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