Belief and Obey

08.01.12

John 3.30 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. NASB

Recently I was involved (in a very small way) in a discussion about the tensions in the US between liberal Christianity and conservative Christianity. The discussion was based around a blog written by a gal who contended that the tensions are real and something must be done to alleviate them or else the consequences of such tensions will destroy the presence and the effectiveness of the Church here in the west.

I read the blog and considered what was said and then this morning, I read, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” If I am concerned about life in the United States, then He must increase, but I must decrease. If I am concerned about my neighbors, my co-workers, the folks at the grocery store, or the tellers at the bank, then He must increase, but I must decrease.

John the Baptist had it right: in those days there was much speculation and discussion about what was going on in Judea and Jerusalem, and many wondered if John was the Messiah. John kept denying this and when they tried to get him into the discussion he simply said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John understood what his mission was and he seemed unwilling to deviate from being the front man for Jesus, the Christ.

The problem with such a discussion of liberal Christianity and conservative Christianity shows me that somewhere there has not been enough increasing or decreasing. To even have such a conversation shows that somewhere there are some who’ve not yet completely opened the door to their hearts – He hasn’t increased enough and they haven’t yet decreased.

I know the argument roars that somehow, some way, the Gospels need to be relevant to present social issues and all of the ramifications of current thought: the war on poverty, the war on drugs, abortion, healthcare, yada, yada, yada – and the Church’s place in these things. The only answer to any of it is, He must increase, but I must decrease. Well then, how can the Church be relevant in these things? First by not allowing society to dictate what the Church’s agenda is, and second He must increase, but I must decrease.

There is a certain stigma attached to the one who purposes in his own life that Jesus must increase (become more important), but he must decrease (become less important) – that person is somehow deemed an “ostrich” of sorts with his head buried in the sand of modern social concerns. Is Jesus concerned? Does Jesus care about the hungry, the hurting, the helpless? – of course He does! Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today and forever! But Jesus isn’t about to let popular social trends or beliefs dictate His agenda – He didn’t back then and He isn’t now. John understood that.

So then, because the Church will not pick up the torch of what’s hot and what’s not in the current socio-political discussion, She is debunked as irrelevant because She seems to have some sort of anti-societal focus that places Her wants and needs above those of the downtrodden and poor in modern society. That may be the accusation, but the bottom line question is this: who is becoming more, and who is becoming less?

My personal attitude and place in society must be this: Jesus, in my life, must increase (become more) and I, in my response to His Lordship, must become less. As a Christian, my focus and effectiveness in life is based on how much attention I am paying to Him and as John the Baptist ultimately said, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” He used the words believes and obey interchangeably… I’m held to that standard – He must increase in me, and I must decrease in me.