Be imitators of God therefor, as dearly loved children."

Paul here exhorts us to imitate God. What does it mean to imitate God? God is holy. Therefore we too must live holy lives. But this is not the kind of holiness that is motivated by fear of the consequences of the law or physical consequences as a result of sin. This holiness ought to be motivated by several things. The one we have already discussed and that is the fact that the things which are unholy and unrighteous are the things that are of the old man, and the old man has been crucified with Christ. To walk in those ways would be putting back on the corrupt flesh of the past. But here, as Paul gives us some other good reasons to imitate God, he begins with a different and more powerful dynamic.

I. The Dynamic of Love.
Vs1b- 2. "As dearly loved children." The reason we obey the law of God and the reason we seek to be holy as he is holy is because of a love for Him as a precious Father who is worthy of our love. This special relationship is possible because of the outer working of what Christ did for us and because of the inner working of Christ living in us. Thus Paul's words in Colossians 1, "It is Christ in you, the hope of glorious living."

When my dad shares His testimony of the work of God in his life, he relates how he came to the point where he was so overcome with gratitude for the depths of sin out of which God's matchless love had saved him, that he cried out to God saying, "What can I do for you to repay you for saving my life?" He shares that God answered that question by saying, "Son, simply live your live as if it was worth saving." The life of holiness we are called to live is in response to the tremendous gift of God's love for us and the love we now have for Him.

Paul speaks of this life that we must live being a life of sacrificial love. 5:2. This is a picture of the burnt offerings spoken of in the first chapter of Leviticus. These were not compulsory offerings, but were given out of love and gratitude to God. This is why repeatedly in that chapter it says that the offerings were an aroma pleasing to the Lord. The only offering with which God is pleased is the offering that comes from a thankful heart. So Paul points to the example of Jesus offering Himself up, not because He had to. Not because His Father demanded it, but because of His great love for His Father and for us. Notice Jesus' words to His disciples right before His crucifixion in John 14:29-31 "I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. [30] I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, [31] but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. 'Come now; let us leave.'" And He went out to die. You see, this is how Christ showed His love for the Father and it was very important to Him that the world would see that kind of love. Yes, He went there to settle the sin question for us, but above everything else it was to show that at least one man had been found to whom the glory of God meant more than anything else. To whom the will of God meant more than any personal desire or personal comfort that He could have had. And so in the garden of Gethsemane you hear Him say, "Nevertheless, not my will but yours." And so He became the burnt offering. Without blemish and without regret, so that the offering would be a sweet smelling aroma. And this sacrifice was made not only because of His love for Father, but also because of His love for us. It was a sacrifice out of love to God, but it was for us. On our behalf.

Family, it is in this way, with this mind that we too must die to ourselves each day and live as to the Lord. Paul says that we are to become living sacrifices that are pleasing and acceptable to our Father. And this is the way we do it. We live lives of holiness. It is just as important for the world to see the same love in us. This is what will win them to Christ. Authentic holiness born out of love. We must examine every action, every word, every attitude against this principal. The world is looking for authentic Christianity. They are not impressed when they see someone who they know is a Christian living like someone in the world. Doing the same things as the people in the world. Going to the same places as the people in the world. They are looking for people who are prepared to prove that their love is authentic through their obedience.

We must live a life of holiness because it is the way we demonstrate to the world that we love Father. That is an honorable motive in itself. But Paul realizes the need to be plainly practical in our motivation to seek after purity and so he establishes a second reason why this is so important for the Christian. We must live holy lives because of:
II. The Depravity of Life
vs.3-4 We need only to look around us today to see the depths to which human kind has sunk when it comes to corruption. In Jeremiah 17:9, the prophet declares that "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Look at the list of warnings that Paul gives. One would hardly think that Christians should be warned against these things, but let me tell you, there is nothing as debilitating to a Christians testimony, than sexual sin. There is nothing as devastating to a marriage, especially a Christian marriage, as sexual sin. There is nothing as destructive to a ministry as sexual sin. Think of all of the biggest stories in the news concerning fallen churches and fallen spiritual leaders. Almost every one relates to sex. It is the enemies greatest weapon against the body. There is no recovery from that. It is like having your arm amputated. The wound may heal, but your will never get your arm back. We must avoid it at all costs. We must take a stand against it and support each other against it.

I shared with you last week about the tremendous spirit of confession amongst the group of pastor's that met for prayer for the Billy Graham crusade. The most striking thing about that time of confession and repentance was the fact that the greatest temptation that was confessed by those men had to do with lust and sensuality. It is rampant and it is the worst form of corruption. It is the nature of the enemy to take everything that God meant for good in it's purest form and to reduce it to it's vilest form. Within marriage God's gift of sex is the most precious of all physical gifts, yet outside of the marriage covenant it is the most devastating and destructive of all sin.

