Imitate Good

Imitate Good
Words of Faith 7-1-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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3 John 1
[11] Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

As John wrote in this context, clearly, Gaius was not to imitate what was evil but what was good. The behavior of Diotrephes was to be avoided, not copied. There was a temptation to take the same sort of approach as Diotrephes and bully others back by fighting gossip with gossip. While this is the way that worldly politics might work, it is not the way of God.
The truth is that one's conduct clearly reflects one's relationship with God. John was clear that anyone who does what is truly good is from God. This does not mean that "being good saves us" or anything of the sort. But the source of one's actions and attitudes is either "from God" or "from evil". As Jesus said, one knows a tree by its fruit.
Evil never arises from a true spiritual perception of God but is always a product of darkness of heart and blindness toward Him. John was not questioning Diotrephes' salvation, but he was pointing out that Diotrephes' conduct revealed blindness toward God. Gaius was to be careful to shun such an experience.
This is a simple and powerful statement for modern applications. We are not to imitate evil but what is good. In contemporary life, there is a temptation to imitate the evil of the world. Often, this is justified as an effort or as a need to be more relevant in order to reach the world. There are obvious ways to be relevant, such as modernized language and worship or newer styles of music, but this addresses a level of compromise in which the good that comes from God is lost.
Where do we draw the line? Just how "worldly" should we become to reach the lost? Paul wrote to the Corinthian church: "To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law, I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law, I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law) so as to win those not having the law. To the weak, I became weak to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means, I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the Gospel, that I may share in its blessings" (1 Corinthians 9:20-23).
Jesus also prayed that His disciples would be in the world but not of the world. But where is the line where the believer crosses over and becomes "of the world"? The answer lies more with the heart than with the particular style. Do not imitate what is evil but what is good. We are called in Christ to imitate the good He lived and how He loved. We are not to engage in evil lifestyles but are not bound by legalistic constraints.
The best questions are personal. Is there an area in your life where you are imitating evil rather than Christ? Is there a part of life where you have given in to the way of the world rather than imitating the way of Christ? Is there a compromise that has drawn you away from Christ that you need to back away from? Is there a lifestyle issue that you need to correct? Can you scripturally support the life decisions you are making?

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. Give me discernment so that I may be all things to all men so that by all possible means, some may be saved. Teach me how I am to live in the world but not be of the world. Show me how to imitate good and not evil. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.