He
must increase, but I must decrease.
(Joh 3:30)
The
words of John (The Baptist) to a group of followers as the ministry
of Jesus began. John chapter three relates the ordained relationship
between Jesus and John, as John teaches it is time for his
role to decline while the ministry of Jesus must advance. (Joh
3:35) "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into
His hand. (Joh 3:31) "He who comes from above is above all,
he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth.
As with the inverse position between Jesus and John, so too is our
inverse relationship with our savior. We must decrease, He must
increase.
At
the moment of our salvation, receiving Christ into our hearts, a
wondrous change began in us. A slow, ever steady process of
sanctification:
By
sanctification is ordinarily meant that hallowing of the Christian
believer by which he is freed from sin and enabled to realize the
will of God in his life. This is not, however, the first or common
meaning in the Scriptures. To sanctify means commonly to make holy,
that is, to separate from the world and consecrate to God. (ISBE)
This
process is not an --all at once-- deal. It is a slow, God driven,
purposeful transition that, in effect, causes the WE in us to slowly
be replaced by the HE in Him. The goal is to be constantly changed
into the very image of Christ.
We
frequently either help or hinder this process depending upon which
lens we use in the conduct of our lives, and how faithful we are to
stay on the narrow path and in His light. Our desire should always
be to emulate Christ in all that we do, all that we think, all that
we are.
I
doubt, that while wearing this earthly tent, I personally will even
come close to that beautiful emulation in total. I pray fervently
that at the end of my earthly days that this sanctification will
allow me to hear from my savior those heavenly words:
(Mat
25:21) …....'Well done, good and faithful servant; …. Enter into
the joy of your lord.'
HAVE
YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?
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