Are We Part of the Crowd or Part of the Remnant?

            Whether the controversial segment of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France was a mockery of Jesus, the Lord's Supper, and Christianity, or the depiction of a pagan celebration featuring Dionysus, the Greek god of fertility, wine, and revelry, I think it provided insight into the current decadent state of western civilization.

            How should we, as Christians respond? My heart rejoiced when I saw believers in France filling the streets of Paris, not to perpetrate violence, but to sing praises to God. It brought to my mind the concept of “remnant” which we see in the Bible.

            The definition of remnant is what is left over from a larger portion or piece. It can be a portion of food, or material a garment is made from, or even a group of people. Although the world may see a remnant as a worthless scrap, God sees as valuable those He has set aside for holy purposes, people He calls a remnant.

            Isaiah 10 talks about a remnant. There, Isaiah writes about God’s judgment on the Assyrians. Isaiah 10:12 says, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes.” Verses 17 and 18 go on to say, “The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briars...”

            Further on, Isaiah writes that Israel will turn back to God as a result of His display of strength against the Assyrians. “In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God” (Isaiah 10:20-21).

            Even though God doesn’t use the term to describe them, Noah and his family are an example of a remnant saved out of all those on the earth before the flood (Genesis 6). And when Elijah cried out to God that he was the only one left in Israel who had not bowed his knee to idols, God told him He had reserved a remnant of seven thousand “...whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18 NIV).

            Another remnant is the Church, the Body of Christ, those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus and love and serve Him wholeheartedly with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Jesus made it clear the remnant would be small when compared with the number of people on earth throughout history, when He said, “Heaven can be entered only through the narrow gate! The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide enough for all the multitudes who choose its easy way. But the Gateway to Life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it” (Matthew 7:13-14 TLB).

            As previously stated, Isaiah writes in Isaiah 10:17 that God would destroy the King of Assyria for his pride and “the Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame...” I believe that in His Body today, Jesus wants to become a fire, a flame burning in each one of us, consecrated first of all to our Saviour, and then set ablaze to spread the Good News of the Gospel.
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            At Pentecost in Acts 2, the fire of the Holy Spirit rested on each of the believers, and they went out and changed the world. Today, let’s be like the men (and women) of Issachar “...who understood the temper of the times...” (1 Chronicles 12:32 TLB). As the world around us becomes increasingly dark, as Christ’s “called out ones”, His remnant, let’s shine ever brighter with the fire of the Holy Spirit.