God's Remnant

“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call”. Joel 2:32 5  “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” Romans 11:5 also 2 Kings 19:30,31-Ezra 9:8-Isa.1: 9-10:20,21,22-11:16-37:31-Jer.23: 3-31:7-Ezek.6: 8-Hag.1: 14-Zech.8: 12-Rom.9: 27

One does not study the Bible very long before he runs into the doctrine of the “Remnant”. We all know what a remnant is, something that is left over, some small quality that remains of whatever might be the subject of our discussion. Fabric stores have “remnant sales” where the remains of a bolt of cloth are sold at reduced prices. Perhaps three yards are left from the original one hundred yards, that’s a remnant.

 In the Bible the remnant refers to a number of people who are the objects of God’s saving grace and special mercy. Many verses indicate that the remnant has a special reference to Israel. Be that as it may,  the principle of the remnant is taught throughout the Bible, both Old Testament and New. True believers have always been in the minority yet God has never been without His witnesses, few in number though they may be. In Noah’s day the Remnant consisted of eight persons; Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives. In Elijah’s day it consisted of 7000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal. That may sound like a large number but it really isn’t compared to the hundreds of thousands who made up the Northern Kingdom. Micaiah was a remnant of one in his day, II Chron.18: 5,6. In Daniel’s day it was a remnant of four. The principle continues on in the New Testament. “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matt.7: 13,14

Heaven will be populated with millions of redeemed souls but comparatively speaking it will only be a remnant.

 Remnants within Remnants.

As you study the teaching of the Remnant you will soon see the principle of the remnant within the remnant. Of all the multitudes that followed the Lord Jesus a remnant of seventy were sent out, Lk.10:1. Of this seventy a remnant of twelve were called to be apostles, Lk.6:13. Of these twelve a remnant of three are given special privileges as the inner-circle; Peter, James, and John. They were chosen by Jesus to witness the raising of Jarius’s daughter, of seeing Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, and of being closest to Him in the Garden of Getsemane in His agony, Matt. 26:36,37.

 The Remnant in Our Generation

 How do we apply the teaching of the Remnant to our own times? Consider that of the some six billions of people on planet earth today roughly one third or two billion of them name the name of Christ. That’s a large number no matter how you look at it but it is still not a majority. Included in this number are Roman Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Easter Orthodox, etc. You name it, if they make any claim at all to be followers of Christ they are included. For want of a better term we call it the world of “Christendom”. Within this “remnant” of the world’s population is a remnant of true believers. Folks who are really saved. To say they are only a remnant should’t be too surprising considering that by far the largest number of these groups do not even teach a salvation experience. Those already named certainly do not. Protestant churches as a whole don’t either, they teach baptismal regeneration.

 In this remnant of true believers we include every saved individual no matter how shaky or off base their beliefs and teachings may be. In this number we include the Lots as well as the Abrahams. We include the Ananias’s as well as the Pauls. Included are those whose ideas of Christianity are shaped more by Hollywood than by the Bible. The kind of Christianity that is popular with the world, (I thought the world was supposed to hate the Christian?) thrives on emotionalism, where everything is judged by the latest “experience” rather than by God’s Word. If they don’t get “slain in the spirit” or speak in “tongues” (Nothing like the tongues of Acts 2) they don’t feel like they have been in church. The most radical of these groups look to the so-called “Toronto experience” where they bark like dogs and growl like lions. Where the “new wine of laughter revivals” has sermons even on the sufferings of Hell met with gales of hysteric laughter. I believe one can be truly saved even though in great error on the non-essentials.

 But within this remnant consisting of true believers worldwide is another remnant of believers who hold to the Word of God religiously. That is to be taken in a good sense, not in a bad sense. No “popular Christianity” practiced here. These folks try their experience by the Bible not visa-versa. But included in this remnant of those true believers who go strictly by the Word are those who practice dead orthodoxy, hyper-Calvinism, formalism and Phariseeism.

 But within this remnant of true believers who hold to the Word of God is another remnant who take seriously the command to make disciples. They are intent on carrying out the great commission of Matt.28. They really do believe that “whosoever winneth souls is wise”.  They think Jesus really meant it when He said He would make us “fishers of men.”  (By the way, we are getting farther and farther away from “popular Christianity”.) But, included in this remnant of truly believing, holding to the Word of God, soul-winning Christians, are worldly Christians and some out-right weirdoes. They believe in getting people saved but live worldly lives. They feel right at home at R-rated movies and public beaches. They see nothing wrong with worldly music and are known to sip a cocktail every now and then. There are a few of you at Calvary Baptist in Roy, Washington.

