“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2).

The key to understanding the Apostle Paul’s point is the word ‘therefore‘. It connects back to Ephesians 4:20, where Paul contrasts the Ephesian Christians with the Gentiles who only lived for themselves. The believers (relate to yourself) had put off the old selfish nature and pursued God and His righteousness. We should, therefore, imitate what we’ve learned about God from watching His Son in action.

As God gave up His Son, and as Jesus gave up His life, we should, likewise, change our behavior to focus on eternal goals, not temporal goals. No one lives forever. We will be judged for our choices down here. Let Jesus be your guide.