The Increase of Christ

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

Note from the Recovery Version: The increase in this verse is the bride in v. 29, and the bride there is a living composition of all the regenerated people. This means, in this chapter on regeneration, that regeneration not only brings the divine life into the believers and annuls the satanic nature in their flesh, but it also makes them the corporate bride for Christ's increase. The last two points, the annulling of the serpentine nature in the believers and the believers' being made the bride of Christ, are fully developed in John's Revelation. The book of Revelation reveals mainly how Satan as the old serpent will be fully eliminated (Rev. 20:2, 10) and how Christ's bride, the New Jerusalem, will be fully produced (Rev. 21:2, 10-27).

Acts 2: 47 Praising God and having grace with all the people. And the Lord added together day by day those who were being saved.16:5 And so the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily.

Fruit bearing is one of the matters of concern as far as my service in the Lord is concerned. Which means, there must be growth in Christ by growing in life inwardly and there must also be growth in number outwardly. Else there must be something wrong. And that "something" which went wrong or goes wrong is a grave concern. This is my self assessment as well as from an elderly and more matured brother. I thank the Lord for showing me where I truly stands, so that I may learn and know how to move forward from this point on. This exposition dawned on me my need for serious learning in serving the Lord. I cannot just be barren, that's not only a shame, but a disaster--a spiritual disaster. I may have reasonable and valid excuses, but I will not tolerate the barrenness. Barrenness is a symptom of death. Anything living must grow, both inwardly and outwardly.

Christ increase is not merely measured inwardly. Yes, He definitely must grow, besides, there must be increase in numbers of saved believers, the bride. The increase of Christ is the increase of the bride; the increase of the bride is the increase of the believers in numbers of the regenerated believers. This word of the Lord is backed with testimonies of the early church. "The Lord added together day by day those who were being saved" and "increased in number daily." This is the real increase of Christ. This must be my experience too. Nothing less is acceptable and must not be tolerated.

The message for me and the church I am in is this only, "the increase of Christ." All lame excuses for not increasing according to the word is lifeless. My prayer and the church's prayer has henceforth been for the increase of Christ. All that hinders the increase of Christ must be diagnosed and remedied. Thank God, these days I am in this process and the saints too. May the Lord heal and gain His increase for His testimony.

The increase of Christ is the increase in numbers, which is the increase of the church. Where there is an increase of Christ, there will be the increase of the church in numbers as well. Though all increases in numbers may not necessarily be the increase of Christ, but the increase of Christ must necessarily lead to the increase in numbers. One should not be so spiritual as to focus only on the inward increase of Christ without the outward increase in number. The more the increase in Christ inwardly, there more there will be the increase in numbers outwardly. For when one grows in Christ, he will be burdened to preach the gospel and bring people to salvation. Furthermore, he will shepherd, buildup and perfect the new ones to be the increase of Christ as the bride, the church. This is a normal and proper condition of a Christian life in a normal church life, and this is the fruit-bearing in John 15:4-5, 7-8. 

The outward tangible way of measuring the increase of Christ is the number of the saints in the meeting. Quality comes out of quantity. Without quantity, there can be no quality. It is mere folly to pride on quality when there is no quantum of quantity.

Lord, save me from mere spirituality. My need is the increase of Christ in quality as much as in quantity.