The Imitation Game

“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us” (Philippians 3:17).

Jim Carrey does Jack Nicholson. Frank Caliendo is famous for his John Madden. Darrell Hammond nails Sean Connery. Jimmy Fallon is the spitting image of Neil Young. These dudes have the gift of doing great impressions. Somehow and someway, they pick up one or two traits of certain celebrities and leave no doubt as to who they’re imitating. And be honest, how many of us who attempt to do impressions are simply imitating the imitator? 

Want to know who does a spot on Jesus? The Apostle Paul. Believe it or not, he tells the Philippians to watch him like a hawk when it comes to following Jesus. “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us” (v17). You see, long before Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul was encouraging fellow believers to play the Imitation Game. If you don’t know what following Christ looks like, simply do what the apostle is doing. Keep your eyes on those who walking closely with the Savior. Imitate the imitator. 

As he writes from behind bars at Caesar’s SuperMax in Rome, Paul is overjoyed his friends back in Philippi didn’t follow his example from earlier in his life. As a Pharisee, he devoted his life to piling up accomplishments and filling his religious resume in order to impress God (Phil 3:4-6). But after the resurrected Jesus blindsided him outside of Damascus, everything changed. The apostle formerly known as Saul suddenly realized that everything he was chasing was nothing but a big steaming pile (Phil 3:7-8). From that point on, the man from Tarsus zeroed in on a relationship with Christ rather than a religion of self-salvation (Phil 3:9-14). He went from Saul the murderer to Paul the imitator. His life is finally headed in the right direction. So if you don’t know which way to go, starting following after Paul. 

The apostle invites his fellow family members to pattern their lives after his. “Brothers, join in imitating me” (v17). He uses the compound Greek word summimetes, which describes one who joins in following the example of another. It literally means “together (sum-) mimic (-mimetes). A fellow imitator. Think of someone doing imitations of someone else’s imitation. Kevin Spacey does a great Christopher Walken but it’s junior varsity compared to Paul’s imitation of Jesus. He didn’t just do his Christ impression to get a few laughs at parties. The apostle made a point of telling others to keep watching him just in case they didn’t know what to do as followers of Jesus. A little later in this letter to the Philippians he writes, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil 4:9). Twice he tells the folks in the Corinthian church to cut-and-paste his life if they’re unsure what faith looks like. “I urge you, then, be imitators of me” (1Cor 4:16).

Doesn’t this sound a little cocky to you? Isn’t Paul just a little full of himself to actually say this? It’s one thing to do a great impression, it’s another thing altogether to tell everyone in the room just how great you are. But that’s NOT what the apostle is doing. His point is not so you’ll see him but his Savior. Or as he wrote to the Christ followers in Corinth, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1Cor 11:1). You see, he doesn’t want you to do a Paul impression. He wants folks to see Jesus in you. And the best way to learn that is by watching and listening to the man from Tarsus. Before you know it, folks will see Christ in you too.

Paul realizes there are other folks who do a great Jesus too. “Keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us” (v17). The word the ESV translates as “example” is tupos. This is literally an impression left by an impact, mold, or pattern. When Tom the disciple wasn’t buying all this crazy talk of Jesus’ resurrection, he made it clear he wasn’t believing anything until he could “see in His hands the mark (Gr. tupos) of the nails, and place my finger into the mark (Gr. tupos) of the nails, and place my hands into His side” (Jn 20:25). Jesus leaves a lasting impression in people’s lives. Grace is going to leave a mark.

Just look around and see who you can follow. Paul’s already mentioned a couple of great models of faith earlier in his letter. Both Timothy (Phil 1:1; 2:19-24) and Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25-30) are incredible examples of what following Jesus looks like. I’m sure there are others there in the Philippian church. Maybe they could do life like the famous fashionista Lydia (Acts 16:14-15). How about the young lady Paul rescued from demon possession and human trafficking (Acts 16:16-18)? And then there’s the local jailer and his entire family (Acts 16:28-34). The fisherman Jesus nicknamed Rocky encourages leaders to be “examples to the flock” (1Pet 5:3). 

Could there be a more basic application? If you don’t know what to do, do this! If you’re unsure about how to apply God’s salvation to your life, find a great example. Then simply do what they do. Before you know it, you’re not imitating them but Jesus. But this certainly comes with a warning label. Anyone other than Jesus is going to fall short of a perfect example. Quite bluntly, they’re going to sin. That’s why it’s important to find more than one mentor. Can other believers look at you as someone to imitate? Is your life worthy of mimicking? Or are you one of those people who does an impression and nobody knows who you are doing? For instance, you don’t want to learn how to do Robert DeNiro from “Taxi Driver” from me. But Paul does a GREAT Jesus. And that's the goal. To love like Jesus. To live like Jesus. To forgive like Jesus. To give like Jesus. To serve like Jesus. It’s the ultimate Imitation Game. Until we can do it ourselves, imitate the imitator.

