“Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.” (3 John 11)

The term “do-gooder” has come to be sort of a sarcastic putdown of people who are actively doing good deeds and trying to persuade others to also do good. Standards today have become so confused that actions once considered wrong are now considered quite normal, as easily seen from the plots of Hollywood movies, radio talk shows, and newspaper sports pages. Those who try to call people back to righteousness are ridiculed as officious do-gooders.

But it should be remembered that God Himself was doing good first. “He did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). Not only did the Lord do good in creating and upholding our beautiful world, but He continued to do good when He became man. As Jesus of Nazareth, He “went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:38).

Therefore, if we who know Him as our Savior would be like Him in our lives, we also must do good. Human standards of goodness may change, but God’s standards do not. As our text confirms, the very mark of the born-again nature is doing good, for “he that doeth good is of God,” while he who follows evil “hath not seen God.” Many other Scriptures remind us of the same truth: “To do good and to communicate [that is, ‘share with others’] forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:16). Christ even commanded us to do good to our enemies. “Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you” (Luke 6:27).

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). HMM