Ephesians 5:1 - Meaning and Application

This passage calls believers to love one another and to show Christian kindness. Paul has already pressed this point in the previous chapter, especially in the last verses there. The word therefore ties this command to what came before: because God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven you, be followers of God, or imitators of him. The word means to copy someone’s way of life.

God’s people should imitate the God they worship, as far as he has shown himself to be imitated by them. They should shape their lives after his example and let his likeness be formed in them again. This gives great honor to practical religion, because it means living by copying God. We should be holy as God is holy, merciful as he is merciful, and perfect as he is perfect.

Of all God’s qualities, his goodness is especially to be copied. We should resemble him in every grace, but above all in love and forgiving kindness. God is love, and those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. He has also made himself known as gracious, merciful, and full of goodness. As dear children often look like their parents in face and character, so God’s children should resemble their heavenly Father in mercy, kindness, and readiness to forgive.

Children are meant to imitate their parents in what is good, especially when they are deeply loved by them. So the name of God’s children calls us to look like him, especially in love, goodness, mercy, and a willingness to forgive. Only those who copy these traits truly show themselves to be God’s dear children.

Paul then says, Walk in love (Ephesians 5:2). This grace should guide our whole life, which is what walking in it means. Love should be the rule behind our actions and the goal we pursue. We should be careful to prove the sincerity of our love to one another.

Paul then points us to Christ’s example, which Christians are bound to follow. In Christ we see the freest and most generous love ever shown, that great love with which he loved us. We all share in that love and enjoy its comfort, so we should love one another, since Christ loved us all and gave such clear proof of his love. He gave himself for us.

Paul lingers on this because no subject gives us richer or sweeter thoughts than this. Christ gave himself to die for us, and his death was the great sacrifice that made atonement, meaning it covered our guilt and turned away God’s judgment. It was an offering and sacrifice to God, a propitiatory sacrifice, that is, a sacrifice that satisfied justice and dealt with sin. The Old Testament offerings had pointed to this in advance, and Christ’s death fulfilled them.

This was for a sweet-smelling savor, meaning it was pleasing and acceptable to God. Some have noted that sin offerings were not spoken of this way, but the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, is described in such terms. Christ offered himself with the purpose of being accepted by God, and God did accept that sacrifice, was pleased with it, and was satisfied by it.

So, as Christ’s sacrifice was powerful and effective with God, his example should also have power over us. We should carefully follow it.