NOTE: I will be in California next week with my two grandsons, and unable to write devotions. I will resume writing the following Monday, July 22. Have a blessed week!
“John answered, ‘A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, “I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him.” The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.’” John 3:27-31
Devotional Thought For The Day
Often we think of John the Baptist as being a bit on the wild side, a frenetic and primitive and perhaps even mystical sort of fellow living out in the wilderness and proclaiming repentance. In these verses we see that he was in fact quite a sensible, humble, and well-reasoned theologian, one who understood his relationship with the heavenly Father and also His Divine and beloved Son, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. The principles that he affirms are the same for us, especially those who have been given the privilege from above to be servants of God’s Word, ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ, ministers of His grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, and salvation.
The sinful nature makes this difficult – and even John struggled with aspects of his old Adam, the corruption of our nature by sin. There are some who enter the ministry thinking that it is their choice and decision, that they have qualified themselves and are deserving of honor and glory, forgetting that their “office” and “place” is given by grace from above. Our sinful egos want us to be the special one, the bridegroom, the center of importance – rather than rejoicing greatly to hear the real Bridegroom’s voice [Holy Scripture, the Bible], and directing people to Him. Many consider it their life’s duty and their destiny to “increase” in importance, prestige, power, and prerogative within the church – when in reality we must decrease while the Lord Jesus increases. When we elevate ourselves we only get in the way of the One Who is “above all,” and this is a tragic pity, for as all the prophets acknowledge we will go the way of all the earth, but the Lord Jesus and His kingdom abides forever. Whatever blessing, honor, or glory that we have is completely derivative – from our appropriately humble proximity to the Lord.
For John, and for all of us, the blessedness of Jesus is the reality that He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. John needed this forgiveness and certainly we do too. There is no hope, no comfort, no future, no renewal, no peace with God apart from this great gift from God, eternal life and salvation in Jesus – received by faith, and by faith alone. To see this, to know Jesus by faith, makes our joy complete; there is nothing else that really matters, and all other concerns pale in comparison to the joy of God’s salvation. So of course He must increase, and no matter what tasks or what office has been given us from above, we ultimately must decrease. For He is the glorious Bridegroom, Husband, Savior, and Lord of the church, and we merely bear witness to Him – but this alone brings great joy to His faithful servants!
The promise of the Bridegroom is that we too will see His glory, and participate in His glory, being transformed into His image from one degree of glory to another until our human nature is cleansed and purified from all sin and evil and we reflect His goodness and holiness. He has already cleansed us from all sin and guilt so that we, His bride, are appropriately attired for Him: “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” [Eph. 5:25-27] This is our glory, and it all comes from the Lord Jesus, His doing, His gift, His blessing, His glory. That He has thus elevated us – all of this given to us from heaven – is the only real glory that we can have. But surely it is more than enough! Thanks and praise be to Jesus!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, humble us to receive all blessedness from You. Grant us wisdom and sensibility, like that given to John, that we may rejoice in You, that You must always increase while we must decrease. Give Your servants humility and wisdom as they bring Your bride to You through Your blessed Word, and real awe that such a wondrous privilege has been granted them. Amen.