John 3:30 He must become greater; I must become less
Most of us would have heard of John 3:30 "He must become greater; I must become less.”.
When I was younger, I tended to misconstrue the verse as
- "He must become greater; I must acknowledge my achievements to a lesser extent."
- "He must become greater; I must become less until my personal volition is almost disintegrated.”
It was not until recent years that I realised perhaps I had it all wrong.
Fundamentally, it is hard to deny that we all have 2 things: talent and free will. To deny these two would be tantamount to lying or false humility.
But that's when the relationship and experience with Christ, as well as the contemplation of His Word really matters.
Perhaps John 3:30 was not a matter of interpreting Christ from our reference. These Me (man)-Centered mentality focuses on us: how we measure up to God, whether we are putting ourselves on the pedestal, whether we attribute the achievements to Him rather than ourselves.
All these might seem like we are giving God the glory, but they are nevertheless man- Centered because the basis began from us.
Instead God showed me a different perspective, a Christ-Centered way of viewing who we are in the light of who He is.
Giving God glory does not begin with denying our achievements and volition. Instead it begins when we receive sight from our spiritual blindness- previously we were living as we normally did without God, and after receiving Christ, His presence and truth starts to influence the way we think and perceive different issues in life.
The reality of Christ necessitates Him as the frame of reference; if He is a mere imagination, then His Word is of no concern and holds no weight. But if He is believed to be real, then His Truth has definite (or at least considerable) consequences towards our lives.
Therefore as we walk with Christ and take Him seriously, we'll view Him differently (hopefully in greater measure) as time goes by. 1 Corinthians 13:12 puts it excellently: "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."
As we know Christ in greater depth, there will be so many praiseworthy things to humble us: His tenacity, His tender kindness, His faithful provision, His unmerited grace, His covenanted love, His sovereign will, His all-surpassing power and many more.
These are not things that could be understood in a day. The Truth of Christ and His character leaps alive, living and active, through our daily experiences and spiritual sojourn.
As we know and perceive Him to a greater extent, the humility comes naturally. And such is His greatness, because a finite vessel could never comprehend the infinite riches of His glory.
When I was younger, I tended to misconstrue the verse as
- "He must become greater; I must acknowledge my achievements to a lesser extent."
- "He must become greater; I must become less until my personal volition is almost disintegrated.”
It was not until recent years that I realised perhaps I had it all wrong.
Fundamentally, it is hard to deny that we all have 2 things: talent and free will. To deny these two would be tantamount to lying or false humility.
But that's when the relationship and experience with Christ, as well as the contemplation of His Word really matters.
Perhaps John 3:30 was not a matter of interpreting Christ from our reference. These Me (man)-Centered mentality focuses on us: how we measure up to God, whether we are putting ourselves on the pedestal, whether we attribute the achievements to Him rather than ourselves.
All these might seem like we are giving God the glory, but they are nevertheless man- Centered because the basis began from us.
Instead God showed me a different perspective, a Christ-Centered way of viewing who we are in the light of who He is.
Giving God glory does not begin with denying our achievements and volition. Instead it begins when we receive sight from our spiritual blindness- previously we were living as we normally did without God, and after receiving Christ, His presence and truth starts to influence the way we think and perceive different issues in life.
The reality of Christ necessitates Him as the frame of reference; if He is a mere imagination, then His Word is of no concern and holds no weight. But if He is believed to be real, then His Truth has definite (or at least considerable) consequences towards our lives.
Therefore as we walk with Christ and take Him seriously, we'll view Him differently (hopefully in greater measure) as time goes by. 1 Corinthians 13:12 puts it excellently: "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."
As we know Christ in greater depth, there will be so many praiseworthy things to humble us: His tenacity, His tender kindness, His faithful provision, His unmerited grace, His covenanted love, His sovereign will, His all-surpassing power and many more.
These are not things that could be understood in a day. The Truth of Christ and His character leaps alive, living and active, through our daily experiences and spiritual sojourn.
As we know and perceive Him to a greater extent, the humility comes naturally. And such is His greatness, because a finite vessel could never comprehend the infinite riches of His glory.
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