Sex and Porn

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints (Eph 5:3).

WARNING: This is going to be a VERY blunt discussion of sex and porn.  It’s a very uncomfortable topic for many followers of Jesus.  But it MUST be discussed.  It’s in the Bible for Pete’s sake!  So put on your big boy pants and big girl panties and let’s get to work.

First, let’s back up for a little context.  Every imitation of someone includes key traits.  Things that are unique to the one we’re trying to imitate.  Paul continues to let us know what it takes to “be imitators of God” (Eph 5:1).  This includes “forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:32).  And we should “walk in love,” living a life of others-first self-sacrifice like Jesus (Eph 5:2).  If these are musts for our God imitation, the apostle gives us a few things to make sure we DON’T do.  At the top of that list is sexual sin.  “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints” (v3).  Jesus didn’t have one whiff of sexual sin during His life.  No stash of porn under His bed.  No charges for adult channels on His hotel bill.  No wandering eye that wondered what someone would be like.  Jesus’ followers don’t include those traits in their God imitation.  And as a result, His church is no place for the filth of porn and sexual sin. 

Paul tells us that there’s some key things that should never be said about folks who follow Jesus.  No one should ever be able to find a reason to accuse us of sexual immorality.  That does NOT mean we have to be squeaky clean and super holy before we turn to Him.  As a matter of fact, He’s an expert in that kind of clean up!  Just ask the folks in Corinth.  They were living and breathing proof that there’s forgiveness and recovery in Jesus from sexual sin!  This church was in the first century version of Las Vegas.  Sex and porn were so much a part of daily life that they part of the local pagan religion.  The temples to the gods included hookers!  But Jesus did something crazy right there in Sin City.  He transformed clients and workers in the city’s sex trade into His church.  That’s EXACTLY what the apostle describes in 1Cor 6:9-11.  He lists just about every sort of sexual sin and then declares  “And such were some of you!” (1Cor 6:11).  Something amazing has happened!  Something miraculous has occurred!  “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of God” (1Cor 6:11).

What in the world does this have to do with the Ephesians?  Well, the port city of Ephesus was right across the Aegean Sea from Corinth.  In many ways, it was its sister city.  As an important center of trade for western Asia, Ephesus would have also been a center for sex and porn.  That included a temple to the Greek god Artemis.  She was a fertility god so sacred sex was part of her worship.  So, yeah, sexual sin was also a big deal in Ephesus.  A VERY big deal.

So let’s be honest.  Are things really all that different today?  We may not have the temple to a horny god right down the street but take a look around.  Better yet, turn on your TV.  Or power up your laptop.  Or turn on your smart phone.  Sex and porn are EVERYWHERE!  My point is that Paul’s 2000-year-old teaching is just as important for us today as it was for his Ephesian friends in the first century.  Agreed?

The man from Tarsus begins his list with “sexual immorality” (v3).  This is the Greek word porneia.  Yeah, it’s EXACTLY what you think it is.  It gives us our word porn.  It describes any illicit sexual practice outside of marriage including adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism and prostitution.  Mark Driscoll is right on target when he says this is Paul’s junk drawer term for every kind of sexual sin.  Any sort of sex outside of Christian marriage, whether in your bed or in your head, is sin.  Period.  

So what’s the deal?  Aren’t we past all that?  Come on, this is the 21^st century America.  God’s truth is timeless.  So God’s truth about about sex and sexual sin is timeless.  It’s not that He’s against sex.  Why would He be?  It was His idea!  He created it!!  God hates sexual sin because of what it does to us.  It destroys like no other transgression.  All sin is rebellion against God and equally disgusting to Him.  But sexual sin is actually a sin against your own body (1Cor 6:18).  Sexual intimacy creates a bond between two people that has long lasting implications.  “The two become one flesh” (Gen 2:24; 1Cor 6:16).  Sexual sin is false intimacy.  It breaks God’s heart.  It not only denies His best for us, it’s the disgusting gift that keeps on giving.  Flip through 1Cor 6:15-20 for more.

