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.
In this the only chapter of the Book of third John, the Apostle is addressing Gaius. Apparently, the two were very close friends as brothers in Christ; we see this as John refers to him as "Dear Friend" on four separate occasions. The Greek word used by John here was "agapetos" (ag-ap-ay-tos) (Strong's # 27), which means one that is loved or beloved. John is speaking here of role models and that Christians should be careful about who they might consider a mentor or advisor.
John was warning him of a specific individual in their church,
Diotrephes, seeking a position of influence by raising himself to the number
one position. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of "Diotrephes" in
churches today that are contending and maneuvering for the top position so that
they can make a name for themselves. If these want to be leaders are followed
because they are well-to-do and influential, preaching the truth of God's Word
is in danger.
God shows the world, Christ Jesus, by the way we conduct our
lives. People around us, both saved and lost, should see Jesus in us through
interactions with others. A solid and consistent testimony is the only way to
be a successful and compelling witness to a lost, dark, and dying world. If we
get involved with the world's methods and then tell people about the great love
and saving grace of Christ Jesus, why should they believe us (2 Corinthians
6:17)?
This verse has two meanings: two sides of the same coin,
"come out from them…and I will receive you." We should not only
separate ourselves from the evil of this world but also surrender ourselves
unto God. This is not to say that we will never be able to empty our lives and
hearts of all worldly matters because that is an impossibility. Instead, we
should fill our lives and hearts with the Love of Christ Jesus until it overflows.
It is like the illustration about the young child that asked their mother how,
if God lived inside of each of us and was also big enough to fill up the whole
world, wouldn't He show through?
As children of God, as saved born again believers, we never know what influence we might have on someone who is genuinely seeking the truth of God's Word. It is without question that God will place someone, at certain times, in our path when we need a message from God. This preparation all boils down to this one simple fact; we never know when we will be the person God places in someone's life, who needs only learn of the love, grace, and mercy of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.
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