IDENTIFYING GOD’S INTEREST IN OTHERS (IV)
“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.”
III John 1:11 NKJV
Intentional sin is a deliberate and premeditated decision to do what is evil while knowing the right thing to do. It is not a stumble of weakness, but a willful choice against God’s counsel.
In our theme scripture, John offers guidance for followers of Christ, reminding us that the fruit of our lives reveals the root of our hearts. Ephesians 1:13 calls the Holy Spirit the seal of our salvation, and with that seal comes a miracle that cannot be manufactured by the flesh: transformation.
Every believer who has yielded truly to the Spirit can attest: the Spirit is a firm yet gentle Teacher. So when John says, “He who does good is of God,” it is a definitive statement. God’s love does not simply inspire goodness in us, it restrains us from stumbling when our hearts are surrendered.
This does not mean we never fall. Yet the deeper the obedience, the fewer the falls, and eventually fewer the slips. Yielding produces strength. Surrender births consistency. So sanctify the Lord in your hearts, children of God. It has been given to you to know His ways, to live and move and have your being in Him, to the glory of His name.
Prayer: My Father, I thank You for this truth. Let Your light shine through me so brightly that others may see and glorify You. Teach my spirit to obey and walk in Your counsel, for in Your way there is no error. I yield willingly, and by Your grace I abide in obedience — for Your glory, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
CI.
RELATED RESOURCES
• Galatians 5:22
• 1 John 3:7
• John 16:13
