Make no mistake, the Bible tells us that God has always had an authentic Remnant throughout history; a small minority of people who remain faithful to Him in times of trouble and tribulation. He knows who they are and they have a distinct purpose and calling. They are very valuable in that their faith remains strong, holy, and steadfast; usually in the midst of God's divine judgment due to apostasy, rebellion and disobedience among those who claim they belong to Him.
We are all familiar with those whom God called "His remnant" in the Old Testament. In the days of Isaiah, the prophet, God revealed the wickedness and betrayal of the Kingdom of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem, as they strayed from Him. In fact, God declared in Isaiah 1:3, But Israel does not know [Me as Lord]; My people do not understand. Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded down with wickedness [with sin, with injustice, with wrongdoing], offspring of evildoers, sons who behave corruptly! They have abandoned (rejected) the Lord; they have despised the Holy One of Israel [provoking Him to anger]; They have turned away from Him.
God goes on to reveal to Isaiah that it does no good to strike Israel [which includes both the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah] or punish them again because they only continue to rebel. There is nothing healthy in the nation's body and He has had enough. But even in the midst of all their idolatry, depravity, degradation, despicable sins, and ultimately, their destruction, God has called a remnant to seek justice, rebuke the ruthless, defend the fatherless, and plead for the rights of the widow in court. A small contingent of survivors will still serve Him in righteousness and goodness, paving a path of redemption for those who will truly seek it.
Again, in the Old Testament, we see Noah and His family as the remnant who is left after God sent the Flood to destroy evil from the earth. Both Abraham and Moses served as God's remnant, displaying their faith and trust in God that He would choose them to lead a people set apart unto Him alone. Then there is the story of Gideon, whom God gave a remnant of 300 men [out of 30,000] through which He would rescue the Israelites; and give them victory over their enemies, the Midianites. We also read the witness of Elijah, who in the midst of hopelessness, declares that he is the only one left in all of Israel who has not bowed down to Baal. But what is God's answer to him? He has reserved a remnant of 7,000 who "have not bowed their knee to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him". Through these examples [and many more], we can be assured that God will always keep to Himself a remnant to uphold His holy ways and assure the faithful that He is still at work in the world.
But as the world advances in these Last Days, do you still trust God to provide a righteous remnant that will survive the tribulation and persecution that the Enemy will heap upon it? And are you prepared to be a part of that chosen assembly? Because if your answer is "yes", I believe there are some things you need to understand. In these Last Days, the remnant will be sorely tried and tested -- not only by the world, but by God, Himself. You see, the tribulations, [the pressures, the distress, and the oppression] we will be facing, as Jesus says, "are such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will [be again]". So I believe God will be testing those who have hearts [like none other] to be close to Him and be free of the burdens of this world. They will be people who have no fear of witnessing [to those who hate them] of the glory of God!
I can certainly identify with my fellow Believers who want nothing more than to abide in the Lord, and to be continually in His Presence. I am so tired of this world and long to be in holy communion with the Lord, and away from all the false Believers and pretenders of faith. I find myself wanting to be separate from society, yet possessing a heart that burns to witness and testify of God's purpose for the Kingdom in every member of society that I come in contact with. As you can imagine, that creates a tension in my soul. And one can find themselves quite lonely in the midst of both the secular community and the "Christian" brethren, because no one understands your battle with the world and "the Church", and they do not see what you see. They don't experience the grief and sorrow over wasted lives who have no fruit to show in their lives or for their love of Christ. And they don't contend with your worry about how these people will endure the suffering of their souls [and the testing of their faith] when the hard times come.
Are you prepared to carry your Cross? Because, you know, Jesus said [in Luke 9:23] that if we want to truly be His disciple, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him. And that means sharing in His persecution, His abandonment by those who professed to believe in Him, His loneliness, and His death. You may even question if you're worthy to be considered or chosen for the Remnant because you know its your heart's desire to be like Jesus; but you also know you fall short. And yet, you still seek to pay the price to abide in Him. You don't want the accolades of men. You seek only to be tested and refined by the Lord to walk in righteousness with Him.
The question for each of us is this ... Are we satisfied to be a part of what feels comfortable to our souls? Do we long to belong to the masses who proclaim their love and faith in Jesus? Are we content to believe in a Rapture theory that promises we will escape all that Jesus said we would have to endure to follow Him? Or ... are you ready to lay down everything you are, and everything you own, in order to remain uncompromised in your faith? Do you believe it when the Bible tells us that we will be hated by the world and despised by those who call themselves "the Church"? Are you ready and willing to stand apart from the crowd and be your authentic self?
The truth is that those of the Body of Christ who will be qualified to be part of God's Remnant are those who follow His every commandment; those who remain true to their calling and don't look for fortune or fame as they walk out their purpose for God's kingdom on earth. They will be like the five wise Virgins who stayed focused on being prepared for the moment of Christ's return. Only those who know the cost and the eternal rewards of following Him will be called to the Remnant.
And that reminds me of two instances in Scripture when Jesus reveals the characteristics of those who might be considered for the Remnant. In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus makes it clear that not everyone who calls Him, "Lord, Lord", will enter the kingdom of Heaven. In fact, He says that prophesying in His Name, driving out demons in His Name, and performing miracles in His Name, is not enough. He says, "I will declare to them publicly, 'I never knew you; depart from Me [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands]".
Then in Luke 6:46, Jesus says, "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord', and do not practice what I tell you?" Again, it is apparent that Jesus demands and expects His commandments [which are the commandments of the Father] to be acted upon, not just read or recited or heard. The Remnant will be comprised of those loyal followers who are awake, aware, and ready to be all they were designed to be, even in the midst of the most evil times mankind has ever seen or endured.
And Jesus has given us those commandments to show us the way to persevere in these Last Days. We must not surrender them to the ways of the world. We must desire to be His Remnant and testify of His righteousness; looking different from the world, and standing with our wicks trimmed, ready to light the way for His Second Coming! And then we will experience the joy of our glorious Homecoming and the rewards of our eternal inheritance. Hallelujah! God bless the Remnant!
Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
