What it means to be God’s faithful remnant by Rev. Dr. Joseph Chavady

When I came to Canada I quickly noticed how many churches are lukewarm or dead in the faith.

I talked about this with others but everyone assured me that in many Bible colleges and churches there's a "remnant” of true believers, and as long as there’s this remnant we should not give up on them for there is still hope of a turnaround. But is this really so?

Throughout the Bible there are different examples of what it means to be God's FAITHFUL remnant and such a remnant is characterized by certain attitudes and actions. Take the remnant in the time of Elijah. They were persecuted and had been forced to go underground and live in caves. They were there because they had said and done certain things. They had not "bowed their knees to the Baal nor let their mouths kiss him” (1 Kings). They did not keep silent when the people of God were going astray. They spoke up, and when no one listened they left the sinful system, even when this meant

losing their homes and livelihood, and possibly losing their lives. If we are the FAITHFUL remnant of God's church we will also refuse to compromise or continue to participate in a sinful system. We will not sit there and be silent and by our silence confirm and validate what has become sinful and

corrupted.

So, I don't believe that the "remnant” in these dead churches and Bible colleges are a FAITHFUL

remnant. If they were they would stand up against this evil system, refuse to compromise and speak the truth in love. If we truly follow Jesus and we see a system that has become corrupted, we will stand up and speak the truth regardless of personal consequences. This is what a FAITHFUL remnant does.

Moreover, if we don’t do so, we cause newcomers to be confused and led astray. Such young believers may feel that this church or college is sound because they find a handful of believers there. Because this "remnant” sticks around they also decide to stay and participate in a system that weakens their faith and teaches them to compromise their walk with Christ. We should ask ourselves this sobering question: How many have actually spiritually perished because true believers refused to speak out?

Let's rise up as FAITHFUL remnant and no longer compromise and participate in what is clearly wrong. Let’s warn the leaders of such churches and colleges that they will face God’s wrath unless they repent. And let’s stop leading younger believers astray by our silence in the face of blasphemy and sin.

””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””- ””””””””””””””””””””””””””-

New Testament

New Testament verses that refer to a faithful "remnant" (Greek: λεῖμμα, leimma) include Romans 11:5 ("So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.") and 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".)

Hebrew Bible

According to the Book of Isaiah, the "remnant" (Hebrew: שְׁאָר”Ž shear) is a small group of Israelites who will survive the invasion of the Assyrian army under Tiglath-Pileser III (Isaiah 10:20”“22). The remnant is promised that they will one day be brought back to the Promised Land by Yahweh (Isaiah 11:11”“16). Isaiah again uses the terminology during Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem (Isaiah 37).

The concept of the remnant is taken up by several other prophets, including Micah, Jeremiah and Zephaniah. The post-exilic biblical literature (Ezra-Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah) consistently refers to the Jews who have returned from the Babylonian captivity as the remnant.

Source: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remnant_(Bible)

Indeed brother Joseph,

I could not agree more. If the fire of the truth burns in your bones, one can do nothing other than speak...........bro Frank

I believe the article applies to saints in places of great comprimise that to just stay and be a light is not being a faithful remnant. To simply seperate from all christianity in the West because thinking its all apostate is foolish and the one that thinks in this way could actually be the one decieved. There is a great comprimise in many circles, yet there are also godly saints, pastors and teachers who love the Lord.

I believe the Holy Spirit must lead each saint in each situation. The example of SermonIndex shows saints who stood for righteousness in every generation but many did not seperate from the church system in their day rather contended for reformation and revival. It was God Himself that would bring people "out" as a new wineskin for God's New thing of that generation. And so it is today. The danger of individual christians speaking all of christendom is that that is what they are doing, and not speaking of the Lord for the Lord loves His bride and Church in various forms.

there are two realities, that vex me.

First, if we really IMBIBE John 17, as a Mountaintop of Messiah, POURING out His Heart unto the Father, than have not we and ALL our forefathers failed God?

second, when i say "failed God", i'm referring to the tragic shameful prior 1700 years of "church history"....has it not been shameful? Let us be real. i wish not to detail this "shame".

for the past week, I've been slowly eating my way thru Isaiah, before the day sun even rises, and as i'm reading, and pondering, inquiring of the Holy Spirit...i'm in the Oracles/Judgments now, chapter 20+...and it suddenly hit me, the Mouth of the Lord, is speaking to US.....it just HIT me.

i believe this revelation is true, because of two attributes, first, God is the Same, yesterday, today, tomorrow....amen? second, The LORD spoke THRU and IN Isaiah....amen?

my pen was busy, underling passages or phrases, as the Spirit led.....chased away any carnal fears i might have, and emboldened me to say, "Your Will, not mine".

Gentile followers of Jesus should thank God, they don't have canonized these past 1700 years, like the Old Testament writings have 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings and Chronicles.

Of course you can read non-canonical "historical" books detailing "church history",over the past 1700 years, but how would that line up in obedience to the High Priestly Prayer of John 17?

does it?

The difference between the men of old, who were raised up by God, and could do no other than speak out and those of today, is that men are/were required to BE (ye) holy. Men of today, not like yesterday, do not even believe that it is possible to be holy, in the way that it is meant in scripture.

A man must be cleansed by the Holy Spirit before he begins to remove the speck in others eyes. Otherwise he is a legalist and a hypocrite. It is better for a man to not be a hypocrite and stay silent.

If God raises you up to speak then only a truly holy man will be able to abide the persecution without compromise and will lose everything in the process. Those who are not holy will back down from that and stay within their little circle of hypocrites. They were not called in the first place.

Brothers the problem is inside those of us who are not cleansed. If the uncleansed were to believe in the cleansing then they would be running to speak out against uncleanliness and unbelief and the Holy Spirit would convict the hearers. If not, then the speaker will be withdrawn if there is no remnant that has ears. The Lord has mercy however and the presence of a holy one will keep the judgement at bay for as long as possible.

Hi Colin,

Not been here much and just noticed your question. As I read your reply it strikes me just how similar our walks are. The answer to your question, for me at least, is that one must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and not the leading and the wisdom of men. If He calls you out of everything established, then out you must go. Men hate this of course, but our conscience must be good before the Lord.

One must speak as one is led and if it means that you stand alone then it means you stand alone, for we know that in Christ we are never alone. We may not make friends and influence people, but that is not what we shall give account for before our Lord Jesus. Yes brother, the stripping away of all things is the narrow path. For the first time in my life I was ashamed of the country of my birth, and even in that there is a stripping away. God is raising up a people who shall have no other gods before Him. The people that He is raising up will be like a lightening rod to the religious establishment and men who desire to follow and be followed. The dark days ahead necessitate the raising of a people who shall be lovers and followers of the Truth. Part of the raising of that people is the refining of that people where they walk through fires that burn away all the dross. " Though none go with me, still I will follow, no turning back, no turning back."...........bro Frank