Dodger: Hello there! How have you been? Has all been well? I hope so. Lilly and I came looked in the mailbox and we found a letter for us.* It has some questions in it. Lilly, would you please read it?
Lilly: Sure. Here, I'll show it to you.
Dodger: Sure I can. I'll start at verse one. "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (Ephesians 5:1-2 NKJV)
Lilly: Sure. Here, I'll show it to you.
Dodger: Now technically, that's five questions, not just one.
Lilly: That's true. There's a few things we can see in the Bible to answer Inquis I. Tive's questions. Dodger, can you please look up Ephesians 5?
Lilly: That's fairly clear. We need to be copycats of God and act as He would.
Dodger: Plus, We need to walk in love. How exactly do we do that though?
Lilly: Well, look at 1 Corinthians 13. Starting at verse 4, it says "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
(1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV 1984) Also, if we look at 1 John 4:8 it says "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." (ESV) So if we want to imitate God, we do what He does, and since He is love, we should act in the way 1 Corinthians 13 describes. That's a good way to imitate God. But that's not all there is. If we want to live like Christians, we need to keep certain things out of our lives. Can you read some more Dodger?
Dodger: Sure I will. "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them." (Ephesians 5:3-7 NKJV)
Lilly: So we shouldn't say foolish or unkind things, or mean or icky jokes. We shouldn't covet either.
Dodger: What does covet mean?
Lilly: Coveting is wanting something that someone else has. In other words, wanting to have something that belongs to someone else. God explicitly says that we're not supposed to do this.
Dodger: Instead of bad words, mean jokes, unkind comments, and covetousness, we need to be praising God. This also answers the question about whether we should be different than others. The answer is yes, we should be different. When others do or say things that we know are wrong, it's our job not to do that. That's how different we should be. We must imitate Jesus even when others think it's strange. Matthew 5:16 says it pretty clearly. "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (NIV 1984) That's one way in which we must be different from others. Another way is that we must not allow ourselves to be deceived by people who say things contrary to the Bible. If it's against God's Word, no matter who says it, it is wrong.
Lilly: But there's more. I'll read now. "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret." (Ephesians 5:8-12 NKJV)
Dodger: Before we became Christians, we acted a certain way. But now as Christians, we need to act a different way. We need to walk, as the verse says, in goodness, righteousness, and truth. We can't have any friendship with darkness, or evil, but must instead expose and defeat it. We need to stand out as lights in a world filled with darkness. When you accept Jesus into your heart, you are never the same.
Lilly: That's really true. We finish up our reading in Ephesians like this: "But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5:14-21 NKJV)
Dodger: Circumspectly means prudent, or cautious. So we need to be cautious, wise, and alert in the way we live. We must speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, always praising God.
Lilly: So that's how we can answer your question, Inquis I. Tive. Thanks for writing us. Always remember, the Bible can answer a question better than anyone. It's the only book that's never wrong. No one else can say that, not a math book, a science book, or even books about the Bible that aren't the Bible itself.
Dodger: That is so true. But you know what? It looks like we've run out of time for today. So remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!
Lilly: ವಿದಾಯ! (Goodbye)
NKJV Means New King James Version
NIV 1984 Means New International Version 1984
ESV means English Standard Version
*Please note, the letter in this post was written by the author, not an actual questioner.
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