He must increase, and I decrease

"He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

John the Baptist was sold out to God! He forsook the normality’s, comforts, and traditions of the religion of his day and followed the LORD wholeheartedly. He didn’t just read the scriptures, He lived them!

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)

What does it look like to live a life in total obedience to God? John’s life is a good example.

To many people, John was a strange man. His unashamed devotion to God, his fervency in sharing God’s truth with others, and his total surrender to God’s will, set him apart as no other before him. And if his preaching didn’t deter you, his lifestyle would have. According to the scriptures he wore clothes made out of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4).

He was for sure SEPARATE from the religious of his day. He definitely stood out!

And that is what God calls us to do.

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9)

John didn’t just stand out from the world, he stood out from the religious people. He was hated by the religious. His ways confounded them deeply. This man did not do things like they did. He didn’t serve God like they thought he should. He didn’t look like they thought he should look.

Just a little tidbit:  The more you surrender to God’s will, the more consecrated and sanctified to Him you become, the more the religious folk will despise you.

And yet, Jesus Christ said this of John the Baptist “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist;” (Matthew 11:11, Luke 7:28)

Jesus calls John more than just a prophet. John was the one prophesied about in Isaiah 40:3-5 “A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’”

The Disciple John calls him a “lone voice in the wilderness,” meaning that he alone was the one crying out to the lost and rebellious children of Israel, preparing them for the coming of their Savior. That Savior mentioned as far back as Genesis 3. The Messiah Who would redeem them of their sins, Who would deliver them from their troubles and enemies, Who would reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Who would be their Prince of Peace. That One Whom they would also send off to be slaughtered, Whom they would despise, Whom they would not listen to. Yes, that One, our One and only LORD, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

So here’s the message I’ve been leading up to:

The more we allow ourselves to decrease, and allow God to increase in us, the more separate we will become from the ways of the world and the religious.

Please understand that I didn’t say we should draw ourselves away from the world. We are called to live in this world, but not to be like this world (John 17:14-15). Jesus makes it very clear the purpose for our being in this world. In Matthew 5: 14-16 He says, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

We cannot hide ourselves away from the world, no matter how tempting that can be, especially seeing how things are so rapidly deteriorating.

And we cannot sanctify ourselves! It is God in us Who separates us. No matter how holy and sanctified you try to live your life, if God isn’t the one leading you, your righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

Religion deters! Jesus said that only if He be lifted up, will people be brought to Him. This means that religion does not and cannot save you, only Christ can! This goes against all the dictates and rituals of religion. Religion calls you to “fix” yourself. Religion calls you “work” for your salvation. Religion calls you to condemn those who are not like you.

Religion hates God! It puts itself in His place and leads many to destruction. It says “Let me increase so that I will be like God!” Sound familiar? Satan has no new tricks, seeing as he is a creation and not a CREATOR!

On top of overcoming the temptations of the world and religion, the more we decrease and allow Christ to increase in us, the more persecution we will face.

Jesus said in John 15:18-20 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also”

Here are a few more scriptures to meditate on:

“Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:12)

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35)

“And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;” (1 Corinthians 4:12)

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)

“For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know.” (1 Thessalonians 3:4)

“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12)

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;” (1 Peter 4:12)

Doesn’t exactly sound like fun, but one thing I’ve learned is that I’d rather people talk about me and persecute me for following God than to have them talk about me and persecute me for doing my own thing. People will always talk about you and someone will always find a reason to not like you, regardless if you follow Christ or not. So why not let your persecution arise from a life devoted to God! If you’re going to face persecution, let it be for a good reason. Let it be for the best reason of all!

I have noticed that the more obedient I am to God, the more people find ways to persecute me. Often the things God asks of me are in direct opposition to what the religious folk think I should be doing. And that is a hard road to walk at times. It can be isolating and scary. But faith trumps all of those feelings! Through my doubts and fears, I find God to be the same strong mighty God He always has been. The more I decrease and He increases in my life, I find Him to be ever faithful, ever sovereign, ever with me. Through the toughest times and hardest days, in the middle of troubles and persecutions, I always have my LORD.

Even when my battles are against my own self! Trust me, if you do not already know, let me tell you that the process of decreasing is hard and painful. I can compare it to being in a pressure cooker. A pressure cooker is designed to take the toughest meat and tenderize it through intense heat and pressure for a short amount of time. The result? Something mouth-wateringly delicious!

If I can just keep my mind on the end result, enduring the heat and pressure, I can rejoice in knowing that there is something wonderful to come!

The Christian walk is very similar. The trials we face are part of a process where we decrease so Christ can increase in us. Meaning, we may start off tough, with a hard outer shell (or hardened heart), but trials have a way of breaking us (the carnal nature) beautifully and wonderfully so that God by His Holy Spirit can then make us into something useful and wondrous. We decrease and He increases!

Look at the impact of John the Baptist! His life glorified God! And when God in the flesh came before Him, John didn’t puff himself up, rather he humbled himself before Jesus.

His understanding and obedience to this understanding of Who God is and who he was is a beautiful example for Christians to follow. A life in surrender to God is like a neon sign flashing “God must increase and I must decrease.”

So all I ask is that you mediate on this: What does your life say about God and your relationship to him?

Can you truly say, “Lord, let Your will be done in me.”

Let’s pray,

Father God, thank You for all You do and all You are. Where would we be without Your unending love? Who would we be without You God? LORD I come asking for your help as I desire to decrease so that you can increase in me. I know that this life no longer belongs to me, that I was bought for a great price. All I desire is for Your will to be done in me. No matter what correction or discipline is required, I want You to shine through me. So LORD, hide me in Your pavilion, in the secret place hide me. Let all see Christ in me as I follow closely behind You LORD. And when I stumble or stray, I pray You shepherd me back to Your way. In Jesus’ name I lift all of these prayers to You God, desiring above all things that Your will be done. Amen!