Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on "He Must Increase, But I Must Decrease"

What is the central theme of John 3:30 according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the central theme of "He must increase, but I must decrease" is that this statement contains a fundamental principle that must govern the whole of Christian thinking for us to experience the full blessings of salvation. He emphasizes that the greatest enemy to spiritual growth is self, and the path to spiritual progress is for Christ to increase in our understanding and affection while our self-focus decreases.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the three offices of Christ?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ holds three offices: Prophet, Priest, and King. As Prophet, Christ gives us perfect knowledge of God that no one else could provide. As Priest, Christ offered His own blood once and for all, entering heaven itself to make intercession for believers. As King, Christ has "all power in heaven and earth" and rules over everything. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christ is unique because He combines all three offices in Himself perfectly, while in the Old Testament these roles were held by separate individuals.

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe we need to focus on Christ rather than directly combating self?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that if we merely deal with self directly, we end up suggesting self to ourselves. Instead, seeing and knowing Christ more deeply is what drives out self - what he refers to as "the expulsive power of a new affection" (quoting Thomas Chalmers). Our greatest need is to know Christ, and as we meditate on His person, work, and offices, He increases in our understanding and affections, naturally causing self to decrease.

How does Christ differ from the Old Testament priests according to the sermon?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Christ differs from Old Testament priests in several crucial ways: 1) His calling is unique - not based on lineage but on who He is as Son of God; 2) His offering was His own blood, not the blood of animals; 3) His sacrifice was offered once and for all, never to be repeated, unlike the repeated sacrifices of the Old Testament; 4) He entered the heavenly sanctuary, not an earthly one; and 5) He lives forever to make intercession, while human priests died and had to be replaced.

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the cause of spiritual weakness in Christians?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies the cause of spiritual weakness as forgetting who Christ is and what He is. He points to the Hebrew Christians in the New Testament who became depressed and unhappy because they had forgotten Christ's greatness. He says, "Why are we in the spiritual doldrums? Why are we unhappy and complaining? Why are we weak and failing? Why is the church as she is? There's only one answer. It is that we have forgotten that he is the king, and that all power is in his hands."

How does meditating on Christ's greatness help believers according to the sermon?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, meditating on Christ's greatness helps believers by: 1) Driving out self-focus and introspection; 2) Bringing comfort indirectly through Him rather than direct comfort; 3) Filling us with wonder, amazement and joy; 4) Reminding us of His complete sufficiency for all our needs; 5) Helping us recognize we don't need to add anything or anyone to Him; and 6) Enabling us to serve God "acceptably with reverence and godly fear." The ultimate result is that Christ increases in our estimation while we decrease.

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones criticize the idea of adding other mediators to Christ?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones criticizes adding other mediators to Christ because it detracts from Christ's glory and completeness. He states that "any teaching...that adds anybody to him and says that he needs Coredemtrix in the form of his mother, or that you need the work of the saints to help you, it's a derogation from his glory, his completeness, his fullness, his absolute perfection." He emphasizes that believers are "complete in him" because Christ fulfills all offices perfectly and needs no supplement or assistant.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe Christ's work as prophet?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes Christ as the supreme prophet who reveals God perfectly. Unlike the prophets of the Old Testament who gave partial revelations, Christ has "looked into the face of the Father from all eternity" and can say "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." Christ also teaches the true spiritual meaning of God's law, exposing its deeper implications beyond mere external actions. Additionally, He teaches about God's love and the way of redemption, and continues His prophetic work through the Holy Spirit who glorifies Him.