Given Himself

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.

Ephesians 5:2

The essence of love is self-sacrifice.  As Paul has explained what it means to be ‘in Christ,’ he has referred to the sacrifice of Christ on more than one occasion.  Now, in applying the truth he has articulated, by saying that we should become ‘imitators of God… and walk in love,’ he returns to the work of Christ as the highest illustration of walking in love.  He makes the connection by saying ‘as Christ also has loved us and hath given himself for us.’  He then uses the language of the old sacrificial system and describes Christ’s work as ‘an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.’  Thus, we think of Christ as ‘the Lamb who was slain,’ as Revelation describes Him.  What we should remember is that this was a willing sacrifice by Christ.  According to His own testimony, He laid down His life.  This enables us to understand for ourselves that to walk in love ‘as Christ also has loved us,’ means that the imitation of Christ will bring us to self-sacrifice.  This runs counter to all our natural inclinations.  It is behavior which arises from the work of the Spirit within us.  Having said that, each new day will afford us an abundance of circumstances in which we will find opportunity to ‘walk in love as Christ has loved us’ and sacrifice ourselves for the good of others.

High King of Heaven,
we rejoice that You have shown us Christ
as our Great Example of walking in love.
We praise You, that daily, Your Holy Spirit
works within us to teach us
how we may walk as He does.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning