3 John 1:11: “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.”

August 23rd, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

At first glance, the last phrase of this verse may seem strange and out of place, but a closer examination brings the careful reader a blessing. When we read, “he who does evil has not seen God,” our immediate reaction is probably something like, “That can’t be right because no one has seen God.” After all, Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:16: “who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see.” John himself wrote in 1 John 4:12: “No one has seen God at any time.” So why would he now write that people who do evil have “not seen God?” The answer is that when a person truly gets a spiritual vision and understanding of exactly who God the Father is, they will be forever changed and the result will be that they forsake evil.

There is a humorous story told about American president Calvin Coolidge when he invited some people from his hometown to dinner at the White House. Since they did not know what was considered correct etiquette at such an occasion, they thought the best policy would be to do exactly what the President did. When the time came for serving coffee, the President poured his coffee into a saucer and the guests all did the same. Then the President poured some milk and added a little sugar to the saucer, so the hometown crowd did the same. They of course expected the President to then drink his coffee, but he didn’t. He leaned over, placed the saucer on the floor, and called the cat. This is a funny example but it is a clear illustration of John’s warning. Believers must not imitate the world. Especially when what the world sees as good, is in fact evil.

“LORD, we want to imitate Christ in our lives this day. Give us more of the Holy Sprit so that we can serve You well this day and not be conformed to this world.”