All through Scripture God revealed that only the remnant of His people (Israel and the Church) – His divine election will be saved. Both Israel and the Church depend on God’s divine election. More simply stated they depend on “God’s sovereign choice”.
Israel and the Church are two different people of God
Israel is never used in the New Testament as a synonym for the Church.
Paul said, “Israel has not obtained what if seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded” (Romans 11:7, NKJV, emphasis added).
The word “elect” comes from the Greek word “Ekloge” which means “divine selection” or “divinly chosen”. It is obvious that Israel is used here to describe those who have not believed in Jesus the Messiah, and are therefore not part of the Church.
God’s plan for Israel and Gentile Christians is made clear by Paul:
“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentile has come in. And so all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:25, 26, emphasis added).
Paul set unbelieving Israelites in contrast with Gentiles who have become believers. The “blinded” Israelites are not identified with Gentile Christians; they are distinguished from them. Only when the full number (chosen by God) of the Gentile become believers then the “all” (all who are not blinded or the remnant) Israel will become believers.
Israel and the Church are the products of God’s Choice
The principle of divine election applies both to Israel and the Church. Both Israel and the Church are the products of God’s choice or God’s election. God has no alternative principle. The truth is, He never endorses or blesses any decision or program which He Himself has not initiated.
Israel is God’s choice
In Romans 9:10 – 18 Paul clearly said that God declared His choice even before the birth of the twins Jacob and Esau:
“It was said to her, ‘The older shall serve the younger’. As it is written, ‘Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated’” (Romans 9:12, 13).
Before the brothers were born, without reference to anything they had done, God declared His choice. The older serving the younger – in contrary to the accepted cultural rules of the day. Clearly God’s choice was not based on Jacob’s character or good deeds, since he had not even been born yet. Any goodness that subsequently came out of Jacob’s life was the fruit of God’s choice. Therefore God’s dealings with Israel are the expression of His sovereign decision, not made on the basis of works.
The Church is God’s choice
A careful study of the New Testament Scripture reveals that the same principle of God’s choice applies to Gentile Christians. The principle of divine election (choice) is unfolded by a number of New Testament Scriptures:
Jesus spoke to His disciples, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, ….” (John 15:16).
The above implies that only those whom Jesus has chosen will bear fruit. Others are just exercising religious effects.
His disciples had not become followers of Jesus because they made the right choice. It was not they, but Jesus, who made the choice.
Paul said, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:29, 30).
The above passage contains a succession of verbs in the past tense: foreknew, predestined, called, justified, glorified. The whole process had its origin in God’s foreknowledge. From eternity He foreknew each one of us. On the basis of this He predestined us; He planned the course that our lives should take. Unfortunately many contemporary Christians do not understand the divine, eternal origin of our salvation.
We are Christians not because we chose God but because He chose us. In much contemporary teaching, we are left with the feeling that salvation depends entirely on our making the right decision, when actually this is secondary. Salvation depends on the decision God has already made. It is true that we have to make a decision to accept Christ; but any decision we make is merely a response to the decision which God has already made. Furthermore, He made that decision before He created the world.
The Remnant of Israel
In Romans 9 Paul revealed that those Israelites whom God has actually chosen for Himself will be only a remnant out of all Israel:
Paul quoted a prophecy from Isaiah 10:22 concerning Israel:
“Though the number of children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved” (Romans 9:27, NKJV).
In Romans 11 Paul said, “Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace” (Romans 11:5, emphasis added).
The remnant of Israel is brought about by God’s grace alone; it is not something that Israel could earn!
Zephaniah, an Old Testament prophet, prophesized the promise of the restoration of the remnant of Israel:
“I (God) will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth ….” (Zephaniah 3:12, 13, NKJV, emphasis added).
God is looking for a meek and humble people who will trust in the Lord – a people who is righteous, honest and without deceit.
I believe God is aiming to produce the same type of people for His Church.
God’s remnant according to prophet Zechariah will be refined through fire:
“That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: I (God) will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; and each one will say ‘The Lord is my God’” (Zechariah 13:8, 9).
God’s ultimate purpose is to produce the remnant (one-third of all Israel) of His choice! Even though it involves refining and testing by fire, God will not cease until His purpose is accomplished.
The Remnant of the Church
The question we need to ask is, “Will the Church that is saved also be a remnant”?
Let us refer to several Scriptures which indicate that not all the Church will be saved.
1. Luke’s description of the Narrow Way
Jesus addressed the question: “Lord, are there few who are saved?”
Jesus said, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from, depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity’” (Luke 13:24 – 27, NKJV, emphasis added).
The “gate” of salvation is narrow. It speaks of paying the high cost of total obedience and never to compromise the truth of God’s Word!
Paul wrote to Timothy regarding the seal of God for those who are His:
“Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity’” (2 Tim 2:19, emphasis added).
2. Matthew’s description of the Narrow Way
At the close of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave a similar warning:
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:13, 14; 21 – 23, emphasis added).
From the above two passages of Scripture we made our observation:
1. Only few believers are likely to choose to enter by the narrow gate. But only the narrow gate and the narrow way will lead to life.
2. Only believers who do the will of God the Father will be qualified to enter the Kingdom of heaven.
3. Jesus does not know any believer who merely says, “Lord, Lord” or even uses His name to prophecy, to cast out demons or to work wonders! He considers such person as worker of inequity or lawlessness!
Notice that in the above two passages of Scripture there is one phrase that occurs three times: “I do not know you”. This means that even though these “miracle workers” had been busy serving the Lord, they had never been on the list of God’s elect. Apparently God had looked below their public ministry into their personal lives! In their innermost character God had discerned something described as “lawlessness”. This expressed itself in attitudes such as pride, arrogance, self-seeking, covetousness and personal ambition. For such, He had no place reserved in heaven.
God is looking for the nature of the Lamb, manifested in meekness and purity and holiness for those who serve him in public ministry. There is one unvarying requirement of God that runs through the whole Bible:
“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14, emphasis added).
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