Chap. 5, Verses 1, 2

The first verse hangs on the preceding chapter; as God has forgiven you, forgive one another. " Be ye therefore followers of! God, as dear children." The general principle is-Be ye followers of God, follow Him, walk in His steps, act on the same principles as He does. Inasmuch as we are the family of God, we ought to be like God our Father. There is something very sweet in this principle, and very different from that of the law; it produces in the heart quite other feelings; it is affection, it is the goodness of God which constrains us to walk. The apostle here introduces a principle which flows out of the last verse of the preceding chapter, that is to say, to walk in love, to follow God, to follow Christ. If God is love, Christ is also the expression of this love toward us; we ought also to leave all for our brethren (1 John 3:16). The motives of this conduct are expressed in the first and second verses, which we have just read. We ought to follow God according to the heart of a child; and the effect of this love of God in the heart of a Christian is, that he gives up himself to the needs of his brethren. This is what was seen in Christ. Having the life of Christ, the divine nature and the power of Christ, we ought to offer ourselves up to God (Rom. 12:1). It should also be remarked, that that which descends from God in love re-ascends always to God in love and devotedness to Him. What a blessed thought; and why do we not thus live? for this is what we ought to be in our service for God.