Paul deals with each of these connected characteristics individually. We need to know the nature of these sins. Not only is the act of immorality destructive, but he says any kind of impurity. The impurity he speaks of is connected to sexual sin. Even accommodating the thought is destructive. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. The he uses the word greed, or covetousness. The Greek word pleonexia refers more specifically to taking advantage of. And that sums up the true motive for all sexual sin. It is the desire to satisfy ones own immediate gratification regardless of the cost to anyone else. When a man or woman commit adultery, they have concern for nothing but their own feelings at the time, and will stop at nothing to satisfy that greed. This is the nature of man from the very beginning. It is essentially a part of the old flesh. And it keeps on coming back. It is corrupt and depraved, and a long as we live in these bodies of flesh we will have to fight that corruption. Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians that he beats his body, speaking of the man of flesh, so that he may bring under the subjection of the Spirit. He says this in a way that implies that if he ever let up, he would be sunk. We must imitate the holiness of Christ, continually dying to the flesh, because if we don't we are sure to fall. So it is because of the dynamic of love that we are motivated and it is because of the depravity of life that we are compelled to persevere. The third reason to seek a life of purity and obedience to God in the area of sexual immorality is because of:
III. The Deficiency of the Legacy
vs. 5-7 I believe that there are two aspects to the deficiency of Kingdom legay which Paul speaks here. The first has to do with believers who disqualify themselves from the:
1. Family inheritance. The word in the Greek here clearly allows for this interpretation. It speaks of an inheritance that is due to an heir. Paul says that the quickest way to ensure a withholding of the inheritance which would ordinarily belong to the believer is to mess with sexual immorality.

In order to see exactly what it is that is placed at risk, we go back to the promises Paul outlines at the beginning of the letter. In chapter 1:15-19 Paul's prayer is that we may know the hope to which we have been called, the riches of our glorious inheritance in the saints, and the incomparably great power to us who believe. Paul is speaking here of an earthly inheritance. Not in the sense of physical possessions, but something far greater. The things that the eye may not necessarily see, but that the heart knows are precious to the believer. The power of His indwelling presence. The peace of His intimate relationship. The pleasure of the joy that us unutterable and full of glory. The provision of answered prayer. The protection from the fiery darts of sins onslaughts. These are the spiritual inheritances of the Christian that imitates a life of godliness and Christlikeness. For the believer that even so much as tampers with sexual immorality, these things are deficient. See 2 Peter 1:3-11 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. [4] Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. [5] For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; [6] and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; [7] and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. [8] For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. [10] Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, [11] and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Without these qualities of purity, His presence is there, but the relationship is strained. The psalmist sensed this when recognizing his depravity in Psalm 51 he cried out "cast me not away from they presence O Lord. Prayers are powerless. Isaiah 59: Isaiah 59:1-2 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. [2] But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. Peace is far gone, and victory over sin is sporadic at best. These are the family jewels that will be withheld if we are not careful to live a life which is pleasing to God.
Then there is the second aspect of this inheritance which we forfeit, or which is deficient.
2. The future inheritance.
You see, everything that we do in this life affects our future life. Every word we speak. Matthew 12:36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. Romans 14:12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 2 Cor. 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. At the judgment seat of Christ we will be judged for every single work, whether it is good or bad. Paul was keenly aware of this when he wrote in 1 Cor. 9:24-27 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

And let me assure you that Paul was not speaking of losing his salvation. He has the clearest theology on eternal security anywhere in the scriptures. I believe in eternal security. Not as an insurance policy against hell. Not as an excuse to live lawlessly and lasciviously, deciding that now that you are saved you can live any way you like, because believe me, you cant without serious consequences. But I believe that I am secure because of the once and for all price that Jesus Christ paid for my sins and because of the seal of the Holy Spirit placed on my life by God Himself who keeps me secure in Christ according to 2 Cor. 1:21-22

Now, I can believe this and preach to you Sunday after Sunday and still be a castaway, being saved as if by fire, being deficient in the area of inheritance. Or, on the other hand, I can receive all of the crowns promised to the believer which we one day will lay at Jesus feet. The greatest tragedy of the Christian whose life is marked by impurity is that he will forfeit the rewards promised to those who are faithful to the end.
There will be no incorruptible crown promised to those who like Paul pummel the flesh in order to overcome it.
There will be no crown of rejoicing for witnessing for Christ spoken of in 1 Thes. 2:19-20 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
There will be no Crown of Glory - The Reward for Ministering for Christ. 1 Peter 5. Feed the flock of God, so that when the chief Shepherd appears you will receive the crown of Glory. For taking care of those that God has entrusted to your teaching.
There will be no Crown of Life - The reward for suffering for Christ. James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
And there will be no Crown of Righteousness - The reward for finishing for Christ. 2 Tim. 4:6-8 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
And guess what we will do with those crowns? We will lay them at the feet of Jesus in honor of His Lordship. What a joy that will be. Or will it? Will our song be,

Face to face with Christ my Savior,
Face to face what will it be
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ who died for me?

Face to face! O blissful moment!
Face to face, to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ who loves me so.

Or will our song be,
"Must I go an empty handed?
Must I reach my Savior so?
Not one crown with which to greet him?
Must I empty handed go?

Oh, family, what a tragedy it would be to come into the presence of the Savior with nothing to lay at His feet. All for the sake of a hint of sexual immorality, and for immediate gratification of our selfish desires. What a shame if the inscription on your epitaph were to be "A saved soul, but a wasted life!"

Paul's answer to this matter is in the form of some sound advice at the end of vs. 4 that will ensure a life of purity resulting in a rich inheritance now and for eternity. "…but rather, giving thanks." This is the attitude that will enable us to imitate God. The attitude of gratitude for all that He is in our lives. For all that He has done on the cross for us. For sending us another comforter and advocate who will lead us into all truth as we continue to seek His fullness. For giving us husbands and wives to love and to cherish all the days of our lives. For giving us a family of believers that we can lean on in our times of weakness and to whom we may confess freely our weaknesses so that in this we may be healed. This is the answer. This is why you will hear this theme from Paul over and over again. "Give thanks, I say. In everything give thanks." Oh, family would you give Him thanks this morning that we do not have to live a life of defeat. That through His presence in our lives we are able to not only conquer, but be more than conquerors through Jesus Christ in us, the hope of glorious living.

Amen.