Living the Remnant Lifestyle

How does the call to be a Remnant believer affect the way we live?

The Bible in a sense is the story of a remnant people called out by God to live out His principles and proclaim His saving grace in the midst of an ungodly and secularly minded society. The story of the remnant... begins in the first book of the Bible with persons like Noah and Abraham who accepted God's call to live upright and godly lives in the midst of ungodly and perverse generations, thus becoming the spiritual forefathers of a remnant people called out to declare God's "glory among the nations" [1].

The story of the remnant continues throughout the Scripture. In the Old Testament we find that as Israel as a nation failed in her mission to be "a light to the nations" [2], God called a new remnant of faith into existence... In the New Testament we see Jesus calling together the remnant of faith by inviting the twelve disciples to form the nucleus of the new people of God, the church.

The story of the remnant culminates in the last book of the Bible, where God calls "the remnant of her seed [the church]" [3], an end-time obedient community of believers out of an apostate Christianity, to proclaim the final message of warning and salvation "to every nation and tribe and tongue and people" [4].

As Seventh-day Adventists who identify with the end-time remnant called by God to give the message, "come out of her, my people" [5], we face the same danger today as Israel and the church in the past faced to lose our remnant calling, identity and mission.

To guide our reflection we shall consider seven distinguishing Biblical characteristics of the remnant lifestyle.

1. Living with a Forward Look

To live by faith as a remnant believer means first of all to live with a forward look. Some people live in the past... Other people live in and for the present... By contrast, the remnant believer does not live in the past, nor in and for the present, but rather lives like Abraham, the spiritual father of the Old Testament remnant people, looking "forward to the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" [6].

Paul eloquently expresses this same remnant forward look, saying: "Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" [7].

It is noteworthy that the Apostle finds the motivation for living and serving the Lord, not in his past life, which he chooses to forget, nor in his present attainments, which he finds still short of God's expectations, but in the future prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The Apostle understood the fundamental truth that to be a remnant believer, one must live with a forward look. Like an athlete, a remnant believer strains forward to what lies ahead... He urges all mature Christians to have the same forward look: "Let those of us who are mature be thus minded" [8].

Pilgrim's Outlook

What does it mean to live with a forward look? It means to view this present life as a pilgrimage, a journey to a better land. It means to labor in this world, without making labor the ultimate reality for which we live.

A vital function of the Sabbath is to help us maintain the remnant forward look by reminding us each week to look forward to the rest and peace that "remains for the people of God" [9].

2. Living by the Spirit

To live by faith as a remnant believer means especially to live by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Only by this power can we "live sober, upright, and godly lives" [10]. To emphasize the important role of the Holy Spirit in the life of those who await His return, Christ related the parable of the ten virgins [11].

Dependent or Independent?

Are you perhaps an "independent" believer who, like the foolish virgins, tries to solve your behavioral, emotional, moral, physical, economic or marital problems by yourself or solely through professional advice? Professional advice, though helpful, often is not enough. It takes the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to live victoriously.

As we live by the power of the Spirit we become more and more like the One we are expecting, because as the Scripture tells us, "We all... are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit" [12].

3. Living a Balanced Life

To live by faith as a remant believer by the power of the Holy Spirit while awaiting His soon return means to live a balanced life. Peter emphasizes some important characteristics of a balanced lifestyle: "The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your prayers. Above all hold unfailing love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins" [13].

Fanaticism

On the one hand there are those... who believe that to be a remnant believer means to champion pet practices or teachings and make these norms mandatory for other church members, promoting them as a new gospel by which all should live. Such persons tend to indulge a condemning, judgmental attiude towards all who do not live in their same way. Other church members feel hurt and rejection from their well-meaning criticisms.

Indifference

On the other hand there is a larger number of believers who fail to preserve their mental vigilance and physical abstinence, adopting a permissive lifestyle. Usually they believe that the remnant lifestyle is out of touch with the world in which we live... They interpret the freedom of the gospel as freedom to pursue their hearts' desires and inclinations.

To avoid the two dangers of fanaticism on the one hand and indifference on the other hand, we need to give heed to Peter's admonition to be mentally vigilant, physically abstinent and morally upright in view of Christ's return. This involves not only abstinence from drugs and alcoholic beverages but temperance in our whole lifestyle.

4. Living Lovingly

To live by faith as a remnant believer means especially to live lovingly. Peter emphasizes this characteristic saying, "Above all hold unfailing love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins" [14].

Jesus made it clear that remnant believers are different from the rest of society (the Gentiles) because they love not only those who love them, but even their enemies: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" [15].

Jesus predicted that prior to His coming "most men's love will grow cold" [16]. This implies that only a minority, a remnant, will exemplify genuine, outreaching love. Christian love was a key factor in the success of the early Christians' outreach to the Roman world, and it is also going to be a vital factor today in the success of the remnant's end-time mission to preach the gospel to all the world [17].

5. Living Obediently

Another noteworthy characteristic of a remnant lifestyle is its loyalty and obedience to God. This characteristic is found in the lives of the remnant of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11. Noah was among the remnant that were saved because he "took heed..." [18]. Similarly, "by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance" [19].

The same kind of unswerving obedience is to be found in the end-time remnant of faith, known as "the seed of the woman." They are the last remnant of history, who "keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" [20]. The end-time remnant observes all of God's commandments, including the fouth commandment which invites us to show our commitment to God through the consecration of the Sabbath time to Him.

At a time when most Christians treat their "Lord's Day" as a holiday to seek for pleasure, leisure and profit, we as a remnant are challenged to keep God's commandments by observing the Sabbath, not as a holiday, but as a holy day.

6. Living Industriously

To live by faith as a remnant believer also means to live industriously, by developing and using to the full every gift God has given us. In the parable of the pounds Christ commissions the remnant who would wait for His return: "Trade with these till I come" [21]. In fact the only servant who was condemned when the master returned was the servant who chose to hide his talent by not using it [22].

Some Christians reason that if Christ is coming soon, there is no point in making long-range plans for the future... Such a view is short-sighted and unbiblical. It ignores the fact that to live as remnant people in readiness for the soon coming of Christ does not mean to resign ourselves to passive expectancy by abandoning any plan for self-improvement.

7. Living Joyfully

To live by faith as remnant believers means to live joyfully, with a sense of divine peace and reassurance in our hearts. To be a committed remnant believer, living in this world without becoming part of its values and practices, often means facing criticism, rejection or even persecution. Jesus predicted that this would happen and left us with a most reassuring promise: "In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" [23].

A remnant lifestyle involves our motives, values, choices—in short, our total outlook on life. Living by faith as a remnant means... to live joyfully, come what may, with the assurance that God is in control, and that whatever may happen, He will work out His good plan for our lives, to His glory.