Seven Exhortations for the Disciples of the Lord Jesus

In an act of great humility, Jesus washed the feet of all twelve disciples, including Judas, whom He knew would betray Him.^[1] This is the lowest level of humility.

If the Son of God humbled Himself so greatly, we humans have no right not to act in the same way: “He was found in human form, and He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross”^[2].

One of the most important lessons the disciples had to learn during the three and a half years they spent with the Lord Jesus was the lesson of humility. In the Kingdom of Heaven, things are exactly the opposite of how they are on earth. On earth, people try to stand out as much as possible, whereas in the Kingdom of God, whoever wants to please Him must humble themselves more and more.

Let us make ourselves as small as possible, so that He may grow ever greater! Throughout the history of Christianity, there have been so many people whom God has used in humility, but about whom we do not know very much, because their ministry took place “in secret.” We will come to know them in heaven, when they receive their reward and shine like stars in the Kingdom of our heavenly Father.

After spending three and a half years with the Lord, the disciples still had not learned the lesson of humility. Just a short time earlier, the mother of Zebedee’s sons had come to the Lord Jesus to ask that her sons might sit one on His right and the other on His left in His kingdom. Jesus urged the disciples to be humble, just as He was: “You know that those regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be the servant of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many!”^[3]. That very night, those whose feet the Lord Jesus had washed were about to deny Him and leave Him alone, and one of them was even going to betray Him.

Jesus said of the Pharisees, “They seek the places of honor at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with bows in the marketplaces and to be called, ‘Rabbi! Rabbi!’”^[4]. The same thing happens today in churches where people like to be addressed with words of praise and to be placed in certain positions (“Brother Deacon, Brother Pastor, Brother Bishop,” etc.). Scripture clearly states that in the church all are brothers and there is only one Teacher: “Do not call anyone ‘Rabbi.’ For you have only one Teacher—Christ—and you are all brothers.”^[5] “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”^[6]

It is also mentioned in Scripture that God “gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers”^[7], but these are gifts, not positions for people to boast about. Spiritual gifts should not be flaunted; rather, every ministry must be carried out in humility, without assuming titles. In the Old Testament, it was foretold that the Lord God, because the shepherds were tending only to themselves, would set over His flock a single Shepherd—namely, the Lord Jesus.^[8] When the Lord came to fulfill this prophecy, He declared, “I am the Good Shepherd.” Each of us who have believed in Him are part of the Lord Jesus’ flock, and each of us will give an account for the teaching we have imparted to others and for how we have fulfilled our ministry.

On the night He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus expressed seven wishes for His disciples, so that they might follow His example.

1. Before His atoning death, the Lord addressed the subject of His return to His disciples, expressing the first of His requests: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God and have faith in Me. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with Me, so that where I am, you may be also” ^[9]. He does not look with dread upon His death on the cross, which was to take place the next day, but looks forward with joy and faith to the moment of His return. In the most difficult moments of His life on earth, the Lord Jesus looked not to His suffering, but to the joy of His return as the Bridegroom to His bride: “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God”^[10].

And we, too, if we fix our eyes on the Lord, will pass through this world without trouble, even if it means giving our lives for Him. There are people who endure suffering and martyrdom, yet their gaze is fixed on the reward they will receive in heaven—the Lord Jesus Himself. Knowing that in heaven we will share in unspeakable joys, it is not worth looking upon this world with anxiety.  That is why the Apostle Paul urges us: “Therefore comfort one another with these words”^[11], referring to the moment of the Church’s rapture. As disciples of the Lord, we must not be frightened by the things happening in this world—wars and diseases—because these are merely signs of His return. They should become reasons for joy, because soon we will meet Him.

2. The Lord Jesus also tells His disciples that they are destined to face tribulations, yet He asks them not to lose their peace in the midst of trials of every kind: “I have told you these things so that you may have peace in Me. In the world you will have trouble; but take heart, I have overcome the world.”^[12] Those who preach the prosperity gospel are preaching a lie. The Lord Jesus did not teach us that we would live rich, healthy, prosperous lives and be praised by people, but He warned us that we would face tribulations, as well as hatred from people who do not want to heed the Gospel: “If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love what is its own; but because you are not of the world, and because I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you”^[13]. A true Christian will be hated by those who love the world and sin. His pure life will condemn them, and they will become the persecutors of true Christians because they do not want their evil deeds to be exposed. True Christianity provokes hatred in those around us. Worldly Christians are appreciated by those around them because they compromise with sin. If we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus, we must expose the fruitless works of darkness.

The Lord Jesus warns Christians who live in holiness that they will be cast out of official religious systems. They will be mocked because they desire to be sanctified. Those who do not wish to live in the filth of sin will be condemned by natural and worldly Christians: “I have told you these things so that they may not be a stumbling block to you. They will expel you from the synagogues; indeed, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are doing a service to God. And they will treat you this way because they have not known either the Father or Me.”^[14]

The Word must bring light, and sinful people must repent and fulfill Scripture. Those who desired to be saved came to the light even if it meant subsequently facing expulsion from the synagogue, as happened in the case of the man born blind whose healing is recounted in chapter 9 of the Gospel according to John. On the other hand, the Pharisees were correct in matters of doctrine, but their hearts were full of sin, and they did not want to be exposed by “the Light that came to shine in the darkness.”

