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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Eph_5:1-2
1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
5:1 "be imitators of God," This is a present middle (deponent) imperative. The English word "mimic" comes from this Greek root. In Eph_4:32; Eph_5:2 an imitator of God is defined as one who (1) forgives and (2) walks in love and selflessness like Jesus. These actions establish and maintain unity (cf. Eph_4:2-3). Believers must strive for the corporate good of the body, not individual rights, privileges, or freedoms (cf. Eph_4:3).
▣ "as beloved children" Believers were called by the same theologically significant title as Jesus (cf. Eph_1:6). Believers are loved because He is loved. They are to reflect the family characteristics of the Father. Jesus and the Spirit restore the image of God in human beings marred in the fall of Genesis 3.
Eph_5:2 "walk" This is a present active imperative, which is a biblical metaphor of lifestyle (cf. Eph_4:1; Eph_4:17; Eph_5:2; Eph_5:15). Christianity is an initial decision followed by lifestyle discipleship. It is a point in time, a process through time, and a culmination beyond time! See Special Topic: Greek Verb Tenses for Salvation at Eph_1:7.
▣ "just as Christ also loved you" The ancient Greek manuscripts differ between "us" and "you." "Us" is in P46, à a, D, G, and K; "you" is in à , A, and B. "You" seems best in context. Jesus is our example (cf. 1Jn_4:11).
▣ "gave Himself up for us an offering and a sacrifice to God" This refers to the substitutionary, vicarious atonement of Christ (cf. Isaiah 53; Mar_10:45; Rom_5:8; Rom_8:32; 2Co_5:21; Php_2:6-11; 1Th_5:9). The Greek preposition huper with the genitive (ablative) is almost synonymous to the Greek preposition "anti" meaning "instead of." The Greek manuscript evidence for "you" instead of "us" in this phrase is overwhelming: "you" is in P46, P49, à , A, D; "us" is only in B.
▣ "as a fragrant aroma" This was an OT sacrificial metaphor for God's acceptance of a sacrifice (cf. Gen_8:21; Exo_29:18; Lev_1:9; Lev_1:13; Eze_20:41; 2Co_2:14; Php_4:18). As the sacrifice burned it produced smoke which rose upward. It was removed from the visible realm to the invisible, from the physical realm to God's realm.