Via Church

Paul’s points last week culminate with the breathtaking command in chapter 5 verse 1, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” This command has its reasoning within those last words “as beloved children”. This follows the strong theme of our adoption as children and “heirs” of the promise (the Holy Spirit). Gentiles, through faith, can now gain full adoption equal with that of the Jews – this is even more developed in Paul’s letters to the Romans and Galatians. This adoption means that we as children must live in a new way. We must take on the identity of our new family. In our text, Paul now talks about behavior that is characteristic of God and Christ and contrasts that with what is not.