3. The Lord Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment: “Love one another; just as I have loved you, so you also are to love one another”^[15]. This should not have been a new commandment, but because people had begun to emphasize the fulfillment of a doctrine rather than love for one’s neighbor, the Lord had to remind them of an ancient commandment, while at the same time giving it a higher dimension.  Likewise, in our day, there are many people who believe that if they have repented once in their lives, there is no need to continue repenting. This is called self-deception: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”^[16] There must be continual repentance in our lives. Whenever we sin against one another, we must confess and ask for forgiveness. If we want to have fellowship with one another, we must live in holiness, so that the blood of the Lord may cleanse us from all sin.^[17] People will know that we are His disciples if we love one another.^[18] This love is a self-sacrificing love. Where there is brotherly love, there is no slander, gossip, or backbiting. It is not by merely declaring that we are Christians that we become His disciples; rather, our deeds must prove it.

“Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true both of Him and of you; for the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already dawning. Whoever says he is in the light yet hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling”^[19]; “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are known. Whoever does not live in righteousness is not from God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother”^[20]. These are the things by which the children of God are known: they live in holiness and love their brothers.

 “We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. Whoever does not love his brother remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We have come to know His love in that He laid down His life for us.”^[21] We must lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters every day. Let us live for God and for our brothers and sisters, seeking the good of others and denying ourselves! “But whoever has the riches of this world and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him—how does the love of God abide in him?”^[22] Love is shown in deeds, not in words or religious rituals. The Lord’s disciples were known by the fact that “none of them claimed that their possessions were their own, but they held everything in common”^[23]. Christianity today bears no resemblance whatsoever to what is written in the Bible, but we must live out the written Word in all truth: “And this is the commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God also loves his brother.”^[24]

4. The Lord seeks fruitfulness in the life of each one of us. The Lord Jesus said that He is “the true Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Every branch that is in Me but does not bear fruit, He cuts off; and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes, so that it may bear even more fruit. Now you are clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever remains in Me and in whom I remain bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing”^[25]. 

The first way to bear fruit is to remain in Him and to have His life flowing through us like the sap that circulates through the vine, starting from the root. The Lord Jesus sets this condition. There is a possibility of not remaining in Him if we do not bear fruit. Those who are cast into the fire are Christians who do not bear fruit, losing themselves because they do not live as Jesus lived. The second way to bear fruit is pruning. The unfruitful branch is cut off, and the fruitful one is pruned so that it may bear even more fruit^[26]. In order for us to bear fruit, God will prune things from our lives, such as our comforts, pleasures, or desires. If we do not allow things to be pruned from our lives, it will be impossible for us to bear fruit.

The Lord Jesus will do one of two things in our lives: either He will cut away the sins from our hearts, or He will cut us away from His vine. God is waiting for our fruit. If we do not bear the fruit He requires at the appointed time, He will cut us off, just as He did with His people Israel. Anyone who has truly been delivered from their sins has “holiness as the fruit and eternal life as the end.”^[27] If we do not live in holiness, we will be among those to whom the Lord will say, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you!”^[28]. Far too many Christians twist the Word of God to their own destruction, deliberately pretending not to know that the fate of lukewarm Christians will be to be spewed out of the Lord’s mouth.^[29] If the disciples, after the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, had returned to their former ways of life, they would certainly have been spiritually lost.

5. We can bear fruit only through the Holy Spirit—“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, who will remain with you forever; namely the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you”^[30]. The word “Holy Spirit,” translated from the Greek—“parakletos”—means defender, supporter, something very precious. We cannot manage on our own in the Christian life, nor can we rely on other people for support. We personally need the fullness of the Holy Spirit in order to overcome. The comfort given by the Spirit of the Lord cannot be explained in words. The Lord’s work is done solely through the Holy Spirit, and if He is absent from a person’s life, there will be neither fruit nor power in that person’s life.

We must be cleansed of all impurity so that He may pour out His Holy Spirit in all His fullness upon us. Let us all seek this filling and abide in it! The Gospel proclaimed through the Holy Spirit will draw people to God: “We carry this treasure in earthen vessels, so that this surpassing power may be from God and not from us”^[31].

6. God’s indwelling with man. The church is the temple of the Holy Spirit, where He must dwell. If there is no sanctification in the midst of the congregation, the Lord will not be able to dwell among the people. A life devoid of the power of the Holy Spirit is a dry life, lacking in power and fruit. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin and guides us on the path to heaven: “When the Comforter comes—the Spirit of truth—He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things to come.”^[32]

This is God’s eternal plan for humanity, that we may dwell together both in this life on earth and in eternal life: “In a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, and you will live. On that day, you will know that I am in the Father, that you are in Me, and that I am in you. If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him. We will come to him and make our home with him”^[33].

