Keep Yourself Pure

Imitation is a natural part of life. As children, we imitate our parents. As teenagers, we copy what is popular among our friends. Even adults find themselves influenced by celebrities, athletes, and public figures. We naturally become like the people we admire. 

The apostle Paul gives Christians a much higher calling. In Ephesians 5:1, he writes, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” i Few commands in Scripture are more important. William Barclay called it “the highest standard in the world,” and Martyn Lloyd-Jones described it as the ultimate ideal of Christian doctrine and practice. 

God desires that His people reflect His character. Many people tell me I look and act like my dad. The truth is that makes me feel good. I like that people notice we have the same sense of humor and mannerisms. However, I want to become more like my Heavenly Father every day as well. 

Living as God’s Children 

Throughout Ephesians, Paul describes the Christian life as a “walk”—a daily journey that reflects our relationship with Christ. We are not standing still spiritually. We are continually growing into the likeness of Jesus. 

The command to imitate God may seem impossible at first. After all, God possesses attributes that belong to Him alone. He is eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere. Those qualities can never belong to humanity. 

Yet Scripture consistently teaches that there are aspects of God’s character we are meant to reflect. His love, goodness, faithfulness, justice, compassion, wisdom, and holiness should increasingly become evident in our lives. 

This has always been God’s expectation. In Leviticus 19, the Lord repeatedly commands Israel to be holy because He is holy. Jesus echoed the same truth when He called His followers to love even their enemies, reflecting the perfect love of their heavenly Father. Christian ethics are rooted not merely in rules but in God’s own character. It is what we would call “Living Out our Baptism.”  

Paul reminds believers they are dearly loved children. We imitate God, not to earn His love but because we already possess it. 

Love That Acts 

Paul tells us what it means to imitate God: “Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Ephesians 5:2). 

The greatest demonstration of God’s character is found in Jesus Christ. It was sacrificial. Jesus did not remain safely in heaven declaring His love from a distance. He entered our world, took our place, and willingly gave His life on the cross. 

True love always moves beyond words into action. This is why Scripture describes love with verbs. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not envy or boast. Love serves, sacrifices, forgives, and gives. 

John 3:16 declares, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” God’s love was shown to us through Jesus. 

Hurting people often need more than comforting words. They need someone who will show Christ’s love through practical compassion. The church becomes God’s hands and feet when believers care for the lonely, encourage the discouraged, comfort the grieving, and serve those in need. 

Imitating God means allowing His love to become visible through our actions. 

A Call to Holiness 

After presenting God's incredible love, Paul shifts to a serious warning: “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints” (Ephesians 5:3). 

Our culture often treats sexual purity as outdated or unrealistic, but the first-century world was no different. Sexual immorality was common throughout the Roman Empire. Paul’s instructions were just as countercultural then as they are today. Notice the standard Paul establishes is that there is not to be even a hint of impurity. 

This is both a matter of prevention and testimony. Wise believers avoid situations that gradually lead them toward sin. At the same time, Christians are called to stand apart from the culture around them. Holiness means being set apart for God’s purposes. 

God does not restrict us because He wants to diminish our joy. He calls us to be pure because we belong to Him. Christ purchased us with His own blood, and our bodies and lives are no longer our own. 

Our culture promotes the pursuit of pleasure as life’s highest goal. Scripture presents a different vision. God’s purpose for our lives is far greater than simply satisfying temporary desires. Sin always promises fulfillment but ultimately weakens our relationship with God and hinders our spiritual growth. 

Christ’s sacrifice becomes our motivation for holy living. Jesus willingly endured suffering, rejection, humiliation, and death for our salvation. When temptation comes, we remember the cross. The Savior who denied Himself for us calls His followers to deny themselves as well. Temporary pleasure is never worth sacrificing eternal fellowship with Christ. 

The Power of Our Words 

Paul also addresses another often-overlooked area of holiness: our speech. In Ephesians 5:4, he writes, “There must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.” 

Words reveal what is happening inside our hearts. Jesus taught that “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Our conversations often expose our spiritual condition more clearly than we realize. 

When our hearts are filled with gratitude toward God, thanksgiving naturally replaces sarcasm, gossip, crude humor, and hurtful speech. Imagine how different our homes, churches, and workplaces would be if believers intentionally chose encouragement over criticism and gratitude over complaining. Every conversation offers an opportunity either to build others up or tear them down. Followers of Christ should be known for speaking words that reflect His grace. 

Where Is Your Heart? 

In Ephesians 5:5, Paul says, “For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” 

At first glance, these words may trouble every believer because all Christians have failed in one way or another. The key is understanding Paul’s description of an idolater. An idolater is someone whose deepest passion belongs to something other than God. Rather than describing a believer who has stumbled and repented, Paul is describing a life dominated by sin instead of devotion to Christ. 

No one can serve two masters. 

All Christians struggle with temptation, but believers also experience conviction, repentance, and the desire to follow Christ. When we fail, Jesus invites us to confess our sin, receive His forgiveness, and continue growing in holiness. 

The question is not whether we have ever sinned. The question is whether our greatest desire is to know and please the Lord. 

Walking in the Light 

Paul concludes by reminding believers of who they now are: “For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light” (Ephesians 5:8). 

Before coming to Christ, darkness defined our lives. Now God's light has transformed us. Because our identity has changed, our lifestyle should change as well. 

Verse 10 provides a simple summary of Christian living: “Find out what pleases the Lord” (NIV). That becomes the guiding question for every decision. 

Does this relationship please the Lord? 

Do these words please the Lord? 

Does this habit reflect His character? 

Does this choice honor Christ? 

Paul answers by pointing us toward goodness, righteousness, truth, sacrificial love, and purity. These qualities reflect the God we are called to imitate. 

Grace Before Change 

No Christian perfectly reflects God’s holiness. Every believer has fallen short of His standard. The good news of the gospel is that our hope is not found in our performance but in Christ’s sacrifice. 

Many people believe they must first clean up their lives before coming to Christ. Scripture teaches exactly the opposite. We come to Jesus as we are, and He is the One who cleanses us. 

Because we are dearly loved children of God, we seek to imitate our Father. We walk in love. We pursue holiness. We guard our speech. We live in the light. And when we fail, we return to the cross, where Christ’s grace continually cleanses and transforms us. 

The Christian life is not about earning God’s acceptance. It is about becoming more like the One who has already loved us beyond measure.