Embodiment of the fruit of the spirit is my "schtick" right now. I believe in many ways Evangelical Christianity is repeating the Pharisaical tradition of having proper doctrinal beliefs but lacking inward compassion and joy. I know this because I lived it out myself until recently.
John's gospel has always been "Meh" for me because I felt it didn't have any robust teachings (Like the sermon on the mount, etc). But recently, like you point out, I've realized it's power in pointing to "love of neighbor" and the bearing of the fruit. What is the fruit? Love. What is love? Laying down your life for others. I also have learned to love how emphatically Jesus puts himself, his spirit, IN me, and me in him. It's almost blasphemous how much union with the God that Jesus gives me in John. :)
Yeah, legalism and other pharisaic tropes are definitely widespread in my own life and my own contexts as well. It's freeing to admit it though, even if we struggle to move beyond it.
Embodiment of the fruit of the spirit is my "schtick" right now. I believe in many ways Evangelical Christianity is repeating the Pharisaical tradition of having proper doctrinal beliefs but lacking inward compassion and joy. I know this because I lived it out myself until recently.
John's gospel has always been "Meh" for me because I felt it didn't have any robust teachings (Like the sermon on the mount, etc). But recently, like you point out, I've realized it's power in pointing to "love of neighbor" and the bearing of the fruit. What is the fruit? Love. What is love? Laying down your life for others. I also have learned to love how emphatically Jesus puts himself, his spirit, IN me, and me in him. It's almost blasphemous how much union with the God that Jesus gives me in John. :)
Yeah, legalism and other pharisaic tropes are definitely widespread in my own life and my own contexts as well. It's freeing to admit it though, even if we struggle to move beyond it.
Thanks for the comment!