17) “I Must Decrease” – The Goal

[editor]

L E S S O N 17

“I Must Decrease” – The Goal

John the Baptist tells us that Jesus must increase and “I” (Self) must decrease.

But what is the purpose? What is the goal? What is all this increasing and

decreasing leading towards?

Paul reveals this mystery to us in Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ,

nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me.” Notice the four words: Not I,

but Christ. “Not I, but Christ” is the secret of living the Christian life as well as

the end result of all this increasing and decreasing. But what does it mean?

Simply put, Christ was steadily increasing in Paul, and Paul was steadily

decreasing, until the day came when there was more of Christ to be seen in Paul

than Paul. In other words, Paul was so diminished and Christ was so revealed

through this man that Jesus in Paul became greater than Paul. On that day, and

every day thereafter, Paul could truthfully say, “Not I, but Christ.” If Jesus must

increase, and Paul must decrease, then it stands to reason that one day Paul would

be overshadowed altogether. This is the glorious outcome God intends for every

disciple.

Now, this does not suggest the end of Paul’s existence. In the Kingdom of God,

death is not the end, it’s the beginning. Paul lives on, but it is a different kind of

Life that causes him to live now. “I am crucified… nevertheless I live… yet not

I.” What Paul is describing is death and resurrection. He lived, he died, and he

lives again, but the life he lives now is not his own life, it is the Life of Another.

So Paul lives, but Paul is not what he used to be. After many seasons of walking

with God and going through many temptations, tests, trials, and afflictions, Christ

was increased while Paul was decreased. When we rightly interpret these

experiences then we, too, will reach the same result. Everything we experience is

an opportunity to see Christ increased and Self decreased. Eventually Christ in us

will have more influence than Self, and when that happens, we will find ourselves

on resurrection ground.

This is why we say that the fundamental need of a disciple of Jesus is not more

power, but more brokenness. With less of me, there is more of Him. And with

more of Him, there is less of me. When a person is sufficiently broken then Jesus

will be increased in them. It is a Universal Spiritual Principle.

The good news is we do not have to do anything to “make” this happen. It must be

so, therefore it IS so. Jesus must increase, therefore He will increase, and He is

increasing. In like manner, I must decrease, therefore I will decrease, and I am

decreasing. The instrument God uses to accomplish this decreasing is something

you’re probably familiar with. We’ll find out more about it in our next lesson.

QUIZ

Lesson 17 – “I Must Decrease” – The Goal

1. Galatians 2:20 tells is the Goal of Decreasing and the secret of living the Christian life. It is

best described as

a) name it and claim it

b) not I but Christ

c) expect a miracle

2. When Paul says, “I am crucified with Christ...nevertheless I live”, he is referring to

a) the power of positive thinking

b) an imaginary exercise

c) death and resurrection

3. Since spiritual power comes as we are decrease and Christ is increase, the fundamental need

of a disciple of Jesus is not more power, but more

a) brokenness

b) prayer

c) teaching

4. The death of Self does not mean the elimination of Self. That’s because death in the

Kingdom of God means

a) a new beginning

b) the end of everything

c) the ultimate defeat

[ann]

“Not I, but Christ”

that pretty much sums it up!

[editor]

Jesus gave a great example in prayer. Mat 26:39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. I certainly have a long way to go in willing submission!