Answer: We are to be imitators of God because we are
His dearly loved children, living a life of love, just as Christ
loved us and gave Himself up for us, (Ephesians 5:1-2).
MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
John 13:15: [Jesus said,] "I have
set you an example that you should do as I have done for
you."
John 13:34-35: [Jesus said,] "A new
command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you
must love one another. By this all men will know that you are
My disciples, if you love one another."
1 Thessalonians 1:6-7: "You became
imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you
welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and
Achaia."
1 Thessalonians 2:13-14a: "And we
also thank God continually because, when you received the Word of
God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of
men, but as it actually is, the Word of God, which is at work in
you who believe. For you, brothers, became imitators of God's
churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus..."
1 Peter 2:21: "To this you were
called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example,
that you should follow in His steps."
1 John 3:14-16: "We know that we
have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.
Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates
his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has
eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus
Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our
lives for our brothers."
1 John 4:7-12: "Dear friends, let
us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves
has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love
does not know God, because God is love. This is how God
showed His love among us: He sent His One and Only Son into the
world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that
we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning
sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us,
we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God;
but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made
complete in us."
3 John 1:11: "Dear friend, do not
imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good
is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen
God."
