Title: Five essential religious virtues
Gospel of John (25) Five essential religious virtues (John 3:22-27)
<Three characteristics of the legal Jews>
If you look at the text and the circumstances before and after, you can see the characteristics of the legalistic Jews at that time. The first characteristic is ‘hypocrisy’. At that time, the Jews asked, “How can I cleanse my body?” and arguing unnecessary, paying attention only to the outward form of religion (v. 25). The inside is rotten, but the splendid outward appearance deceives the human eye, but not God. God looks at the sincerity of the heart rather than the outward appearance.
The second characteristic is ‘jealousy’. They expressed their secret jealousy over the crowds rushing to Jesus to be baptized (verse 26). Such jealousy drove them away from the truth. Jealousy and jealousy seem to destroy others soon, but instead of destroying others, they only have the power to destroy themselves. After all, there is a very specific and practical way to receive God's blessings. It is to congratulate others without hurting their stomach if they do better than you.
The third characteristic is ‘pride’. Why did they reject Jesus? It is because of the pride that thinks of itself as the best. Pride is the source of unhappiness. Humility, on the other hand, is the source of happiness. Humility is not to be passive, it is not to be self-sufficient, it is not to decline to do things, it is not to become incompetent. John the Baptist (verses 26-27), who was humble before Jesus, was not a passive and incompetent person. True humility is obedience and dedication to God's will, even if it lacks.
< Five Essential Faith Principles >
There are five essential principles of faith that must be obeyed for a blessed life. The first is ‘Sunday holy water’. Keep the Sunday holy. After working hard for a week, on Sunday, I want to go hiking, go fishing, meet friends I haven't met, and take a nap. Everyone has such a desire, but if we overcome that desire and keep the Sunday holy, God will fill the remaining 6 days with amazing blessings.
The second is 'a life of gratitude'. Thank you for everything. Without gratitude, we perish, but when we overflow with gratitude, we prosper. The principle of blessing is not far away. The biggest secret to being blessed is in the life of gratitude. Starting today, make a new resolution to live a life of gratitude in everything and try to practice it. Then peace of mind and blessings will come soon.
The third is ‘Reading the Bible’. The Bible is a book of wonderful comfort and wisdom. Do you have a problem that you cannot solve? Don't worry too much, then open the Bible and look at it. You can read it anywhere. However, if possible, it is recommended to read the Bible step by step, consistently and for a certain amount a day. In that sense, ‘reading the Bible every day’ is good.
The fourth is ‘prayer life’. Prayer is an essential breath of the soul. Even the Almighty Lord made prayer a life. Just as there is no difficulty in breathing when healthy, prayer is not difficult at all if you are spiritually healthy. Just as breathing is a measure of health, so prayer is a measure of spiritual health. If there are no abnormalities in the prayer life, there will be no abnormalities in the spiritual life. In particular, since only humble people can pray sincerely, the people who pray are humble people in the end.
Fifth is 'love of neighbor'. Always treat your neighbors like a shepherd. If you have nothing to help a neighbor who is in need, spread a loving hand and help a neighbor who is in sorrow, please say even a word of kindness. When we pass on the love we receive from God to our neighbors, the flow of God's love and grace does not cease.
One day, during a fierce battle, the soldiers were very thirsty. The remaining water was one of the medic's emergency water bottles. The medic first handed the canteen to the wounded platoon commander. The platoon commander took the canteen, drank it, and handed it to the next soldier. The soldier realized that none of the water had run out, so he pretended to take a sip and passed the canteen to the side. All the soldiers in turn drank water. There was little water at that time, but all the soldiers were thirsty. If you pass on such good things to your neighbors, you will get better things, and you will be filled with abundance and joy inside.