Imitators of God (Ephesians 4:32-5:2)

Ephesians 4;32-5:2 Imitators of God

1. Put on Christ (Eph 4:31-32)
   1. Be or becoming
   2. What is kindness? (1Pt 2:2-3, Eph 2:7)
      1. Biblical Examples
      2. How can we cultivate kindness
         1. Care for the Poor and Needy (Ps 112:5, Prov 14:21)
         2. Love enemy (Lk 6:35)
         3. Correcting the erring (Ps 141:5)
         4. Look around and see who has a need and meet it.
         5. Speak encouraging words to build up not tear down
         6. Sacrifice for the benefit of others –
      3. What is compassion? (Eph 4:32, Lk 10:25-37, Gal 6:2)
         1. Compassion has to do with feeling the pain of another and then acting to alleviate it.
         2. Biblical Examples
      4. Become forgiving (Eph 4:32)
         1. Forgiving is the art of releasing others from your demand for justice and entrusting them to God who judges appropriately.
         2. Why do we do this?
         3. How to forgive
            1. Name the offense
            2. Count the cost, recognize what you are giving up
            3. Prayerfully give it to God admitting the pain and cost, but asking him to release you from the need to get even.
            4. Say “I forgive you for [name the offense] and for the [name the cost] it had on me. Lord I entrust them to your judgment and your mercy as you see fit.”
2. Be imitators of God (Eph 5:1-2)
   1. Imitate, copy, mimeograph
   2. Paul’s desire for us is to experience love, compassion, forgiveness and then pass it on.
   3. Put on Christ