God and Me Makes a Majority

1I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3“Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”^a ? 4And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”^b 5So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. (Romans 11:1-5)

Thoughts: Paul was writing to Christians reminding them that he was a Jew by birth and was part of the believing remnant.  In his mind, Paul was saying just as God left a remnant in Elijah's day, he left a remnant in his day.  In the time of King Ahaz of Judah, the Temple was shut by the king and false idols were placed in the Temple.  The majority of people turned away- but the Lord raised His people up again.  In the time of the Judges, everyone did what was right in their own eyes (17:10), but the Lord left a remnant.  When Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, Lot and his family were a remnant.  In the time of Noah- the majority rejected the faith to the point that God relented in making human beings.  But Noah was a remnant.  The word remnant is still used today in referring to cloth or carpet or wallpaper.  It is a small part leftover that matches a larger part that can repair the hole or the bad place.  Remnants are used to repair.  But the Church's remnant is also a living remnant- much like the shoot of the stump of Jesse- cut down but growing back.  In the Western church, the church has imposed itself into exile.  There are more non-denominational churches than denominational ones- because the bureaucracy in almost all the old-line churches has become skeptical of biblical teaching.  So the Lord has taken away the glory of that church and put it somewhere else.  The numbers, the power, the influence on society these old line churches has dwindled to non-relevance.  It is sad to watch.  Yet God has not destroyed His church.  There is a remnant in non-denominational churches.  There is a remnant in the churches that split off.  There is also a remnant in those who believe but stayed in the churches that are erring.  God does not reject His church- but leaves a seed to grow- a remnant.  

Prayer: Lord, make me a faithful, loving, gracious remnant wherever you place me.  

"Athanasius Against the World"