Man is an amazing creature. His opposable thumbs grasp hammers and build homes. His mind imagines homes and plots them on digital blueprints inside of computers he invented to herd ones and zeros into formation. He talks about his plans and communicates with others, with words he found from letters, so that they understand. In all of these things and more he shows that he is full of capabilities.

Man is creative because he was created to reflect a Creator. Man makes because he was made in the image of the Maker. The Maker made mini-makers. Take a look at a man at work and you get a glimpse of His God. There are limitations to our imitations, of course, because God did not make us to be God. God did make us to mirror His glory, and that includes creative glory.

We’ve talked about image-bearing glory in both our responsibilities and our relationships. Those two capacities come together when we consider another attribute of God: loving sacrifice for others. Nothing reveals the glory of God as when the Father gave His Son and the Son gave Himself in order to save undeserving men. So the gospel demonstrates the heart of God. It also draws the pattern for God’s children to follow. Loving sacrifice for others is the Christian way of life.

I suspect that this doesn’t sound new. I hope it doesn’t. We give glory to God as creatures when we praise His giving-ness. We give glory to God as imitators when we give. The message bears repeating because we will never leave the cross behind, because God keeps giving, and also because disciples must continue to learn and practice giving. The way of the world, the way of the old self, is to take. This is not how we learned Christ.

Ephesians 5:1-2 tees up the ball as we prepare to take the field for another school year. At our leaders’ retreat last week we examined four key words, four bases, that are worth touching again. As we desire to be better image-bearers, as we long for fruitfulness in our days of ministry, we see the imperatives of imitation. In order to be like God we must give up.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1–2, ESV)

GIFT

Before considering the imperatives we should remember the indicatives. As you’ve no doubt heard before, many of Paul’s letters follow this flow: truth and then commands, indicatives then imperatives. The first eleven chapters of Romans teach doctrine and chapter twelve begins the application. The same happens in Ephesians, walls of behavior stand on theological bedrocks. Great blessings in the first three chapters are followed by a “therefore” hinge at chapter four. Because of truth, “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” The first two verses at the beginning of Ephesians chapter five continue the application.

The commands to be imitators and walk in love depend on the idea of gift. What should we imitate in God? His giving. How should we walk? Like Christ who gave.

Like fires warm, fountains overflow, babies cry, bunnies hop, anchors sink, lightening flashes, flowers bloom, and cream rises, God gives. That’s what He does.

As image-bearers we should start by acknowledging and receiving and thanking God for His gifts. In the immediate context we see gifts in knowledge of God instead of ignorance (4:18), sensitive hearts instead of hardness (4:19), renewed minds (4:23), new selves (24), and being brought to share in the life of God instead of being alienated from Him (4:18). His gifts include His own Spirit (4:30; also 1:13-14) as well as forgiveness (4:32). He has adopted us as children (5:1). Every spiritual blessing is ours as gifts (1:3).

So we give thanks to God for the gifts (for all the good ones—James 1:17, in all things—1 Thessalonians 5:18). Thankfulness is an appropriate response to the Giver and it also is the necessary response to filthy living. The opposite of sexual immorality and impurity and covetousness and foolish talk and crude joking is more than purity, it is thanksgiving (verses 3-4). Our lives are gift. What we have and don’t have is gift. Deliverance is gift. Troubles, tests, and trials are gift (James 1:3-4). God gives non-stop. It is gift to see His gifts. There’s no need to run to second without touching the gift-base first. We will give up when we get all that’s been given.

MISSION

Why does God give? What aim did Christ have in giving Himself up? There are two ends to the mission: communication of His love for us and His own pleasure.

The first goal of giving is to communicate love. God loves us, we are His beloved children . Christ loved us and give himself up for us . The mission was to exhibit divine affection and build a beautiful body. Love in Ephesians 4:12-16 builds up the church, and love from a husband leads to a beautiful bride in Ephesians 5:25-27.

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25–27)

Giving up is for the saints, for the brothers, for the Body, for the Bride. Giving is for (to be used by others) not at (to be seen by others). Don’t be a sacrificial stink bomb, giving up in such a way that everyone wants to give it back. Your gift made their eyes water, but not with happy tears, because the smoke is burning their eyes.

