September 9, 2013 FB
"HE"
Jesus is the lowly carpenter from Nazareth who alone controls all creation. He lived in poverty and the angels bow only before him. He alone is the perfect one who died for the sins of the world. He alone is the Almighty who let others nail him to a cross. He alone is the righteous one who knows and controls what's happening in every person's life. He alone is the loving Shepherd who will break the leg of a sheep who continues to wander off into sin. He alone is the angry and zealous God who is patient with sinners. He alone is the truly humble one who will be confessed as the Lord God by every tongue and worshiped by every knee. He alone decides whether or not you receive your next breath. He alone pardons our lawlessness. He alone washes our iniquity in his blood and makes us clean. He alone forgives our vile sins against him and welcomes our fellowship.
"MUST"
This carries the idea of obligation. Every one of us is obligated to magnify Jesus. None of us deserve supreme exaltation, but he does. Jesus, and only Jesus, deserves to be magnified. Because of who he is, it becomes our necessity and our duty to honor and exalt him.
When he is seen for who he is and we see ourselves as who we are, our only reaction must be grateful praise to him and glorification of him to others. He alone is due praise and glory from every person.
"INCREASE"
Jesus should be glorified in your life. Not only glorified for others to see,but also in your own heart. He should continually grow as the one and only thing you desire. You should seek to do HIS will, not yours. You should tell others of his glory. You should make the purpose of ALL your daily decisions to glorify him. You should want others to see him when they look at you. You should long for the day when he returns and reveals himself in power to all the world.
One day Jesus WILL be magnified. On that day, you and I will collapse in his holy presence saying, "Woe is me for I am unclean" and he will say to those who trusted in him,"Enter into the joy of your Lord," and to those who did not trust in him he will say, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of iniquity."
Jesus must increase!
"I"
God says that in us dwells no good thing (Rom.7:18), but our egos tell us that we are good. For sake of argument, let's grant your ego its "goodness."
Did you create the universe and everything in it and do you control it? Do the holy angels cover their faces from the intensity of your holiness? Are you the giver of ultimate joy? Are you the source of eternal life? Do you rule over all the nations? Do you provide the needs of every creature? Did you die for the sins of the world? Can you raise yourself from the dead? Does the earth tremble and do people collapse when you speak? Is your name the name above all names?
You are a creature in Jesus' universe. You are the sinful one who needed salvation. You are the stubborn one who resists God. You are the ungrateful one who thinks you deserve God's favor. You are the deluded one who thinks God loves you because you're a beautiful person. The only thing you have going for you is that Jesus died and rose again for you. Anything that God does for you is because Jesus merited your blessings, not you.
"MUST"
Every one of us is obligated to deny ourselves. None of us has any value apart from Christ. Because of this fact, we are obligated to shrink our own ego.
When we see ourselves as who we are in relation to the holy God, our reaction must be a detest for our own impurity and a desire to remove any thought or attitude that would usurp God's greatness in our hearts. It becomes our necessity to throw away our own will in favor of his.
"DECREASE"
Since they're is no comparison of ourselves to God, that leaves only contrasts.Everything that God is, we are the opposite. We must no longer follow our own will. We must no longer brag or exalt ourselves. All our selfish desires must be thrown away in favor of his desires. We must discipline ourselves to understand God's word. We must seek to serve others and not ourselves. We must not resist God's working in us. In our hearts and in our lives we must see less of ourselves and more of him.
He must increase, but I must decrease
"MUST"
This carries the idea of obligation. Every one of us is obligated to magnify Jesus. None of us deserve supreme exaltation, but he does. Jesus, and only Jesus, deserves to be magnified. Because of who he is, it becomes our necessity and our duty to honor and exalt him.
When he is seen for who he is and we see ourselves as who we are, our only reaction must be grateful praise to him and glorification of him to others. He alone is due praise and glory from every person.
"INCREASE"
Jesus should be glorified in your life. Not only glorified for others to see,but also in your own heart. He should continually grow as the one and only thing you desire. You should seek to do HIS will, not yours. You should tell others of his glory. You should make the purpose of ALL your daily decisions to glorify him. You should want others to see him when they look at you. You should long for the day when he returns and reveals himself in power to all the world.
One day Jesus WILL be magnified. On that day, you and I will collapse in his holy presence saying, "Woe is me for I am unclean" and he will say to those who trusted in him,"Enter into the joy of your Lord," and to those who did not trust in him he will say, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of iniquity."
Jesus must increase!
"I"
God says that in us dwells no good thing (Rom.7:18), but our egos tell us that we are good. For sake of argument, let's grant your ego its "goodness."
Did you create the universe and everything in it and do you control it? Do the holy angels cover their faces from the intensity of your holiness? Are you the giver of ultimate joy? Are you the source of eternal life? Do you rule over all the nations? Do you provide the needs of every creature? Did you die for the sins of the world? Can you raise yourself from the dead? Does the earth tremble and do people collapse when you speak? Is your name the name above all names?
You are a creature in Jesus' universe. You are the sinful one who needed salvation. You are the stubborn one who resists God. You are the ungrateful one who thinks you deserve God's favor. You are the deluded one who thinks God loves you because you're a beautiful person. The only thing you have going for you is that Jesus died and rose again for you. Anything that God does for you is because Jesus merited your blessings, not you.
"MUST"
Every one of us is obligated to deny ourselves. None of us has any value apart from Christ. Because of this fact, we are obligated to shrink our own ego.
When we see ourselves as who we are in relation to the holy God, our reaction must be a detest for our own impurity and a desire to remove any thought or attitude that would usurp God's greatness in our hearts. It becomes our necessity to throw away our own will in favor of his.
"DECREASE"
Since they're is no comparison of ourselves to God, that leaves only contrasts.Everything that God is, we are the opposite. We must no longer follow our own will. We must no longer brag or exalt ourselves. All our selfish desires must be thrown away in favor of his desires. We must discipline ourselves to understand God's word. We must seek to serve others and not ourselves. We must not resist God's working in us. In our hearts and in our lives we must see less of ourselves and more of him.
He must increase, but I must decrease
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