Every tennis player I know has modeled their style of play from one of the greats. For my dad it was Jimmy Connors, for a friend of mine it was Mats Wilander. It’s not only tennis players, if you play a sport you are likely to find someone who plays the same position that you do and to try and mimick their style and their success. Comedians watch other comics, artists examin the works of other artists, so why shouldn’t people of faith look to the example of other people of faith?

After exhorting the people of Ephesus to leave behind their old life and sinful habits, Paul provides an example for us to follow. Is it himself? One of the prophets of old? Abraham, Isaac or Jacob? Nope. “Be imitators of God” he tells us, “and live in love.” Now God is the ultimate example of holiness, righteousness, love, wisdom and all things we want to be but we’re not God. When we look at Rudolf Schenker to learn how to play guitar, we’re looking at another human. Playing like Schenker is an attainable goal. Being like God is, well, less than attainable. On the other hand, there is no one better to model our lives after.

In regard to living lilke God, Paul gives us a few places to start. Maintain sexual purity, don’t be greedy for anything (most people immediately think of money, but it can be anything we desire more of including car parts or golf clubs or shoes and jewelry), clean speech -- keep the jokes G-Rated – and be thankful for what you have. This last one is of great importance. Regardless of what this life hands you – poverty, loss of a job or loved one, even cancer – remember there is always someone who is worse off than yourself and be thankful for what you do have.

Again, to help the reader understand what being like God is about, Paul provides more assistance. He gives us the analogy of light. Like God, light exposes what truly exists. Unbelievers (“sons of disobediance” is a Jewish idiom referring to any who do not follow YHWH) may have some fine sounding arguments for what they do, but we are not to imitate them. Instead we are to immitate God and espose their words, their actions and them for what they are. But exposing sin and avoiding dark deeds ourselves is only a part of our responsibility, we need to be as bright a light as we can be. To that end we need to be devoted all goodness, righteousness and truth and always be learning about what pleases God. When we become light Jesus himself shines on us and through us.

It’s easy to read Paul’s characterizations and think in the abstract. “I’m a good person” we reason when we compare ourselves to others we know, but when we compare ourselves to God we either see how far short we fall or we rationalize that we are “good enough” for God’s exceptance. If we are trying to be the best, like our favorite sportsman or musician, “good enough” simply isn’t. Where it comes together is when we stop comparing ourselves to those who aren’t as good but when we compare ourselves to those who are better. Which is why Paul gave us the example of God to follow. For some, however, God may be too lofty a goal to reach at this point in their new life. If that’s you, start by following the example of the person who led you to Jesus, or the pastor of your church, or the leader of your Bible study group. No matter who you start to model your Christian life after you need to live carefully, purposefully and reverentially.

So far Paul has been attempting to teach the individual how to follow and please God. He now turns to one’s estate. How does a person follow God’s example as a husband, a father, a son or as a wife, mother and daughter. How are we to operate our households? Paul gives us a few places to start. We’ll examine what he has to say tomorrow as the rest of chapter five relates to the beginning of chapter six.