Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

³ You are just on the point of saying to me, “But I am not God, I am a man, a sinner.” God be thanked that you confess that you have sins. Forgive then, that they may be forgiven you. Yet the Lord Himself our God exhorts us to imitate Him. In the first place God Himself, Christ, exhorts us, of whom the Apostle Peter said, “Christ has suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow His steps, who did no sin, neither was guile, found in His mouth.” He then verily had no sin, yet did He die for our sins, and shed His Blood for the remission of sins.

He took upon Him for our sakes what was not His due, that He might deliver us from what was due to us. Death was not due to Him, nor life to us. Why? Because we were sinners. Death was not due to Him, nor life to us; He received what was not due to Him, He gave what was not due to us. But since we are speaking of the remission of sins, lest ye should think it too high a thing to imitate Christ, hear the Apostle saying, “Forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven you.” “Be therefore imitators of God.” They are the Apostle's words, not mine. Is it indeed a proud thing to imitate God? Hear the Apostle, “Be imitators of God as dearly beloved children.” You are called a child: if you refuse to imitate Him, why do you seek His inheritance?