"A Remnant Shall Be Saved"

Romans 9: 24-30

24. Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

25. As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

26. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God

27. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

28. For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

29. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

30. What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.

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ontrary to that which is taught, many people who actually come to the Lord are not saved. We say “contrary to what is taught” because it has come to be accepted (even in apostolic churches) that because one goes to church, he is saved.

Scripture makes it very clear to us that the way to salvation is narrow. It also lets us know that many walk the “broad way.” If the “narrow” is that which is required by the Lord, it only stands to reason that those unwilling to follow that “way” will not be saved.

One of the reasons the “broad way” is so popular is that, by definition, the “narrow way” is restricted. While “anything goes” when following the former, not everything is accepted when one dedicates himself to the “straight and narrow.”

As the devil has gotten more aggressive and “humanism” has crept into the Church, salvation has become more what someone sees “nothing wrong with” as opposed to “that which God requires.” The problem with this philosophy is that we are called from life in the flesh and if life in the flesh had been “ok,” we would not have had to have been “brought out.”

Though we are, as a “movement” known for what we don’t do and though “separation” is a tenet of our faith, it has mistakenly been taught that salvation is contained in that which one does or does not do. Salvation is first and foremost a state of being, determined by one’s dedication to the Lord—and “deadness” to his flesh. If one is not wholly led by the Spirit (i.e. motivated by God) it will not and does not matter what he does, what he wears, where he does or does not go. Nothing can substitute for a life dedicated to God.

Would that salvation was as “simple” as how one dresses, what one does or where he goes. But, the fact is that salvation is “about” what one is and being what God expects requires change.

God deals with what we do—not what we say. “Righteousness” before God is determined by whether or not one is a sinner and since sin is “in the flesh,” Man has no hope of righteousness unless he manages to live above his flesh. You see, no amount of “prettying up” or “improvement” will ever be more than temporary, for the nature of flesh is sinful—and “nature” doesn’t change.

To make certain that Man has no delusions as to exactly where he stands in Him, the Lord sends all “would- be believers” tests, that we might know “where” we are. Contrary to how they are received, there is nothing “wrong” with tests or the fact that the Lord sends them. The “problem” comes in that “human beings” must always find someone or something to “blame” for their difficulties. This should come as no surprise, for the precedent was established with Cain and Abel.

From the beginning, God had a plan for Man that he might learn that he needn’t struggle against himself all of his life. In order for the “platform” to be set and for Man to be fully convinced of his “inadequacy” against the devil, Adam and Eve had to make the choice that they did. Man was to learn, for all time, that given the choice between doing that which was in his best interest or that in God’s, he would always choose himself. Why? Because Man thinks according to natural solutions to problems when all solutions (leading to salvation) are spiritual.

When thinking for himself, Man’s brain is “short-circuited” and what he believes will advance him is actually working against him. This prevents us from seeing that if we would just do as God says, we would then put the proverbial “ball” back “in (His) court,” forcing Him (in a manner of speaking) to “handle His business.”

The Children of Israel were assured of Him working in their behalf, yet, because of their determination to use their own “means,” lived outside of their privilege in Him more often than not. However, what ultimately has been a “curse” for them, has, quite literally, proven to be our salvation, for we were then able to be “grafted in” strictly by faith!

“By faith” means just that: we will be saved not by what we hear nor what we learn to do. One could spend one’s entire life in Bible college and still never be saved. If the rituals of Israel were not enough to change them and therefore, save them, neither will anything that we “do” be able to offer us an advantage. Our “advantage” will come in accepting our freedom from sin, which is the definition of salvation. Freedom from sin automatically means freedom from the flesh with no more answering to it, or rulership from it.

With all that the Lord has been saying, it should not be hard to believe that only a “remnant” is likely to be able to see the face of God. Is it not in Genesis chapter 6 that we are told the story of Noah? Too often, we forget that though only 8 souls were spared, the World was full of people. Lest we forget, only three were spared in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah combined!

Don’t ever be deceived—the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were not very different from too many of us. You see, they too, were happy in their wrongdoing and even when warned, were unwilling and unable to cease what they were doing. If the Lord had simply been interested in their “happiness” He would not have bothered to correct them. But, in every situation, God’s motivation toward us is that we be made fit to serve Him!

Never does He have to go to the lengths that He does to save us. Because He is God, He could leave us to our “own devices” and dismiss us as not knowing what to do. In other words, He could “discard us.” Instead, He “sacrifices” Himself that we might live.

Now is the time to determine to be a part of the “remnant.” The Lord makes this designation because He, above all, knows how hard it is for a human being to ever stop being a human being. Therefore, those willing to accept the “mantle” of spirituality will be few and far between. If the angels were created “without sin, yet still fell, how much harder will it be for Man, who is “subject to sin? Is there hope? Always, but never has it been more important that we believe that love (for Jesus) conquers all.