As we said, sexual sin is nothing new.  Jesus’ little brother Jude described it as the sleazy pastime of Sodom and Gomorrah (Jd 7).  David’s lack of control over his libido began with leering at a naked woman and led in the murder of her husband.  Solomon, David’s son by that very same woman, warned his own son that messing with sex is like playing with fire (Prov 6:26).  That’s because it starts LONG before you have sex outside of marriage.  Jesus raised the bar on sexual sin to the point that He included a VERY strong warning against sexual fantasy (Mt 5:28).  Or in the words of Billy Ocean, “Get out of my dreams and into my car!”  Sorry, Billy.  That’s adultery!

God’s design for you and me is to stay focused on Christ.  We’ll be much less tempted to let our eyes wander, helping us to “abstain from sexual immorality” (1Th 4:3-4).  When faced with sexual temptation, we need to beat feet!  “Flee from sexual immorality!” (1Cor 6:18).  That’s exactly the tactic Joseph used when his boss’ wife put the move on him (Gen 39:12).  Sexual intimacy is reserved for committed couples in marriage.  And couples are to bust their tails to keep the marriage bed pure (Heb 13:4).

Paul continues to focus the rest of the list in this verse on sexual sin.  “Impurity” (Gr. akatharsia) describes immorality, lustful living, especially in regards to sex.  Jesus actually used this word when talking about a decaying human corpse (Mt 23:37).  Yuck!  That’s how disgusted God is when my sexual appetite runs out of control.  When folks choose to worship sex over Jesus, God allows them to make their sinful choice.  “God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity (Gr. akatharsia), to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves” (Rom 1:24).  If that’s really what you want, He’ll let you have it.

Then we see “covetousness” (Gr. pleonexia).  It’s a compound word that literally means to have more.  This is greed.  Avarice.  The desire for more and more and more.  Covetousness is all about want and nothing about need.  It’s wanting what you don’t have (Lk 12:15).  That includes someone you’re sexually attracted to who’s not your spouse.  It’s the result of not being satisfied with what God has given you.  It’s my way saying God is not enough and can’t be trusted.  That’s why Paul equates greed with idolatry (Col 3:5). 

The apostle makes it clear that these are things folks shouldn’t be saying about God’s “saints” (v3).  This is the Greek noun hagios.  It describes someone or something set apart by God, consecrated, holy and morally pure.  Here it means holy ones.  Paul reminds them of who they are if they’ve trusted in Jesus’ purity and holiness.  Right out of the gate, he calls them “saints” (Eph 1:1).  But let’s remember the order of how the Gospel works.  We don’t act morally pure in order to be morally pure.  We act morally pure because God has made us morally pure in Jesus.  And He’s given us the supernatural strength to avoid sexual sin and remain faithful to Jesus because we are “strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being” (Eph 3:16).

So, are we clear?  Sexual sin and porn are NOT part of our Jesus imitation.

Doing Imitations

Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children (Eph 5:1).

I’ve always loved doing imitations.  Movie stars.  TV celebrities.  Athletes.  Friends.  Teachers.  I tried to mimic their voices, speaking patterns, vocabulary, walks, gestures and attitudes.  There’s only one problem.  I’m really not very good at it.  A lot of times, people have no clue who I’m imitating.  As a matter of fact, my best impressions are impressions of other people doing impressions.  Yeah, I know.  Pretty sad.  Paul encourages his friends back in Ephesus to work on their God imitation.  “Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children” (v1).  I’m to imitate my heavenly Dad.  Do I look like my Dad?  Do I act like my Dad?  Do I sound like my Dad?  Do I love like my Dad?  

So as we imitate God, do those around us know Who we’re imitating?

Paul begins chapter five with the word “therefore.”  As the old adage goes, anytime we see “therefore,” we need to ask “what is it there for?”  The apostle didn’t just scribble it on the page out of nowhere.  It’s here for a reason.  It’s pointing back to something he’s already written.  There are a couple of things he wants us to see.  That’s just a couple of reasons it’s there for.  Generally, Paul is building off all of chapter four.  Imitating God is what it looks like to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Eph 4:1).  It’s what it means to “put off your old self” and “put on the new self” (Eph 4:22-24).  What are the traits I should emphasize in my God imitation?  Humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another (Eph 4:2).  We’re to have a supernatural unity with other believers (Eph 4:3-7, 13, 16).  More specifically, the apostle has just told us to forgive each other, “as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:32).  

The man from Tarsus tells us to “be imitators” of our heavenly Dad.  This is the Greek word mimetes.  It’s where we get our word “mimic.”  The term describes an actor, one who represents someone else, one who follows another’s example or someone who looks and acts like another.  Some places translate it as “follower.”  But an imitator is more than someone who walks behind another.  You follow because you’re trying to walk just like they walk.  Talk just like they talk.  Act just like they act.  Live just like they live.  They only way we can imitate God is to imitate Jesus.  He’s “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15).  The radical Rabbi/Carpenter said Himself, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:6).  So in order to perfect our God imitation, we must keep our eyes focused on “Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2).

