We've probably all heard John 3:30.
The NKJV puts it 'He must increase, but I must decrease.'
Mostly, I've heard this verse used in a context of identity, as in a kind of surrender to Christ, becoming more like him, and less like your 'sinful' self.
I want to dispute this. Not because being like Christ is a bad thing, but because God made you, you, and he made Jesus, Jesus. If you believe he made you perfect, and you can live to the best he has planned for you as you stand in that realization, then surely John 3:30 as a verse for identity seems to contradict this.
If we look at the context of John 3:30, John is talking about his ministry.
We know that John, in Isaiah 40:3, is prophesied as 'The voice of the one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight"'
John, prior to this point, has been that man, preparing the way for Jesus. The way in which he was doing this was by teaching a baptism of repentance. He told people about the Christ who was coming, and he told them to repent of their sins and be baptized In this way, John taught people that they would die to their sins through the death of Christ (interesting, seeing as it hadn't happened yet).
But then Jesus came along at the right time, and shared in this baptism of repentance, then received the Holy Spirit.Only once he received the Holy Spirit, did Jesus' ministry begin.
So then now the time came for Jesus' ministry, as John had finished preparing the way for him. John reveals what happened when Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit came upon him:
'And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' (John 1:33, NIV)
- other references include Matthew 3:11. Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16.
In Acts 1:5, Jesus tells the disciples about Pentecost in the same way John understood 'For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
'He must increase, but I must decrease.'
John is not saying that his identity must decrease to become more like Jesus. John is talking about the end to his ministry of baptism for repentance (also called baptism into the name of Jesus, or basically sharing in what he would do later - get rid of our sin through his death and resurrection).
John is saying that John's ministry must decrease to allow to Jesus' ministry to now increase.
And if anything, that means we are able to more fully be ourselves, walking fully (instead of less) in the perfect identity God created for us, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
