Truth Lesson: Christ's Increase

What is Increase? What is Christ's Increase? Perhaps, this matter of increase is a great concern to many Christians. No increase is a problem, yet an increase is also a problem depending on what causes the increase. An increase in the number of meeting attendance can be brought forth either by the flesh or by life. Lot had an increase by his flesh, even by sinful incest. That is in the principle of Babylon. The increase we are talking about here is the increase of Christ, through the divine dispensing of the divine life into the believers, for the preparation of the Bride of Christ.

The increase begins with regeneration through the redemption accomplished by Christ which resulted in producing the bride, the Body of Christ as Christ's increase.  This also happens by Christ ministering Himself as and through the word which becomes the Spirit in the believers dispensing the divine life and making them grow from within and bearing forth spiritual fruits without. This is Christ's increase. The same is found in John 3, the Lord's conversation with Nicodemus. This conversation began with regeneration accomplished through the believers' believing into the Lord Jesus Christ who was lifted as a bronze serpent and becoming the Bride, the Body Christ, Christ's increase, which also is being carried out by His speaking through the word of God giving the Spirit abundantly.

John 3

3 Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

15 That everyone who believes into Him may have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life.

29a He who has the bride is the bridegroom; 

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for He gives the Spirit not by measure.

Christ's increase and His relationship with the church, the Bride, can be seen  can also be seen in the three aspects of Christ

1. Christ as the Redeemer redeemed the church. This happened in the past through the believers' generation. For this, Christ as the Husband gave Himself up for His Bride, the church. (Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her)
2. Christ as the Life-giving Spirit sanctifying the church. This is going on right now in the present time. Christ as the Husband is sanctifying His Bride, the church. (Ephesians 5:26 That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word)
3. Christ as the Bridegroom will present the church. This will happen in the future when Christ, the Bride, will present His Bride to Himself. (Ephesians 5:27 That He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.)

In Ephesians, we can also see the two aspects of Christ's increase inwardly, growing up into Him in all things who is the Head, Christ. And Christ's increase outwardly for His expression,  growing from the Head, causing the growth of the Body.

Ephesians 4:11-16 And He Himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as shepherds and teachers, For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ, Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, But holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ, Out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love.

The Importance of the Word of God for Our Growth

1. John 5:39-40 You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that testify concerning Me. Yet you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
2. 2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a babe you have known the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
3. 1 Peter 1:23 Having been regenerated not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, through the living and abiding word of God.
4. 1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word in order that by it you may grow unto salvation,
5. Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the full-grown, who because of practice have their faculties exercised for discriminating between both good and evil.
6. 2 Peter 1:19 And we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
7. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, That the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

These are the seven ways in which the word of God can make us grow for Christ's increase.

May we all receive the divine life supply through the word of God that can make us grow day by day for Christ's increase.