The second and ultimate goal of giving is God’s own pleasure. Nouns give substance to Christ’s action: a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God . Paul alludes to Psalm 40:6 where “sacrifice and offering” are paired to summarize what is presented to God. God receives, He is satisfied by, He is pleased with the death of His Son for others. Why? Because giving pleases Him. It is fragrant , an alluring aroma like barbecue smoke combing the air. The fragrance is used to describe burnt offerings (Leviticus 1:9), grain offerings (Leviticus 2:2), and peace offerings (Leviticus 3:5), all cooked over fire. The Father delights in His Son’s giving because He seems Himself.

Like ovens that freeze, bees that meow, lights that darken, swords that tickle, and doctors that kill, it is out of character for God not to give. So with image-bearers. Taking, then, is rebellion; a counterfeit image. That’s why covetousness is called idolatry (verse 5).

We will give up when we love others and when we desire to please God.

COST

What does God give? What did Christ give up? There are two parts to the cost, considered from both the Father and the Son.

The cost was personal. The Father gave up His Son and the Son gave up His own life. The personal cost was also precious. Who or what thing does the Father value more than His Son? He gave up what was most important to Him. Jesus left the glory He had with His Father, took on the limits of incarnation, and then laid down His body on behalf of others. No cost was higher.

Like dictionaries without words, pens without ink, pretzels without crunch, boxers without hands, and men without chests, so is giving without cost.

MODEL

How does God give? In a way that we can known and in a way that we must follow. Here we are reminded that God made us as imitating creatures. Man is derivative. He takes his cues from the outside; he mirrors. A faithful mirror images God the Giver. Paul commands: be imitators , “be mimics” and our attention fixes on the standard. “Be like Him.” 4:32 commanded, “Be kind (like God in Christ),” now, “Be giving (like God in Christ).” Besides, we are His children; like Father, like sons. There is to be a family resemblance.

How do we do that? Verse two is a second command that completes the first, it does not provide an additional act as if we could choose to do one or the other. To mimic is to walk . Our walk refers to our living, our choices, our habits. Faithful walking is in love . And to love is to give. So, our habit (walk) of affectionate (love) sacrifice (give up) is our godliness. To be godly is to be giving ourselves. Such is pleasing to God.

Imitation by walking in loving giving is like God, it is like Christ, it is for God, it is pleasing to God. It isn’t monkey see, monkey do, without thought and mere mechanical motion. We see and love. We mimic with meaningful motive.

God in Christ is our model and, as we follow the model, we become a model for others. Sons learn to behave by watching their fathers. Younger Christians learn to obey by watching more mature Christians. Sheep learn to sacrifice by watching the shepherds.

Conclusion

Christians are always to be known by giving up. In this context giving up doesn’t mean stopping it means sacrificing. That sort of giving up is our godliness. Our giving is a reflection of God and others should be able to get an idea of the nature of our God by observing our nature. We are characters who know what kind of choices to make even if we do not know the exact line to say or the precise place on stage to stand.

Christ gave Himself up to transform us into givers. He did not give because of what He could get from us but what He could do for us. Likewise, we work and give because we are transformed not because the one we’re giving to is already transformed. Glorious giving transforms and transforming giving glorifies the original.

How about you? Do you have resources such as knowledge? Who are you knowing things for? Do you have time? Who are you giving your minutes to? Do you have creativity or imagination? Whose minds are you serving? Do you have liberty to give up? Do you have convenience and comfort to give up? Do you have preferences to give up? Are you in a position of authority? What do you have authority for? Look at God and what He does with His authority.

Too many times we are consumers and tied down by expectations of receiving. Instead we ought to plan how we can contribute.

Our corporate life will be a pleasing smell to God as we obey the imperatives of imitation. Imitate the Father, beloved. Live in loving surrender for the building and beautifying of the Body.

Camels store water, but we don’t hoard our sacrifices for a “better” time. Give and you will be like the widow of Zarephath whose flour was not spent, neither did the jar of oil run out.