Remnant People: God’s Faithful Few in Every Age

God’s Promise of a Remnant

I have fond memories of my grandmother making beautiful quilts. She would use scrap pieces of material, which in themselves weren't very useful, but when put together in a pattern would transform into a lovely warm quilt. These scraps were called remnants. They were the remainders; the leftovers from other projects. As believers, God has promised that there will always be a remnant. No matter what happens there will be true believers that God uses to rebuild.

In the Old and New Testaments we read examples of this faithful remnant in the Bible. These are small groups of people who remain true to God even though the majority around them have been unfaithful or undergone judgment. When I speak of remnant people, I mean genuine believers, those whose lives show true repentance and faith, not simply those who claim it.

Through this group, God's work continues in the world. We are never alone. God is with us, and through His true believers His work is accomplished. Even small beginnings, can have big impacts, just as God uses His remnant to accomplish great things.

Old Testament Examples of the Remnant

Most of us are familiar with the story of Noah. Noah and his family were the righteous remnant left after the flood. The story of Lot being saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is another example. And in 1 Kings 19, Elijah cries out to God in anguish believing he is the only one left who has not worshipped idols, but God reassures him that there are 7,000 others, unknown to Elijah, that have also remained faithful to God .

In the book of Isaiah, he is promised that the enemy of Israel, the Assyrians, will be destroyed and a small faithful group of Jews will return to their land and truly rely on God (Isaiah 10:20). In 722 BC the Assyrians removed and dispersed the Jews from the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

The Southern Kingdom of Judah survived the Assyrian assaults. It is from the Southern Kingdom that the remnant will return. Isaiah may be referring to this, or to the return of a remnant from Babylon, or even later to the end times event where a faithful remnant will be preserved. In the same way, God preserves His people today. No matter how dark our culture becomes, He is still gathering a faithful people who will not be swept away with the majority.

In Ezra chapter 9, the prophet talks about a faithful few that will return from Babylonian captivity. God's faithfulness and grace have allowed their return to Jerusalem for a purpose, to rebuild the holy temple of God. There the people will restore worship to God and faithfully obey His commands. Even though they had been away from Jerusalem for 70 years and return to a destroyed city and a ruined temple, God's chosen people were never left without hope.

The Remnant in Worship and Return

When the foundation for the new temple was laid the priests and the Levites praised the Lord saying,

“For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel.” Ezra 3:11

They praised God for His faithfulness and mercy. This phrase is found repeatedly in the Psalms (Psalm 136, 100:5, 107:1). The concept of a faithful remnant doesn't end with the Old Testament. It continues throughout the New Testament.

The Remnant in the New Testament

When Jesus was born there were a few righteous ones who could see Him for who He was: Anna and Simeon in the temple, the Wise Men and the shepherds, and of course John the Baptist. Then there were the disciples who heard His voice and followed Him to become "fishers of men".

In Romans 11:5, Paul explains that even in his time there was a faithful remnant of believers in Christ among the Jews. Though small in number, this group proves that salvation is by grace not by ethnic heritage. Paul compares these to the times of Elijah when Elijah believed he was alone in remaining faithful to God and yet even then there were those set apart for God. They, along with Gentile believers, were the true church.

The Remnant in Revelation

In the book of Revelation, John uses the word remnant to describe a small group of faithful believers. We begin in Revelation 2:24. Here the church at Thyatira is being addressed. The church had come under the influence of "Jezebel's" corrupt teaching and behavior but a few discerning members had remained faithful to God. Are we resisting the corruption of the world and remaining faithful today?

The warning in Revelation 3:1-6 is to the church at Sardis. The Lord says there is no life in the Church. They need to wake up and repent. The church was not finished with its work. Are some of us just going through the motions without really being awake to our need for repentance and true faith? The Lord recognizes however, that there is a remnant in the church that hasn't participated in sin (Revelation 3:4). These faithful have actions that match their words. Jesus says they will "walk with me dressed in white."

The true believers in Revelation 12:17 are discussed when the dragon (the Devil) turns his attention from the woman, symbolizing Israel, to believers, or "the rest of her children" as it is sometimes translated. Those preserved may be the Jews or Gentiles who listened to the message of the 144,000 in Revelation 7. The Devil declares war on the courageous servants of Christ on earth in hopes of destroying them completely.

Very briefly let's examine who the 144,000 are in Revelation 7. These are 12,000 Jews sealed from each of the 12 tribes of Israel to go out and proclaim the Gospel. Some believe this number is symbolic, but many accept it as a literal number. Again and again we see examples of God's mercy reaching out to bring in His faithful ones.

Remnant People: God’s Faithful Few in Every Age

In Romans 11:16, we understand that through remanent people, God's faithful few in every age, God will fulfill His promises. It may seem sometimes as if God has deserted us, or maybe our nation. But through His faithful servants, He will never abandon us forever.

Matthew 28:18-20 explains that as His set apart people we are to reach out to the world for Him, not hide behind fear. We have a mission and a duty. This reminds us that being part of God’s remnant is not about hiding in survival mode, but about living faithfully and courageously in our daily lives: at work, at home, and in our community.

As part of the remnant, we are to pray for His kingdom to come. And we know, because we know the end of the story, that we can face life with an optimism that is not available to those who don't know His word. He is our conquering Savior who defeats death and Hell (Revelation 1:18). The cross has defeated the powers of darkness.

How does a modern faithful few influence the world today? There are so many possibilities: working with prison ministries, mentoring those coming out of addiction, being a positive online witness, or being a welcoming, loving neighbor. Seek guidance and the Lord will open doors for you to serve Him in ways you never thought possible. Acknowledge your weaknesses and ask Him for strength.

But whether it is the Old or New Testament when the remnant refers to God's faithful ones they have certain things in common. Zephaniah 3 explains what these traits are.

• Their words will reflect their inner purity (pure lips) and they will serve God with one accord, meaning they will pursue the will of God together. (Zephaniah 3:9).

• They are meek, humble, and put their trust in God (Zephaniah 3:12).

• They are truth tellers, not liars, and live righteously (Zephaniah 3:13).

  
  

Although small in number, God's righteous ones won't come from just one denomination. He will call His own from all churches that believe that Jesus died and rose again for the forgiveness of our sins to reconcile us with God. The defining characteristic will be true faith in Christ, not church affiliation.

Whether in the workplace or at school, today we can be an example of true followers of Christ. Are we kind to those around us, do we refuse to participate in gossip and rumors, do we remove ourselves from a group that persistently uses foul language or tells dirty jokes? Standing for Christ can be difficult, but being a faithful follower of Christ means more than just going to church on Sunday. When we remain steadfast in Christ, we should always seek God's approval over the praises of men.

I often wonder as time goes by will we meet in big church buildings or will we look more like the church in China? Will we go "underground" and meet in people's homes? Will we be like the early church? Jesus taught us to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). We should trust the Holy Spirit to speak through our lives, memorizing the word of God, prayerfully seeking opportunities to witness for Him, and being obedient.

Just as my grandmother's quilt was made from many insignificant individual scraps of material, so the remnant of faithful followers will be made up of humble and meek individuals who will come together to accomplish God's will. From something small and seemingly useless the Lord can bring together a force to change the world. His righteous holy ones will remember His promise, "For with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37).

Our prayer should always be to be among the few remnant people who choose the narrow path that leads to life. So many sadly, choose the broad path to destruction. And with the help of the Holy Spirit we can have the strength to be among the faithful of this generation. We remember that He uses the weak, the powerless, and the humble to accomplish His will. All glory goes to Him when His will is done! Amen and Amen!