January 16 2026

Friday January 16

“Walk in Love”

Ephesians 5:1-2

1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 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.

Today we are in Ephesians chapter 5. This chapter begins with the word “Therefore”. Whenever you read the word “therefore”, you know that something has been said previously that now calls for a response—something we are to think about, practice, and live out in our daily lives. We see this immediately in verses 1-2: “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.”

Now, what did the Apostle Paul say just before this therefore? Back in Ephesians 4:31–32, Paul gave us this strong admonition: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” The call to imitate God and to walk in love is directly connected to this command to forgive, to live in grace, to be kind, tenderhearted, and careful with one another in our relationships.

Paul tells us we must be imitators of God as dear children. That phrase is very important. It is only possible to put off bitterness, malice, anger, and unforgiveness because we are dear children of God. Over the years in my counseling sessions I have hear many people say, “You don’t understand what so-and-so did to me. You don’t understand what happened years ago. There is no way I can forgive or love that person.” And humanly speaking, that may be true. But now that you have been born into God’s family, you are called to imitate God. And God is love.

We especially read this truth in the book of 1 John, where Scripture reminds us that God is love. That becomes the foundation for our walk. Remember yesterday we mentioned that as believers, Paul gives us three clear instructions in this chapter about how we are to walk. We are to: Walk in love (v. 2), walk as children of light (v. 8), and to walk carefully and wisely (v. 15). When we walk in this way, we display to the world around us that there is something different about us. That difference is not our personality or our strength—it is the supernatural, divine, godly life of Christ living in us. We live this way only because Christ is in us and we are children of God.

Over the years, I have seen this truth played out many times at weddings, funerals, and family gatherings. These are moments when families, whether in sorrow or in great joy, should be coming together in unity. Yet it is heartbreaking to see the animosity, hatred, and bitterness that sometimes surface. I have heard people say, “If they are going to be there, I’m not going.”  If that person is part of the service, I won’t be.” “I’m not attending the wedding because so-and-so will be there.” My friend, that does not display the heart of God’s love.

How do we overcome that? Peter gives us the answer in 2 Peter 1:2-4: “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”. He reminds us that we have been called by God’s glory and virtue, and that we have been given exceedingly great and precious promises, so that through these we may become partakers of the divine nature!

My friend, if you are in Christ, you are a partaker of the divine nature. And God is love. Because of that, we understand that love covers a multitude of sins. In 1 Peter 4:7–10 we read: “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

Read 1 John 4:7–11, where we are reminded once again that: “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In these verses, we are told that God demonstrated His love by sending His only begotten 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 to be the propitiation for our sins”. And then comes the clear application: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Think on those words today. And may the Lord use these thoughts to encourage you to walk in love—to walk in love as Christ has loved us, and to love one another in Christ Jesus.

God bless you. And may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.