June 15, 2024 -- John 3:30 -- Jesus, His increasing power and presence in your life

He must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:30 ESV

This is my life verse. As a Christian, this is what I strive for. John the Baptist’s followers were annoyed because Jesus’ following was growing and their teacher's followers were decreasing in number. So, he spoke the words of this text to his disciples. Jesus must increase. It is necessary. It is decreed by the Father. It is appropriate. It is something that will require the follower of Jesus to conquer his own heart, his own lusts, his own wilfulness.

Jesus must increase. It is the decision of the Father that those who are belong to Him have been saved through the blood of Jesus Christ. Thus the glory of Jesus and through His work, the glory of the Father, will increase in the eyes of the world. He is all-together glorious from eternity to eternity.

Jesus must increase. When a man hears the Gospel and refuses Jesus that man’s condemnation is a confirmation of the judgment of God. It is the King’s right, in fact, it is an essential part of His just reign, to throw down and defeat all His enemies.

Jesus must increase. It is the inevitable answer to the prayer of Jesus spoken in John 17. The glory of Jesus, in His humanity, will increase. The knowledge of Jesus, Who He truly Is, will increase. The sheep given to Jesus will increase in number and by the Spirit’s presence will increase in their capacity to delight in Him and obey Him.

The Spirit of God. Who draws the believer to Jesus, works salvation into the heart and life of the one who puts his life into the hands of Jesus. Salvation is 100% God’s work. Those who are in Christ, whose mind and souls belong to Jesus must then conquer their wayward, iniquitous hearts. That is what John means when he declared “I must decrease”. The sinful flesh must be brought into obedience to Jesus by the conscious effort of the believer. Sin will pull away from the embrace of Jesus’ love; the Spirit will quiet the heart and lead the man to see that all his reward, all his life, all true joy is found in Jesus and in Him only.

I must decrease. The ego and the believer’s pride want to be acknowledged. Any service to Jesus, the smallest tiny successes are held up to Him as if they are a prize. They’re not. So, with John the believer declares: I must decrease and conquer all lingering sins that so easily undermine my commitment to Jesus. In the original language John stated he must decrease in rank, decrease in his own estimation of himself. The ego wants to be first in rank and first in power. It must decrease in the presence of Jesus!

The benefit one's decrease is immediate. The believer finds joy in Jesus Christ. The will that resides in every man and woman is a tyrant. It is demanding. It is voracious. It is insatiable. Not so for the believer who is bringing his will into submission to Jesus. The believer’s capacity to delight in Him is increased. The believer's freedom is immediately increased, because He brings us to the Father, the source of every good gift. The allure of sin is coextensively decreased as the presence of Jesus and His love expand into every area of the believer’s life. Ah, fellow Christian, tomorrow is Sunday. Plan on going to church. Pray for the increase of Jesus and for His love to flood your soul. Eternal life consists in believing on Jesus and when you place all your hope in Him, immediately, by extension, you believe in the Father Who sent Him.

Faithful Father in heaven, thank You for the testimony of those who, carried along by Your Holy Spirit, wrote the words of the Bible. Thank You for the Truth of the Bible. Thank You for the clarity of Your word. Thank You that by the written word, we see the Living Word, Jesus Christ, so magnificently displayed. Stir us, Spirit of God, to prepare for church tomorrow, to engage in the worship of the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Oh God, in Whom is the River of Delight, You must increase and we must decrease. Amen.

https://youtu.be/rswH9CSyWHk?si=s37RoeDE7-MmU8fG God the Uncreated One

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