“Therefore be imitators of God as dear [beloved] children.” Ephesians 5:1
The Greek word mimētēs can be translated “imitator” or “follower” (YLT) and is related to mathētēs, meaning “disciple” or “pupil.” Because the word “imitator” can refer either to someone authentic or to a mere pretender, the qualifier “as beloved children” is essential. Only a child of God can truly follow God, and we do so as children of a loving Father.
“Putting the wagon before the horse” is an idiom meaning to do things in the wrong order or to act prematurely. The phrase emphasizes that the horse—the means—must come before the wagon—the goal. An unbeliever can mimic the Christian life. Throughout church history, many groups have emphasized the wagon of Christian behavior at the expense of the horse, which is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The appeal is for the children of God—not the unregenerate—to be imitators of God. A person must first be saved before following Christ; our identity as children of God must precede discipleship.
Early in His ministry, the Lord had many “disciples” who did not truly believe in Him. When the Lord Jesus spoke of Himself as the source of eternal life, many found His teaching hard to accept and turned back from following Him (John 6:22–66). When Jesus asked the twelve whether they also wanted to go away, Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (vv.67–69). Many “followers” turned back because they did not truly believe in Christ. Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, remained for a time but later betrayed Christ because he too was a “disciple” who did not truly believe (vv.70–71). In the modern era, we have also witnessed prominent personalities who claimed to be “Christ-followers” but later turned back (1 John 2:19).
Discipleship does not begin with asking, “What would Jesus do?” and then trying to imitate Him. It does not begin with attending a local church, nor is it about reforming ourselves. A baby must first be born into this world before it can learn to walk. In the same way, a person must first be born again spiritually before beginning to walk as Christ’s disciple. Discipleship begins with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Savior (Acts 4:12).
One day, a little boy was walking behind his father across a field after a fresh snowfall. He carefully stepped into his father’s footprints, trying to place his small feet exactly where his father had stepped. At first, he missed many times, but he kept trying because he wanted to walk just like his dad and follow in his footsteps.
Believers are called to walk in complete dependence upon our heavenly Father. A child intuitively reaches out to a father for love, help, and provision. Similarly, we cannot follow Christ in our own strength. In His upper room ministry, Christ said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).
As we abide in Christ, we will instinctively imitate Him. To imitate Christ is to imitate God. We will be “kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32). We will “…walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us…” (5:2). Being “light in the Lord,” we will “walk as children of light” (5:8). As Christ gives us light, we will “walk circumspectly” or wisely (5:14-15). We will also increasingly discover that being Christ’s disciples—abiding, learning, and following Him—brings rest to our souls (Matt. 11:29). Let all who truly bear the Name of Christ accept the challenge to follow Him.