There’s a problem in doing our God imitation.  The bar is set pretty high.  I mean REALLY high.  INCREDIBLY high.  IMPOSSIBLY high.  According to Jesus, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36).  That’s gonna be pretty tough.  Let’s face it, nobody in the history of the universe has shown as much mercy as God.  He’s “rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4)!  We’ve already seen that we must be “forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:32).  Remember, this is the same Savior that begged His Dad to forgive the very same people who were murdering Him (Lk 23:24).  Hoo boy!  That’s a level of forgiveness that I continually fall short of.  And if that’s not enough, Jesus announced a standard for imitating God that I’ll never match.  “You must therefore be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).  Perfect?!?  Yikes!

But here’s the good news.  And it’s VERY Good News!  I don’t have to be perfect.  Jesus did that for me.  He lived the perfectly sinless life that I completely failed to live.  He died the bloody and brutal death for my sin that I should have died.  He rose to a spectacularly glorious new life that I certainly don’t deserve.  I trust in what He’s done that I could NEVER do by myself!  He’s done it for me.  He’s perfect!  I told you it was Good News!

That’s not all.  God Himself is helping me with my God impression.  How crazy is that?!?!  God doesn’t just want me to imitate Him.  He’s not just looking for an impression that I can do at parties.  He’s growing me and the rest of His church up “to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of Christ” (Eph 4:13).  When it’s all said and done, He promises to conform me to look just like Jesus (Rom 8:29).  So we’re not just putting on an outward act.  This isn’t like some celebrity impressionist who simply pretends to be somebody they’re not.  Our God imitation is actually comes from what He’s already doing in you and me on the inside.  He’s given us His Spirit to live in each of us and give us the supernatural power to speak and act like Jesus (Eph 2:22; 3:16).  He’s given us a brand new mind to think like He thinks (Eph 4:23).

More than once, Paul tells the Corinthians that if they were unsure what it looked like to imitate Jesus, to simply imitate the apostle.  “Be imitators (Gr. mimetes) of me, as I am of Christ” (1Cor 11:1).  If you’re having trouble with your Jesus impression, work on your Paul impression.  Be VERY cautious about imitating Paul.  The apostle isn’t Jesus.  As a matter of fact, he goes so far as to admit he’s the worst of all sinners (1Tim 1:15).  But he’ll continually point to the sinless Christ as he imitates Him.  He loves the fact that the Thessalonians had nailed their imitation of both Paul and Jesus (1Th 1:6) as well as other churches in the area (1Th 2:14).  The writer of Hebrews encourages followers of Jesus to be “imitators (Gr. mimetes) of those” who fully embrace and live out God’s promises (Heb 6:12).

Having trouble with your God imitation?  Is that too much?  Is that too hard?  Look around.  Who’s doing a great job imitating Jesus?  Start watching them.  The writers of the Bible continually encourage us to have spiritual mentors.  Find one or more and start imitating them.  Understand that this person is NOT Jesus!  Know ahead of time that they are going to stumble.  Know that they are in God’s process just the same way you are.  Once you follow them for a while, you reach the point where you can imitate Jesus on your own.  It’s like taking off the training wheels.  And don’t forget, God Himself is making sure people will know Who you’re imitating before it’s all over.

The good news is that Paul gives his readers tips and pointers on what that looks like to imitate God.  Stay tuned to the rest of this letter for more specifics.  We’ll learn to “walk in love” just as Jesus does (Eph 5:2).  We’ll learn how to “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18).  We’ll learn how to imitate God as we live at home and go at work (Eph 5:21-6:9).  Perfecting your God imitation doesn’t stop here.  Keep reading!  And keep your eyes on Jesus as you follow Him.  

We imitate our heavenly Dad because He loves us, “as beloved children” (v1).  He’s not forcing us to do our God impression.  We do it out of an overwhelming sense of gratitude and thanks.  You know the old saying, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”  My imitation of Him is a result of being on the receiving end of His promiscuous grace.

My other imitations may stink.  My Forrest Gump is pretty weak.  My Godfather isn’t anything to write home about.  But I’m really hoping my imitation of God is getting better and better.  Hopefully folks will know that’s who I’m imitating!

So what do you think?  Agree?  Disagree?  Would love to hear from you.  Post a comment below.