 But within this remnant of truly believing, holding to the Word of God, soul-winning Christians is another remnant of all the above plus they live separated lives. They shun worldliness. And frankly well they should. Remember James 4:4? In case you’ve forgotten it says, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”  Of course you do remember 1 John 2:15, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” I thought you would.   These folks don’t drink, smoke, go to movies, watch typical TV fare, dance, etc. But, -here we go again; included in this group are a bunch of legalistic Pharisees. They are separated from but not separated to, it’s called consecration. Separated but not consecrated. If I am consecrated it means that I am sold out to the Lord Jesus. I am taken up with Him, His Person, His Character. I have a joy unspeakable because I am head over heels in love with Him, bless His holy Name! 1st Pet.1:8 “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory”.  Here is a remnant indeed! A remnant of truly believing, Bible loving, soul-winning, separated, consecrated Christians! Not only separated from the world but separated to Jesus. Now you have just got to get this; #1.this keeps you properly motivated. What motivates you to live a godly life? The highest and best motive is that you wish to be pleasing in His sight. #2-this keeps you in the right attitude. We count it a privilege to do for the one we love. Some are filled with resentment and count Christian service a drudgery and a form of punishment. They are advertising their lack of love for the Lord Jesus. #3-this delivers you from spiritual pride. It is natural for such a one to live the crucified life and since I am dead and my life is hid with God in Christ, Col. 3:3, what’s a corpse like me got to be proud of? (Is that poor grammar?)

 By the way, the remnants within remnants seldom get along too well together. They tend to despise the ones to the left, who don’t measure up, and to judge the ones to the right, who have one more conviction than they do. Those who are consecrated will be less likely to be guilty of this unchristian conduct. I am writing another article  that touches on the various degrees of separation practiced by the brethren, talk about remnants within remnants!

Be Aware of Five Things.

 So………..what do we make of all this? I know that this is a somewhat different approach to the remnant thing. I just thought it was something about which maybe some folks were not aware. I would love to read something on a more, say, traditional approach to the subject. But let’s look at a few things that we should learn from what we have seen.

 1. Don’t expect to be in the majority as a Christian and especially if you really mean business for God. Even in a good church it’s usually only a remnant of the Sunday Morning crowd who really serve the Lord.

2. Realize that we live in a world that is 100% diametrically opposed to what we stand for as children of God who seek to be well pleasing in His sight. Jesus said that we are not to be surprised if the world hates us, it hated Him first. John 15:18 The Bible speaks of a time when men call evil good and good evil, that put light for darkness and darkness for light, that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter, Isa.5:20. That’s being 100% off the mark.

 3. Realize that we will seem more and more weird to the world as we get farther and farther away from “popular” Christianity. Square pegs just do not fit in round holes. You may be mocked, ridiculed, and become  a spectacle to the world. 1 Cor.4:9 All this without half trying, just taking the stand you know in your heart Christ would want you to take. We  don’t need any idiots being weird on purpose.

4. Your popularity will be in proportion to your faithfulness to Jesus. The more faithful you are to Him the less popular you will be to the world and even to many of the “brethren”. But remember Luke 6:26, “Woe unto you when all men speak well of you…”. He goes on to say that false teachers are more popular that true men of God.

5. Pressure to conform will be enormous! The pressure is unrelenting as every good man of God knows. Pressure from the religious community- “Join our joint services this Thanksgiving. All the other churches are with us.” Included of course are the Mormons, the Catholics, the  7^th Day Adventist, along with liberals of every stripe who have more respect for Reader’s Digest than they do for God’s Word. But there is also pressure from the congregation. “Let’s relax our standards on dress, music, activities, etc. Accept any baptism, open up the Lord’s Supper, etc.” You name it, the pressure to conform in all areas will continue and intensify as His Coming draws near.

So dear reader where do you think you are in all this? As a Christian which remnant are you in? Which one should you be in? Is it time to make a move? You will have to pay a price; God help you to follow Him.

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