I MUST DECREASE

I was reading an article a few weeks back, and it got me to thinking. Within the article, one of the points revolved around the statement in John 3:30 that John the Baptist made in regards to Jesus: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The point the author was making had to do with our own relationship with Jesus, essentially asking in what parts of our lives are we decreasing so that Jesus can increase. What an important thought to ponder!

We see over and over again this idea being presented. Two things immediately popped into my mind. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that our bodies are “the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own” but “were bought at a price,” that being the precious blood of the Lamb. Paul also reminds us that we “have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

This being the case, how do we go about “decreasing” so that Christ increases? By being “transformed” by the renewing of our minds, that we can “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). By “putting off the old man” and “putting on the new man” which was “created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). And by “growing” as the Lord would have us to, adding to our “faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-8).

So, returning to our initial thought from John 3:30, as John the Baptist did, may we also do. May we decrease in our own wants and desires, that Christ may increase in our lives! As the refrain of a well known song reminds us in our quest to live for Jesus, “None of self and all of Thee, None of self and all of Thee, Lord, Thy love at last has conquered, None of self and all of Thee.”