Dying to Self
A Sermon on John 3:30
Originally preached June 12, 1966
Scripture
30He must increase, but I must decrease.
Sermon Description
All are in in need of the forgiveness and redemption of God yet so many go through their life alienated from God and His Son. They live as fallen human beings devoid of the joy of the Lord. Working with John 3:30 in this sermon titled “Dying to Self,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that those who have trusted in the gospel of God are forgiven of all sins and made inheritors with Christ. One of the signs of transformation is seeking to exult Christ and diminishing the self. It is as John the Baptist says, “I must decrease but He must increase.” Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains how there are signs to tell if one is truly turning away from themselves and looking to glorify Christ. They will seek their own glory less and think of themselves less. They will think of others as worthier than themselves. God uses the law to show the Christian their sin and their need for Christ. This law convicts of sin and causes the Christian to look not to themselves, but to Christ and His grace. In the law they see that only Christ can make them whole and that they are not worthy in themselves.
Sermon Breakdown
- The measure of our spiritual state is the relative positions of "He" (Christ) and "I" (self) in our lives.
- "He" (Christ) and "I" (self) are intimately related and react together. As one increases, the other decreases.
- It is a "must" that "He" (Christ) increase and "I" (self) decrease. This is an absolute law of the spiritual life.
- This process of Christ increasing and self decreasing is continuous. It is not a one time event.
- We must have an accurate view of ourselves. We must see ourselves as we truly are through the law which shows us our sin.
- We must become less self-centered. We must have less concern for self and more for Christ and others.
- Our prayer life is a test of this. There should be less petition and more praise, gratitude, and adoration.
- We should be less self-protective and self-defensive. We should not be easily hurt or offended. We should be "dead to self."
- We should be less self-reliant. We should rely on God's power and not our own. Our sufficiency is from God.
- The sermon closes with a hymn reflecting the theme of decreasing self and increasing Christ.
Sermon Q&A
What Does "He Must Increase, I Must Decrease" Mean in the Christian Life?
What is the meaning of John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease"?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John 3:30 contains a fundamental principle for the Christian life. While the immediate context relates to John the Baptist's recognition that his ministry was diminishing as Christ's began, it teaches a universal truth for all Christians. This principle states that for Christ to become more prominent in our lives, our self-life must become less prominent. These two movements—Christ increasing and self decreasing—are intimately connected and happen simultaneously, like two figures on the same lever where "if one is out, the other is in."
Why is "self" considered the greatest enemy in the Christian life?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that "the greatest enemy in the Christian life is self." Self was at the center of the original temptation in Eden when Satan appealed to pride. Self-centeredness prevents Christians from receiving Christ's fullness because, as Lloyd-Jones explains, "We cannot receive of His fullness until this self of ours has decreased and has been dealt with." He compares it to trying to fill a vessel that's already full—we must be emptied of self before we can be filled with Christ.
What are the signs that self is decreasing in a Christian's life?
According to Lloyd-Jones, there are several clear indicators that self is decreasing:
- Having a true and accurate view of oneself - not thinking more highly of oneself than one ought to
- Being less self-centered - less unhealthy concern about one's problems
- Focusing less on the personal benefits of salvation and more on the glory of God
- Prayer life changing from mostly petitions to more praise and adoration
- Being less self-protective and self-defensive - not constantly looking for insults or feeling hurt
- Becoming less self-reliant - recognizing "apart from me you can do nothing"
How does prayer life change as Christ increases and self decreases?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that our prayer life is an excellent test of whether Christ is increasing and self is decreasing: "Your prayer life is a very good test on this particular point. He must increase, I must decrease. And if that is happening, you will find this, that in your praying there are fewer and fewer petitions and demands, and there is more and more praise and thanksgiving and adoration."
While he affirms that petitions are legitimate ("We are to make our requests known unto God"), he emphasizes that the proportions should shift as we grow spiritually—from primarily asking for things to primarily expressing gratitude and worship.
Why does Lloyd-Jones say spiritual growth requires a "death to self"?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that being "dead to self" is necessary for spiritual growth, quoting George Müller who said the great turning point in his life was "when I died completely to George Müller." This concept comes from scriptural teachings like "I have been crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:20) and "You are dead, and your life is hid with God" (Colossians 3:3).
When self has truly decreased, we become "a heart at leisure from itself"—free from constant self-concern, self-protection, and self-promotion. Lloyd-Jones quotes John Bunyan's insight: "He that is down need fear no fall, he that is low, no pride. He that is humble ever shall have God to be his guide."
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.