It is unfortunate that there is a chapter break at this point, as it suggests that Eph 5:1 constitutes a separate thought, but it does not. The repetition of the same Greek word, ginesthe, found in chapter 4 vs. 32, connects these two verses. We become imitators of God then as we dwell with one another with kindness, pity, and forgiveness. Children are mimics; they learn by watching and hearing, and then imitating the behaviors of their parents. Paul here transposes this idea to a higher key admonishing us to model our lives and character after our heavenly Father. As we remember the kindness and pity God has toward us; as we consider His mercy in light of our sin; as we grasp the reality of our justification – that God treats us as if we have never sinned – how then can the Christian continue to bear a grudge against anyone. When we look at the cross and hear Christ say, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do,” how then can we help but to learn from this example to forgive and love one another?
