]

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Interpretation Questions:

How does understanding our identity as "loved children" change the way we approach the call to imitate God? [12:47]
In what ways does the sermon suggest that forgiveness is a reflection of God's transformative love in our lives? [03:37]
How does the concept of being predestined for adoption through Christ impact our understanding of God's grace and intentionality? [07:11]
What does the sermon imply about the nature of God's love that makes us alive in Christ and secures our place in His family? [10:28]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a time when you struggled to forgive someone. How can the understanding of God's forgiveness towards you help you in extending forgiveness to others? [03:37]
How can you live out your identity as a "loved child" of God in your daily interactions with others this week? [12:47]
Identify a specific area in your life where you find it challenging to imitate God. What steps can you take to align your actions with your identity in Christ? [02:59]
Consider the idea of God's distinguishing love for His children. How does this understanding affect your relationship with God and your sense of belonging in His family? [10:47]
How can you remind yourself of your adoption into God's family when you face feelings of inadequacy or unworthiness? [06:34]
What practical ways can you demonstrate the transformative power of God's love in your community or church? [03:37]
Reflect on the sermon’s message about living as loved children. How can you cultivate a joyful response to God's love in your life? [12:47]

Sermon Clips

Father, teach us now what it is to imitate you, we know it would be high handed treason and Rebellion if we tried to imitate parts of you that we shouldn't trying to be God or be like God in ways that only God can be so show us what it is to imitate you here and how to do it as loved children I ask this in Jesus name. [00:59:16]

Therefore be imitators of God as loved children and the therefore connects this with what has gone before which was be kind to one another tenderhearted forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you now it's very odd to ground or to infer with a therefore to infer an imperative be imitators from an imperative be kind be tender-hearted be forgiving. [01:34:07]

God forgave you therefore be imitators of God as loved children that makes sense God forgave you therefore be imitators of God because that's what he's already told us to do forgiving one another as God forgave you in other words imitate God's forgiveness so he's already said be imitators of God specifically with regard to forgiveness. [02:50:12]

Therefore not just with regard to forgiveness but be imitators of God in every appropriate way that's the connection I see with the therefore so I'm grounding this therefore right here in God in Christ forgave you therefore be imitators of God just like I said forgive as God forgave you but here's the really eye openening thing. [03:44:59]

God predestined us for adoption to himself as Sons through Jesus Christ what does that mean so we become children of God by virtue of being predestined to be children of God through Jesus Christ let's keep reading see if this is explained according to the purpose of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace. [05:17:31]

In whom we have Redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace this is all one sentence here we're still hanging it together in whom that is in the Beloved who is Jesus Christ in whom we have Redemption so this adoption here that is for God through Jesus Christ is now being explained. [05:57:31]

God predestined that we would become children through a Redemption namely the Redemption of Jesus through his blood Redemption through his blood namely this Redemption is the Forgiveness of our trespasses and all of it rooted in God's glorious Grace so there's a very very close Connection in Paul's mind between God's predestin us to be his children by adoption. [06:34:12]

The way we become the children of God through Jesus Christ is that Jesus Christ will shed his blood become a ransom or a Redemption and thus achieve for us the Forgiveness of our sins so that we can make our way into the family of God which is why I think this as loved children is rooted through this therefore in what's just before. [07:21:39]

God being rich in Mercy because of the great love that's the only place in the Apostle Paul where he uses the phrase great love because of the great love with which he loved us now who are the US well look even when we were dead in our trespasses made us alive the US is everyone whom he makes alive because it's the love that prompts him to make us alive. [09:31:76]

This is not everybody in the world God loves everybody in the world with a John 3:16 kind of love for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever believes would have eternal life then there is this great love that he shows when he actually steps into people's lives and causes them to believe makes them alive together with Christ by Grace you have been saved. [10:06:27]

We should Simply Be staggered that hell deserving sinful rebellious people would be died for and then would be made Alive by the great love of God and so we are we're not just called we are the children of God the reason why the world doesn't know us is that it did not know him beloved we are God's children now. [12:00:16]

When it says be imitators of God as love children don't feel this in any way as a burden oh dear I have to act like God the whole point of this is to say as as as as loved loved loved children that's why we we imitate him we don't imitate God in order to win his love we imitate God because we're in the family. [12:42:32]

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Imitating God: Living as Loved Children

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Our Identity as Loved Children

Day 2: The Power of Forgiveness in Imitating God

Day 3: Adoption Through Christ's Redemption

Day 4: Experiencing the Distinguishing Love of God

Day 5: Joyfully Living Out Our Identity

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Imitating God: Living as Loved Children

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