Do Not Imitate Evil
Instead, enjoy the peace of a good testimony.
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. 3 John 1:11
The short letter of 3 John to his beloved friend Gaius, in part, describes the different behavior of two leaders, Diotrephes, and Demetrius. Of Demetrius, John simply writes that he “has a good testimony from all, and from the Truth itself.” This is to say that Demetrius was a humble, kind, selfless, servant of Christ and the brothers and sisters of the church—a disciple who demonstrated his relationship with God through his treatment of people. This is a very important thing to notice.
Diotrephes, on the other hand, enjoyed the power of leadership. He loved preeminence. He loved being right. John told Gaius that if he was able to visit he would expose Diotrephes, who, John writes, had been “prating against us with malicious words” and even putting people out of the church that didn’t agree with him.
It is interesting that John points to this practice of using malicious words against others, demeaning and putting them down, as a primary way people make themselves look better. Does that sound familiar today? It’s sick, really. Instead of just disagreeing with someone and keeping my mouth shut, we have to demean, curse and tear one another down. Instead of building others up, and leaving our personal promotion up to the Lord, we tear others down and step over them to a more prominent position.
John says this is the behavior of one who has not seen God.
Now, the “Diotrephes” among us will always be louder and more noticeable than “Demetrius”, it is his nature. Because imitating what is good, that is, imitating Jesus, by humbly serving others, doesn’t capture many headlines. Whereas demeaning others to tear them down and promote yourself, causing friction or scandal, will likely get your picture on the cover—and oddly, this seems to be what many today are after, to be noticed, to be an influencer, to cause friction and be followed. But it is imitating evil, not good. It is following the world, not the Savior, and it reveals the heart of one who has not seen God—an unredeemed, or, at best, double-minded, unstable person. Someone who thinks you have to tear others down in order to be heard or get your way.
Admittedly, this way often appears to work. We see it deployed effectively by the most powerful people in the world. But the cost before God and others is high. Too high. Personal integrity, holiness, and the fruit of the Spirit, just to name some of the things you forfeit.
Beloved, do not imitate evil, it will ruin your witness, it will damage your soul. You were saved to be like Jesus, to follow His example, like Demetrius, who had a good testimony among all, even from the Truth itself, which is Jesus, “the way, the truth, and the life.”
Love and be kind. Enjoy the peace that follows a good testimony before God and man. Sincerely,
Ed
Amen.