LIVING WATER CAC DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Monday, July 3, 2023.
BE IMITATORS OF GOD (1)
Read: Ephesians 5:1-7
[1]Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
[2]And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
[3]But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
[4]neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
[5]For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
[6]Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
[7]Therefore do not be partakers with them. Walk in Light
MEMORISE: If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).
EXPOSITION
God, in Christ Jesus, is our standard for living, so that we may please Him. The Scripture admonishes, Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who o for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2). We have Him as our standard to imitate. 'Imitate' in Greek, means, 'to follow as a model or pattern; to make a copy, counterpart or semblance of. Perhaps, the key to understanding what Paul means is in the words, beloved children.
And just like all children, we learn by imitating our parents. Christians have no higher calling or purpose in life than to be like our heavenly Father in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:29). The Way of Christ is designed to reproduce godliness in our lives, moulding and shaping us into God's image.
There are four areas of our lives where we are specifically called to imitate God. Firstly, be imitators of God by loving one another as found in John 13:34-35. Leviticus 19:18 also echoes this: You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. His command calls for His disciples to model their love for one another after His love for them. In essence, Jesus is saying, 'Imitate my kind of love in a willingness to lay down your life for others as I did' (Jn. 15:12- 13; 1 Jn. 3:16).
Whatever the situation we find ourselves, let us explore this Jesus' kind of love on a practical day-to-day level, to others when privileged.
SUGGESTED HYMN FOR TODAY: CAC GHB 524
1. I want to be like Jesus,
So lowly and so meek,
For no one marked an angry word
That ever heard Him speak.
2. I want to be like Jesus,
So frequently in prayer;
Alone upon the mountain-top,
He met His Father there.
3. I want to be like Jesus,
I never, never find
That He, though persecuted, was
To any one unkind.
4. I want to be like Jesus,
Engaged in doing good,
So that of me it may be said,
"She hath done what she could."
5. I want to be like Jesus,
Who sweetly said to all,
"Let little children come to Me."
I would obey the call.
6. But oh, I'm not like Jesus,
As any one may see;
Then, gentle Saviour, send Thy Grace,
And make me like to Thee.
Amen.
PRAYER POINTS:
1.decree and declare the glory of God to be seen in all my conduct and ways.
2. Lord Jesus, make my life worthy of emulation as Yours.
3. Pray that, as parents, we shall be worthy Christly role models to our children.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Psalms 87:1-89:37
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