Romans 11:1-6

There is Always a Remnant

There is always a remnant. God never leaves this world without His witness. It can certainly feel as though we are the only ones standing firm in our faith, but just as God reminded Elijah, there are always others who remain faithful to Him. We may not see them, but God knows exactly who they are.

The Israelites faced an uphill battle because they failed to fully understand God's plan of redemption. They believed their standing with God was tied to the sacrificial system, and in a sense, it was. However, that system was never intended to be the final solution. Rather, it served as a template, pointing to the One who would ultimately become their sacrifice—and ours—once and for all.

Consider the following passage found in Hebrews 10:3–10:

“But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, 'You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, "Look, I have come to do your will, O God—as is written about me in the Scriptures."' First, Christ said, 'You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them' (though they are required by the law of Moses). Then he said, 'Look, I have come to do your will.' He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.”

We were made holy by the sacrifice of Christ's body, once and for all time.

Think about that! He was given a body, like our own, so that He could offer it up in our stead. It is nothing we did, but rather everything He did. We cannot take credit for any of it. Salvation is not based on our works, but on His finished work. The grace extended to us is free and undeserved. It is ours simply to receive.

After all, a gift must be received for it to be of any benefit.

So where are we with this incredible gift? Does He remain unopened beneath the Christmas tree? Have we become so busy and distracted with life that we continue to walk right past the greatest gift ever given?

We are entering the Christmas season, a celebration the world observes once a year. Yet for the believer, Christmas should be celebrated every day, for the significance of Christ's coming is not confined to a single day on the calendar.

Will this be the Christmas when we finally put it all together?

I will never forget my first Christmas as a believer. I remember thinking, “So this was about You all along!”

Suddenly, everything made sense. The manger, the angels, the shepherds, the wise men—it was all about Jesus! And even more importantly, I began to understand why He came. The baby in the manger was the Savior who would one day offer His life for mine.

Yet the world has tried to hijack this celebration, making it all about presents, Santa Claus, and everything else imaginable, while the real story and beautiful simplicity of Christ's birth are often overlooked. In fact, I am frequently hard-pressed to find Christmas decorations that reflect the true meaning of the season.

Have you ever noticed that the same thing happens with Easter? The world has made it about the Easter bunny, candy, and colorful eggs, while the true miracle of Christ's sacrifice and resurrection is overshadowed.

Funny how that works.

Trust me when I say, the world will not lead you to Christ. In fact, it will do everything it can to pull your attention away from Him. We must be willing to swim upstream, against the current of a culture that continually distracts us from the things of God. Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit to lead us into truth, strengthen our faith, and help us remain steadfast in our walk with Him.

And that brings me back to the remnant.

Throughout history, there have always been those who refused to go along with the crowd, those who remained faithful to God even when the world around them was heading in the opposite direction. They may have been few in number, but they were never forgotten by God.

The same is true today.

We have a choice to make. Will we allow the world to define what Christmas means to us, or will we celebrate the One who came to save us? Will we follow the current, or will we stand among those who remain faithful to Him?

The greatest gift ever given was not placed beneath a Christmas tree, but laid in a manger—and ultimately offered upon a cross.

And once you truly come to know Him, life is never the same.

May we be counted among the faithful remnant who not only recognize the Gift, but receive Him, treasure Him, and faithfully make Him known to a world that desperately needs Him.