HE MUST INCREASE

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30 NKJV)

 

John the Baptist was undoubtedly a great man of God. The Lord Jesus testified to his greatness, saying, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist…” (Matt. 11:11 NKJV).

 

John was indeed a man of great influence, authority, popularity and honour. When he began his ministry, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, great multitudes of people responded positively to him and began to follow him (Matt. 3:5-6).

 

However, John the Baptist knew that he was not in the ministry or in the world to simply draw people’s attention and affection to himself, but to Christ.

 

Therefore, when John the Baptist saw Jesus, he pointed Jesus out as the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the Son of God to the multitudes who had gathered to him.

 

John 1:

 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

 30 “This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’

 31 “I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”

 32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.

 33 “I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

 34 “And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” (NKJV).

 

Like John the Baptist, your ultimate purpose in life as a believer or a minister of God is to draw people’s attention and affection to Christ and not to yourself.  

 

After John the Baptist had publicly bore witness and testified that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, the people began to leave him to follow Jesus the Messiah they had been waiting for.

 

When the disciples of John the Baptist saw that his ministry had begun to decline in popularity and influence as a result of his testimony about Jesus that He was the Messiah, they became very angry and upset.

 

“And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified–behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!” (John 3:26 NKJV).

 

However, John shocked them with his humble response. He said, “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’  “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:27-30 NKJV).

 

Like John the Baptist, your passionate goal or pursuit as a witness for Christ should be to see Christ increase in your life, home, family, career, business, or ministry while you decrease.

 

Sadly, Christ is decreasing in the lives, homes and ministries of many believers today while Mr. Self is increasing, waxing stronger, and becoming more prominent in them.

 

It is Mr. Self that is behind every rivalry, jealously, envy, strife, competition and unhealthy comparison we see in our homes and churches today. People hardly see Christ in our lives today because we have refused to let “Self” decrease in our lives.

 

It is so unfortunate that even in the lifestyle, conduct, or teaching of many ministers of God today Christ can hardly be seen, for “Self” has taken over completely.

 

Sadly, our pulpits today have become platforms for carnal men to parade, exhibit or showcase Mr. Self and his vain glories.

 

Most times, all that we hear and see in many of our church services and meetings today are nothing but Mr. Self-painting himself good, projecting his image, boasting of his possessions, achievements or attainments in life, and entertaining and amusing undiscerning men and making them feel good about themselves.

 

What a waste of time!

 

Beloved, this perishing generation is in dire need of men like John the Baptist who would gladly let Christ increase while they decrease.

 

How would the people who are groping in spiritual darkness see the true light unless Christ the Light of the world shines and beams His light upon them through us?

 

It is God’s desire to shine forth out of the Church (the body of Christ) to give light to those in darkness.

 

Psalms 50:

1 The Mighty One, God the LORD, Has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its going down.

2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth. (NKJV).

 

God loves and desires to radiate, shine forth or manifest His pure love, wisdom, power, and glory in and through your life. But you must be willing to let Christ increase, fill and dominate every sphere of your life until only Christ can be clearly seen and thus glorified in your life.

 

How can Christ increase in every sphere of your life?

 

By focusing on Christ alone!

By denying yourself!

 

Whatever you focus on naturally grows bigger. The more you focus on Christ, meditating always on His love for you and on His teaching and examples in the Bible; the more Christ will increase, fill and dominate your mind, will, thoughts, words and emotions, and the more Christ will become visible in your life (2 Cor. 3:18, 1 John 3:2).

 

Similarly, the more you deny yourself by reckoning yourself to be dead to sin, self, and the world through the body of Jesus Christ, but alive to God in Christ; the more you will see Christ increasing, filling and dominating your mind, will, thoughts, words and emotions, and the more people will see Christ in your life.

 

Therefore, like the early disciples of Christ, let us resolve today to “always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” (2 Cor. 4:11 NKJV).

 

Friend, like John the Baptist, set it today as your greatest goal, desire and pursuit in life that “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30 NKJV).

 

This is the true path to greatness in life and ministry!

 

 

Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, it is my fervent desire to let Christ radiate and shine forth His love, kindness, wisdom, glory and power in and through my life. My Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me to constantly focus on Christ and deny myself, so that Christ may increase continually in every sphere of my life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.