God has always had a “REMNANT.” Websters’ Dictionary defines a remnant as the small remains of what was once a much larger entity. The Old Testament reveals that throughout the early history of God’s people the Law-keeping minority were vastly outnumbered by the Law-breaking majority within His “church in the wilderness” of Sinai (Acts 7:38). Recent observations reveal that in His New Testament church the percentages of the two groups have changed–the larger group having become larger and the smaller group having grown smaller. This is known Scripturally as church apostasy (departure from God). Read about the apostasy using Devils as the key.

At one point in time God’s remnant consisted of only one man whom Jesus called “righteous” (Mat. 23:25). His name was Abel, the son of Adam and Eve. Like his parents and older brother, Abel was born with free moral agency. Cain and his parents used their freedom to rebel against their Creator. Abel used his to obey his Creator, which is why Jesus called him “righteous.” Later, we find Noah, “a preacher of righteousness,” alone on the earth in his reverence toward and obedience to God after He sent the humanity-killing flood. Only Noah and his family survived the global flood. His family was saved so that the earth could be repopulated.

That there has always been a tiny spark of light within the global darkness was proven by Jesus when He said that He had not come to save the RIGHTEOUS, but rather sinners (Mat. 9:13). At the beginning of the New Testament era one man represented God to the masses of Jews–John the Baptist. A few years later John would be succeeded, first by Jesus of Nazareth, then by 120 other true believers. At the time of the founding of the New Testament Church there were multitude of Jews to whom Jesus ministered. Of those many multitudinous recipients of His grace, only 120 chose to follow Him. That is a classic example of a “remnant.” A “salt in the wound” fact which surprises no true child of God is that not everyone in that tiny remnant remained true to Him (Acts 5:1-12).

Like all other children, Jesus was born with a clean spiritual slate. Like you and me and billions of others, He had to choose whom He would obey. This is brought out in Isaiah 7:14-16 where the prophet describes the future Messiah as having to (1) distinguish between good and evil, then (2) having to choose the good and refuse the evil, then (3) following through with His choice without fail in order to fulfill His commission. All of which He did. Isaiah goes on to explain that before the future birth of Emmanuel (Jesus), several things would take place (vs 16,17). Read the Isaiah reference carefully, for in it you will be reminded of what Jesus had to learn and do while bearing in mind that in order to walk (live) with Him in the future we must “walk as He walked” while on earth (1 Jn. 2:6). We must distinguish between right and wrong according to God’s word, choose the right and obey it by the power of the Holy Spirit. The question is: WHO BELIEVES WHAT THE HOLY SCRIPTURES SAY ABOUT GOD’S COMMANDS RELATIVE TO LIVING OUR LIVES IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS? THE END RESULT OF WHICH IS ETERNAL LIFE. The answer to the “HOW MANY BELIEVE AND OBEY” question is: ONLY A FEW, as Jesus prophesied would be the case in Matthew 7:13,14 and 22:14. The following will tell us why.

I recently heard a famous Bible scholar and best-selling author say that it is impossible to be holy, that righteousness is beyond the realm of possibility in this life. And his global following shouts “amen.” I heard a popular preacher tell his television audience: “Don’t try to be holy; you’ll just make yourself sick. You are nothing but a society of sinners.” There are thousands of church leaders (pastors, evangelists, etc.) in the United States today. Having been involved in the Institutional Church for over a half century, I would guess that there are not more than a dozen (I am being generous) church leaders who disagree with those popular “ministers of righteousness.” Of the billions of church people alive today I would guess that not more than 50 (again, I am being generous) believe First Peter 1:15,16; 2:5,9; 4:17,18 and Matthew 5:48. I personally know of only three. When Jesus said “few,” He knew what He was talking about.

Which brings us to the subject of this series– how the true saint’s walk in THIS LIFE and his walk in the NEXT LIFE differ only in the time element involved. As has been the case from Edom until today, there has never been more than a tiny remnant who truly “walk as Jesus walked” while on earth. Only a small number of those have been called to preach His Gospel.

