HE MUST INCREASE, BUT I MUST DECREASE

John the Baptist said this. John had begun preaching before Jesus began His ministry. John was a forerunner of Jesus, a “voice crying in the wilderness.” He told them about Christ who would come. When Christ began His public ministry, John the Baptist called Him “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

The focus of attention shifted from John to Jesus. Even John’s own disciples moved over to being with Jesus. This didn’t bother John. He knew that Jesus was greater than he, and that he was only an announcer for Jesus. He knew that the attention had to move to Jesus, now that Christ was here on the scene. He knew it was time for him to step back. That’s why he had no trouble saying, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

This verse applies to Christians today. Just like John the Baptist, you should say, “More of Jesus, less of me.” “He must become more, and I must become less.” This wasn’t just for John; it is for you.

A Christian has a conflict inside him. Turn to Romans 7:15-23. (page 1200)

“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:15-23; p. 1200).

If Paul had a war inside of him, it’s no surprise if you have one too. Paul gave the answer. The answer was not in him, and it is not in you. Turn to Galatians 2:20.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20; p. 1243).

“Not, I, but Christ.” That’s the answer. Yes, I still live in the flesh, but I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Hudson Taylor was the man who opened the interior of China for Christ. More than any other man, the Church in China owes its life to him. Taylor had the same war inside himself as you do, and all Christians do. He also struggled and fought to be a better Christian, to have more power in his ministry, and to live deeply with Christ. Like Paul, he couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t get there. The Bible says,

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not” (Romans 7:18). He just couldn’t do it. It wasn’t in him. Taylor tried to get more faith, but he just couldn’t do it.

It is this way for a lost person too, and some of you are lost. Turn to Luke 13:24. Jesus said,

“Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able” (Luke 13:24; p. 1095).

“Strait” means “narrow,” the narrow gate of salvation. Jesus said to strive, to try hard, to do everything you can, to enter that gate.

Paul did that. He was a very strict Pharisee. Then he found Jesus. Martin Luther did that. He strove, he tried hard, to be saved by being a Catholic monk. But he couldn’t do it. He knew he was bad inside. But he couldn’t find the answer. Then he looked to Jesus and was saved.

This may sound like a contradiction, but please listen. Without a struggle you do not find the answer. No striving, no salvation. There may be a special case out there somewhere, but I haven’t met that person. As for me, I wrestled around for two years before I trusted Christ.

Let’s put it this way. If you sit there and you aren’t interested, you aren’t interested enough to try, to look into it, then you certainly won’t find Jesus because you weren’t that interested. He wasn’t all that important to you.

Hudson Taylor did try hard to be a successful Christian. And YOU will need to try hard to be a successful Christian, or you won’t get to the answer.

Then Hudson Taylor found the answer. He was reading a letter from another man. There these words came to him: “But how to get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the Faithful One." That is what Paul said, “Not I, but Christ.”

Taylor said, “I saw it all! ‘If we believe not, He abideth faithful.’” I looked to Jesus and saw (and when I saw, oh, how joy flowed!) that [Christ] had said, ‘I will never leave you.’ ‘Ah, there is rest!’ I thought. I have striven in vain to rest in Him. I'll strive no more. For has He not promised to abide with me—never to leave me, never to fail me? And…He never will!”

Hudson Taylor called this “The Exchanged Life.” He exchanged himself for Christ. That was the secret of his power! His son wrote a book about it called “Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret.”

One writer put it this way: “We exchange our worry, striving, and struggle, and in return, Jesus gives us the fullness of himself. Taylor’s workload didn’t change after he exchanged his emptiness for Christ’s fullness. In fact, he told his sister that his work had never been so plentiful, difficult, or weighty. But now, the toil and strain were gone, and in its place, Taylor was described as joyous, bright, and happy.”

