Good morning. After all of
that bad mouthing stuff yesterday, Paul says therefore be imitators of God, as
beloved children. Just like our children imitated us when they were little, so
we should imitate God all of our lives. We are to walk in love, just as Christ
loved us and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God as a
fragrant aroma. If we are walking in love, we will not be saying all of those
bad things we talked about yesterday. He says there should not even be named
among us the immorality or impurity or greed that is going on in the world.
Instead of filthy talking we should rather give thanks. If you are around
people who do all of the kind of talking that's been mentioned, it is all too
easy to fall into the same habit without even realizing it. Even Christians say
that it's OK. Paul says that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who
is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. When
people say all of these things are OK, they can deceive even Christians into
thinking it's OK for them to do them too. However, because of these things the
wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience, and we are not to be
partakers with them. We were part of the world system and in darkness, but now
we are light in the Lord and should walk as children of light. When we do, our
fruit will consist of all goodness and righteousness and truth; and we will try
to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. We should not be participating in these
unfruitful deeds of darkness – instead we should expose them. However as you
know, bad company corrupts good morals. When you walk with people who are in
the darkness, their ways tend to rub off on you and not the other way around.
Father thank You that the reader walks in light and not in darkness. His/her
light chases away the darkness around him/her. The people around him/her who
are in the darkness are attracted to his/her light – which is You.
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me
Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...
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