Today's encouragement comes from Ephesians 5:1 & 2, where we read these wonderful words:
"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.”What an honor is is for the church to be exhorted to "be imitators of God.” But how do we copy the perfect, holy, righteous, powerful, and good Lord of heav-en and earth? There is only one way this may be accomplished: by being His offspring, His children. This is what we regenerated churchmen *are*: the spiritual "descendants" of the one, only, and true Triune God. We are adopted into the church family of God through faith in Jesus (the Father's "natural" Son). . . .
And our God is a perfectly good Father. He has provided atonement for the souls of all His children; and He loves His own supremely, and wonderfully—all in Christ.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Those who converse much with God have shining hearts and shining lives.” —Jeremiah Burroughs, in "Hope"]