Initially, He called the Israelite nation to do the job of spreading His Truth through their obedience to Him and His subsequent blessing of them. Read Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 to learn about the Lord’s “sowing and reaping” formula. With the exception of a tiny remnant, Israel failed miserably. Later He raised up the New Testament Church for the same purpose. After a bright beginning, the same situation has developed.

The vast majority of church leaders do not now believe God’s Word. Rather, they believe Satan’s various versions of God’s Word. In this way they follow in their first parents’ spiritual footsteps. This is to be expected in that both have the same leader–The Serpent (Gen. 3:1/ Rev. 12:9). Jesus warned that of the “many” who would be part of His church, only a “few” (a remnant) would search for and “find” the right “gate” (door–Jesus–Jn. 10:7) to His “sheepfold” (church), enter it and walk His path. “The many,” He said, would enter through the wrong “gate” and would walk the wrong path.

In the series titled “My People Who are Called by My Name” and Who Are God’s People?” (key words–Name and People respectively), I point out that there are two segments in God’s church: true believers and false believers. Those series also explain how the vast majority came to be deceived. Those teachings are instrumental for understanding the make-up of the end-time Laodicean church and its Philadelphian remnant. Read a previously posted series titled Jude, God’s Governance and the End of Days. Key word–Governance.

The purpose of this teaching is to equate the true saint’s present day “walk” to the “walk” that will characterize the next life, both of which will take place on earth. Read The Kingdom of God. Key word–Kingdom. Also read the Three Resurrections. Key word–Three. The central theme of this God-ordained, God-anointed ministry is: IN ORDER TO WALK WITH JESUS IN THE NEXT LIFE WE MUST WALK AS JESUS WALKED IN THIS LIFE. As noted earlier, we are all born with a clean spiritual slate. The earthly life of Jesus set the standard for us. Therefore we must we learn to distinguish between the good and the evil. Having made the correct choice, then we must choose the good and reject the evil. That done, we must then “walk as He walked.” Note that DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL AND CHOOSING THE GOOD is only two-thirds of the process. One must also WALK THE GOOD WHILE REJECTING THE EVIL. Webster’s Dictionary defines “reject” as refusal to accept. We must refuse to accept any part of the evil.

According to the Lord, it is useless to accept what He defines as good if one does not reject what He defines as evil. In God’s church, (1) God must be obeyed, (2) only His view is the right view and (3), if one does not totally reject all He calls evil, then one is calling evil good. When that happens, one eventually views good as evil. For example, a generation ago church people called homosexuality evil. Today queers are welcomed into the churches with open arms. They are told to “Come as you are; stay as you are.” In Revelation 3:14-18 Jesus describes the end-time Laodicean Church as having reversed His commands relative to good and evil. For this reason He compares them to vomit in His “mouth” (His church). He warns so-called “sinners saved by grace” that, if they do not repent, embrace the good and reject the evil He will spew them out (and into the Great Tribulation).

In Matthew 24:41,42 we find Christ symbolically referring to the time of His return using two similar examples. He says that two men will be working in the field. One will be taken (to His place of safety), the other is left (to face the Tribulation). In the other example, two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken and the other left. The same message is taught in Matthew 25 where we read the parable of the ten spiritual “virgins” (Christians). Five of them were lured by Satan into apostasy (falling away from God) and were labeled as fools (“foolish”). When the Bridegroom came, the foolish virgins were left outside the marriage feast to face the future alone. The five wise (obedient) virgins were welcomed into the marriage feast. The meaning is clear: THE LORD’S WAY IS “ALL OR NOTHING.” ONE EITHER OBEYS THE GOOD AND REJECTS THE EVIL, OR ONE MUST FACE LIFE ALONE.

Trying to get to enter the Kingdom of God while remaining in “the church” is like using the wrong map to get somewhere. Church doctrine (map) will lead one to destruction. The Holy Bible (God’s map) will lead to the Kingdom of God. Using the wrong (church) map while expecting to arrive at the gates of glory is a death sentence. The route to paradise is the same now as it has always been. We follow it by walking in the spiritual footsteps of the man called Jesus. L.J.