Then the writer said,

“Are you in a hurry and distressed? Hudson Taylor would admonish you, ‘Look up! See the Man of Glory. Let the face of Jesus shine upon you. Is Jesus worried, troubled, or distressed? There is no wrinkle on His brow, no least shade of anxiety. Yet the affairs are His as much as yours.’

The exchanged life is another one of the great paradoxes of Scripture.

   We exchange our emptiness to receive his fullness (John 15:1-11).
     We lay down our lives, in order to truly live (Galatians 2:20).
     We die to our old selves so that we can appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:1-4).
     We learn that it’s better to boast in our weakness, that his strength may rest on us more powerfully (II Corinthians 12:9).
     We exchange our weakness for his strength (II Corinthians 12:10).
     We find in poverty of spirit, are true riches of wisdom and grace (Matthew 5:3).

Why settle for the sap, when you can partake of the fullness of the Vine? Oh, to have the kind of effectiveness, productivity, and joy in our lives that Hudson Taylor had! Who wouldn’t desire to exchange their cares and concerns for peace and tranquility? Or trade the endless ‘daily mail’ and a host of other items on our to-do lists for abounding, satisfying [rest] in our [Christian] work?”

Hudson Taylor learned the secret of a successful life. It’s found in the vine, in Jesus. He’s everything and ten thousand times more. May He give us the grace to lay hold of the exchanged life.” I say Amen!

But let me remind you – this gift is precious. No striving, no rest, no answer. That goes for all of you, saved and lost.

Oh, how wonderful to know Jesus and rest on Him! I only know Him some, but even that is wonderful. And you can rest on Him and know Him too.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached a famous sermon about this. Let me read some comments a man gave about that sermon. It will give you some down to earth advice.

“The sermon text comes from John 3:30 – ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’ The statement reflects a key principle for spiritual growth - self must decrease for Christ to increase in our lives. The sermon asks – what does it mean to be a Christian? It means receiving grace upon grace from Jesus, having Christ in us. However, self is the greatest enemy to this. The Bible warns against self and calls us to decrease self. One sign that self is decreasing is having a truer view of ourselves, being less self-centered, and less self-reliant. Another sign is living less based on feelings and more based on faith in Christ. We must make efforts to decrease self. [Cagan: today people don’t like to make an effort .] Reading Scripture, while praying for understanding, helps decrease self by showing us God's holiness, our sin, and examples of other's failures. Reading about the lives of [Christians] also helps decrease self by showing us our own smallness in comparison to what God has done through others. Meditating on the fleeting nature of life and eternity also helps decrease self by giving us a right perspective on our importance. Self-examination helps decrease self by showing us the depth of our sin and need for Christ. Remembering our old self was crucified with Christ helps decrease self by showing we have nothing to boast in ourselves. Having the mind of Christ – not looking to our own interests but others' – helps decrease self. Christ made himself nothing, so we should do the same.”

Yes, you will have to struggle, as Paul did and Hudson Taylor did. Try hard. Pray hard. Think of the tips given here.

How wonderful it will be to know Christ better! To be closer to Him! It’s tremendous that I know Jesus better than I do. Even my work in the church is easier and more joyous. I can only say, “Oh, wow!”

I’m not the Apostle Paul. I’m not Hudson Taylor. I’m just me. But the little life in Jesus that I do have is wonderful. “Oh, wow!”

Some people are unhappy when they get old. Not me! These years are the happiest of my life! I used to do work to do work, to keep the church going. Many of you worked very hard. That wasn’t wrong. It had to be done. And I was a Christian all the way through.

But now I walk with Jesus in a deeper way, and I live my Christian life in Him, and I do my work not only for Him, but in Him! I live in Him and I walk with Him. I know Him better and He knows me. Oh, I want to tell you how you can know Him in a deeper way.

Yes! Jesus is for you! Not only to pay for your sins, but to be with you and love you and help you. And you can know Jesus that way too, just as Paul did and Hudson Taylor did, and as I did in some way. Oh, you can be close to Jesus too! May it be so for you! Amen.