Daily Archives: March 17, 2017

Weekly Devotional 3-20-17 A Remnant

Weekly Devotional 8-3-10 / 3-20-17 A Remnant

Israel, Abraham’s offspring through Isaac and Jacob, were chosen of God to be a special people, a peculiar treasure above all the peoples of the earth. They were to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6) as a witness to humanity. Concerning them, Moses wrote; “7The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8a NKJV).
We learn by reading the record written in the Old Testament that Israel as a nation forsook God’s temporal blessing through disobedience and idolatry, but God chose and sealed a remnant of the nation for Himself—a spiritual remnant, who would not bow their knee in idolatry. God had given the “nation” His covenants, His laws, His blessings and His call to service, but we learn from Romans 9:1-8 NKJV, that only “those” in whom God had accomplished a spiritual work would be true recipients of these things. “1I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. 6But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, 7nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” 8That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.”

God’s covenants, His laws, His blessings and His call to service were and are rejected by national Israel even to this day, but there is a remnant of each generation of Israel that God redeems and preserves to Himself. There is also a remnant of the Gentiles that God is calling, sealing and preserving for Himself.

In Old Testament times there were probably very few Gentiles who came to a saving faith in Jehovah God. Those who did, were Jewish Proselytes who were brought into covenant blessing by adopting and observing the laws of their host, the Israelites. This afforded them many of the temporal blessings enjoyed by Israel. Those brought into spiritual blessing not only adopted the laws of Israel (the Mosaic Law), but also denounced idolatry, worshipped Jehovah, and as a sign of their devotion were, as the Israelites, circumcised.

During this present age, God is calling out a remnant from the totality of humanity to Himself; both of the Jews and the Gentiles. This remnant is preserved unto the future blessing of being for eternity in the presence of God. However, our calling, we of the remnant, have a present blessing; that of being a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you [we] may proclaim the praises of Him who called you (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light” (See Peter 2:9 ).

Israel failed in their calling, but will be restored to faithfulness during the coming tribulation, the time of Jacob’s trouble. Like Israel, the church has been called to this priesthood. Israel’s calling was a commission of the then present, but she failed. The church’s calling is a calling of the present. Because Israel was mistaken in their true identity, thinking themselves to be of spiritual Israel but were not, it has missed out on the blessings of God. There are many of the church who, because they are churched, believe themselves to be Christian, but are not. They are not of the spiritual remnant. They, like Paul’s brethren after the flesh, are “3ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3 NKJV ).

Being part of the spiritual remnant of God for Israel was believing and trusting in His promises. It is the same for the church. To be a part of the spiritual remnant, one must believe God; believing to the point of commitment. And, this is the testimony; “18He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (John 3:18-21NKJV).

An Important question: Are you or am I a part of God’s remnant? The above passage answers that question.

stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man
Christian National Church

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