Complete in Him
A Sermon on John 3:30
Originally preached June 19, 1966
Scripture
30He must increase, but I must decrease.
Sermon Description
What is the center of all human life? Men and women center their lives around things like wealth, power, religion, and more. They look to these things to give them meaning and joy but Scripture has a very different answer to this question. God’s word shows that it is the person of Jesus Christ who is essential and foundational to all human existence. His coming to earth and dying for sinners is the most important fact because it is only through Him that anyone can be saved. There are even those who claim to be Christian, yet replace Jesus with their own works, the church, or something else. This is a fatal error because it takes the focus off of Jesus Christ and turns it to a secondary thing. The only truly happy and blessed life is that which is focused and centered on the true Jesus Christ who has died in order to save sinners. This sermon from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on John 3:30 titled “Complete in Him” forces all to ask themselves: “is Jesus the center of my life or am I trusting in something lesser?” All must begin with the glory and weightiness of God as He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and center their life on this Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon focuses on John 3:30 which states "He must increase, but I must decrease." This verse captures the essence of the Christian life.
- Christianity is about receiving grace upon grace from Christ's fullness. The question is whether we are receiving more of Christ's fullness.
- The biggest hindrance to growth in Christ is self. We must decrease so Christ can increase.
- We looked at ways to decrease self last week. Now we look at how to increase Christ.
- To increase Christ, we must avoid anything that detracts from His greatness like viewing Him as just one of many ways to God or supplementing Him with other teachings.
- We must not be more interested in what Christ gives us than in Christ Himself. We can be more interested in knowledge about Christ than in Christ Himself.
- We can be overconcerned with activities done in Christ's name rather than our relationship with Christ Himself.
- To increase Christ, consider His essential greatness - He is the Son of God, co-eternal and co-equal with the Father, eternally holy, the effulgence of God's glory.
- Consider Christ's work in creation - all things were made by Him and for Him. He holds all things together.
- Consider Christ's eternal knowledge - He is the final revelation of God, the fullness of God dwells in Him.
- Is Christ increasing in our sight, affections, and being? If so, we are blessed. If not, we must humble ourselves and ask the Spirit to reveal Christ to us.
Sermon Q&A
Questions from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on "He Must Increase, But I Must Decrease"
What is the central principle discussed in the sermon regarding Christian life?
The central principle discussed in the sermon is expressed in John 3:30: "He must increase, but I must decrease." Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this is "of the very essence of our whole life and position as Christian people." It's not just a principle for the beginning of the Christian life but one that persists throughout it. The sermon emphasizes that Christianity means receiving of Christ's fullness and "grace upon grace," which requires self to decrease so that Christ may increasingly fill the believer.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say self is the greatest hindrance to Christian growth?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies self as "the biggest hindrance to growth in the Christian life and to the experiencing of the fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ." He explains that "self is the first and the last enemy" in this respect. When we are full of ourselves, there is no room for Christ and His fullness. Our self-centeredness, self-importance, and self-preoccupation prevent us from truly experiencing the richness of Christ that is offered to believers.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "the expulsive power of a new affection"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones references Thomas Chalmers' phrase "the expulsive power of a new affection" to explain how self decreases as Christ increases. He likens it to how new leaves in spring push off the old dead leaves on trees. While negative work of loosening the hold of self is important, ultimately what gives the "quietus to self" is Christ increasing - as we truly see Christ's glory and greatness, self is pushed out and inevitably decreases. The positive affection for Christ expels the negative affections of self.
According to the sermon, what are ways people cause Christ to decrease in their lives?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several ways people cause Christ to decrease: 1. Regarding Christ as "just one of a company" or one among many religious leaders 2. Supplementing Christ with other mediators or making other things essential to salvation 3. Being more interested in Christ's gifts than in Christ himself 4. Becoming more interested in theological knowledge about Christ than in knowing Him personally 5. Being overly concerned with activities in Christ's name rather than relationship with Him
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggest we can make Christ increase in our lives?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggests we follow the approach of the author of Hebrews to make Christ increase in our lives. This involves: 1. Avoiding anything that detracts from Christ's preeminence 2. Contemplating Christ's essential greatness and glory as the Son of God 3. Meditating on His eternal nature and attributes 4. Considering His great work in creation and sustaining all things 5. Focusing on His supreme knowledge and wisdom The sermon emphasizes looking directly at Christ's person and greatness, rather than being distracted by other interests, as the key way He increases in our lives.
What biblical examples does Dr. Lloyd-Jones use to show how seeing Christ's glory humbles people?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones uses several biblical examples to show how seeing Christ's glory humbles people: 1. Isaiah - When he saw the Lord's glory, he immediately cried, "Woe is unto me. I'm a man of unclean lips." 2. Peter - After witnessing Jesus' miracle of the great catch of fish, Peter "fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Peter recognized Christ's greatness and felt his own unworthiness. These examples demonstrate how encountering Christ's glory naturally produces humility and causes self to decrease.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the supreme ambition of the Christian life?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies knowing Christ personally as the supreme ambition of the Christian life. He references Paul's statement "that I might know him" as expressing this highest ambition. The sermon emphasizes that the most important thing is not what we do for Christ, what knowledge we have about Him, or what gifts we receive from Him, but knowing the Person of Christ Himself. This knowledge of Christ's greatness and glory should be the Christian's supreme desire and interest.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the preeminence of Christ as presented in Hebrews?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows how Hebrews establishes Christ's preeminence by comparing Him to prophets, angels, Moses, Aaron, and priests. The epistle demonstrates Christ is superior because: 1. He is the Son of God, "the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person" 2. He created all things, including angels 3. He is the builder of the house (Moses was just a servant in the house) 4. He upholds all things by the word of His power 5. He is the final and complete Word of God, while the prophets only gave "parts and portions" The sermon emphasizes how Christ stands alone in solitary glory when compared to anyone else.
What warning does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give about theological knowledge?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns that becoming more interested in theological knowledge about Christ than in Christ Himself is dangerous. He calls this "the besetting sin of theologians" and the "more intellectual type of Christian." He cautions that one can be so busy studying doctrines and concepts about Christ that the person of Christ is forgotten. He warns: "If your knowledge and mine of theology doesn't lead us to know more of him personally, well, God have mercy upon us and all our theology. It can be our greatest curse."
What final question does Dr. Lloyd-Jones leave his listeners with?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones ends his sermon by asking: "Is this the thing you are after, to know this blessed person? When you think of him as your savior, how do you think of him? Do you think of him? Or just the fact that your sins have been forgiven?" He challenges his listeners to examine whether they are more interested in what Christ has done for them or in Christ Himself. He urges those who don't find themselves thrilled and excited by hearing about Christ's person and glory to humble themselves and ask God to reveal Christ to them.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.