I keep hearing people speak of the remnant. Being a teacher, it makes me want to dig into scripture and see if this is really true. Below are some thoughts I have had and journaled the last year or so on this.
9/14/20 – Is a “Remnant” Part of New Testament Church Theology?
I keep hearing people speak of the remnant church. It bothers me a bit. I’m not sure why. So I looked it up and did some Biblical research. A remnant is primarily an Old Testament term. But it isn’t used in the New Testament speaking of the church.
It is used in Romans 9 and 11 where Paul speaks of the remnant of Israel being saved. It is used in Revelation where is seems to be speaking of people left after an event happened and how they reacted.
But I don’t see this term used as part of Church doctrine.
I hear people teaching things that seem to say that all of the church isn’t the church, that the remnant is separate, and the rest are rejected.
Some scriptures that stood out yesterday.
2 Timothy 2:19-21 – But the firm foundation of (laid by) God stands, sure and unshaken, bearing this seal (inscription): The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names [himself by] the name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also [utensils] of wood and earthenware, and some for honorable and noble [use] and some for menial and ignoble [use]. So, whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work.
Just because they don’t do this doesn’t mean they don’t belong to the household; it means they are not cleansing themselves and, as a result, they are not fit and ready for any good work. They are still fit for some good works.
They are not rejected; even though they are only good for menial and ignoble purpose. In The Passion Translation it says, some are used for banquets and special occasions and some for everyday use. Phillips says some are used for the highest purposes and some for the lowest.
If a man keeps himself clean from the contaminations of evil he will be a vessel used for honorable purpose, clean and serviceable for the use of the master of the household, all ready for any good purpose.
The one who doesn’t clean and prepare himself isn’t rejected as part of the household – only for the highest purposes.
The Lord has taught me in the last 15 years or so to see the value and beauty in all people. If I can do this, how much more can he?
12/2/20 – Is There a Remnant?
I think maybe what they call the remnant is not the end of something but the beginning of a new breed, the first fruits of the new kind of being which will spread throughout the earth. It’s the manifestation of God’s sons spoken of in Romans 8 that Creation has been waiting for.
So it’s not actually a remnant which excludes but a very contagious growing powerful people which multitudes will join up with.
The people will volunteer freely in the day of His power which is now beginning.
Psalm 110:1-3 – The Lord (God) says to my Lord (the Messiah), sit at My right hand, until I make Your adversaries Your footstool. The Lord will send forth from Zion the scepter of Your strength; rule, then, in the midst of Your foes. Your people will offer themselves willingly in the day of Your power, in the beauty of holiness and in holy array out of the womb of the morning; to You [will spring forth] Your young men, who are as the dew.
This is where we are right now. We are beginning to make His adversaries His footstool. We are ruling in the midst of our foes.
And in this day people offer themselves willingly in the beauty of holiness.
Romans 8:19-23 – For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
Romans 8:26-27 – So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will.
Somehow the revealing of the sons of God into Creation is helped by the Holy Spirit as we release this longing (of Creation, of us, and of God) through our groanings, prayers and speech inspired by the Holy Spirit.
9/13/21 – Jesus Did Have an Inner Circle – But is This a Remnant?
God has always chosen some to be closer to Him than others – or is it that some have chosen to be closer to Him?
But at the same time, they weren’t some exclusive remnant. His heart was and always is for the multitudes. He has reconciled all men to Himself and we are His ambassadors to proclaim His reconciliation – not to form some exclusive “remnant” club where we think we are more accepted and better than everyone else.
2 Corinthians 5:19-20 (AMP) – It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor). So we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ’s personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God.
Matthew 9:36-38 (AMP) – When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.
We aren’t some exclusive group that get all of the blessings of God while the world around us goes to hell. This seems to be to me the feeling of what they in these days call the remnant.
Like usual, we have it all wrong. We have no idea how evil this is in God’s eyes, how selfish and outside of the heart of God – who paid the greatest price for the salvation of all men.
God desires ALL MEN to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. All won’t receive what He has done, but our focus it to get the truth out not turn inward in our own pride.
And His (and our) main work in these days is to go after the multitudes, to show them what He is really like, to get rid of the destructive religion and tradition that has been mixed in with the Gospel.
I believe many multitudes will be saved in these days as they see Him as He is, in love, in power, and glory, and in mighty miracles in the lives of people. The mercy and kindness of God will bring them to repentance.