7. The Assurance of Answered Prayers, If We Remain in Him. This is a gold mine that must be explored in detail. Rees Howells, a great man of God who experienced the Welsh Revival in his youth, interceded for a single soul for two full years. As a reward for his intercession in intimate communion with God, he later experienced a great harvest in Africa, where thousands of people repented when he preached the Gospel to them, thus fulfilling the Word: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father; and whatever you ask in My name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it”^[34].

The condition of remaining in obedience to the Lord and in direct communion with Him ensures that prayers will be answered: “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you”^[35]. “On that day, you will no longer ask Me anything. Truly, truly, I tell you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. Until now you have not asked for anything in My name; ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”^[36] God’s work in us and around us will be accomplished only through persistent prayer. We must ask God to do His will in us, knowing that whatever we ask for in faith through prayer will be given to us for the glory of God.

Seven Characteristics of Natural Christians

Before His death on the cross, the Lord Jesus said that there would be people who would not taste death until they saw the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom^[37]. First and foremost, He was referring to the three disciples who accompanied Him on the Mount of Transfiguration, who thus had the privilege of seeing a brief glimpse of the glory that will be revealed when the Lord reigns in Jerusalem on the throne of David. However, His Word also applies to the days in which we live today. There are some among us who will never taste death, for they will be taken by the Lord into heaven at His coming—provided, of course, that they are found living according to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, not according to those of their flesh.

Although they had seen miracles performed by the Lord, the disciples were still carnal. They did not understand the Lord’s words. They had lived alongside the Lord Jesus, heard His words, and seen the miracles performed through His power. The fact that we know the Lord Jesus, that we listen to His word, and that we want to learn from Him does us no good as long as our lives remain unchanged.

It takes a powerful work of the Holy Spirit for a person’s life to be transformed and for him to be able to understand spiritual things. It is not enough to be in a place where the Lord’s presence is felt if you do not understand anything about His nature. We can truly know Him only in the way that Peter knew Him: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.”^[38] We need the revelation that the Father makes in our hearts concerning His Son.

On one occasion, the Lord Jesus urged His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees (their hypocrisy). The disciples, however, did not understand the meaning of the Lord’s words, thinking that He was asking them to go buy bread. This was because they were still carnal. So what characterizes the natural Christian, and how does he differ from the spiritual one?

1. The natural Christian attends church, reads the Bible, and sings, but does not understand the things of God: “…the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him; nor can he understand them, because they must be judged spiritually. The spiritual person, on the other hand, can judge everything, and he himself cannot be judged by anyone”^[39]. The natural Christian does not accept the things of God; he does not understand that he must renounce the world in order to belong entirely to the Lord. He finds it very difficult to understand spiritual things, because they seem like folly to him. It seems to him that it is enough to receive salvation, which consists in the forgiveness of sins, and then to follow his own path in life. Any renunciation for God’s sake seems illogical to him, and the idea of self-denial cannot enter his mind.

2. The natural Christian cannot accept the idea of suffering. He wants to be a Christian, but without paying any price. He comes to the Lord out of self-interest: to fulfill himself, to be happy, and to live for himself. Paul never shied away from suffering. The Lord Jesus Himself was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”^[40] Many seek prosperity, happiness, and health from the Lord, but these things are not promised anywhere in the New Testament. Even Peter had to be transformed by the Holy Spirit because, as a natural man, he had not initially embraced the idea of suffering. Let us not flee from suffering, reproach, and mockery, for the Lord Himself experienced all of these. The Lord Jesus Himself said that the world will hate us and that we will even have enemies within our own households^[41].

3. The natural Christian is not spiritually stable and experiences fluctuations in his life of faith. This is how the apostles were at first: there were times when they were spiritually strong and rejoiced that the demons were subject to them, and then they wanted to call down fire from heaven upon the city. Until Pentecost, they were natural Christians, but after that they no longer wavered; instead, they were steadfast. The Holy Spirit gave them all the strength they needed to remain faithful to the Lord: “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and power”^[42]. Therefore, let us also do our utmost to remain steadfast on the Lord’s path! If we do not experience repeated failures and much instability, we will be able to grow toward maturity, and the Lord will be able to entrust us with His work for the advancement of the Gospel in the world.

4. The natural Christian seeks the approval of people—first those in the church, then others around him. There are people who have spent their entire lives trying to please others. The Apostle Paul said: “Am I now trying to win the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ”^[43]. We must seek to please God, not people. People did not like the Lord Jesus; they spoke ill of Him, said He was possessed by a demon, and constantly sought to kill Him. Nevertheless, He did not seek to please anyone.

Let us take great care to avoid what happened to Ananias and Sapphira, who wanted to stand out by giving money to the Lord, thereby seeking the approval of people. The same was true of Simon the Magician, who wanted to be esteemed by people and tried to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit. A person who desires to stand out is a person controlled by a spirit of pride, just as Satan was, who wanted to exalt himself above the Most High: “You said in your heart: ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the farthest reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High’^[44].

5. The natural Christian cannot do God’s work, because he lacks the spiritual resources necessary for it. He may run about, he may speak, he may be very active in various “Christian works,” but God will never entrust him with His true work. To gain more influence, he clings to God’s people, but not to God Himself, thus causing divisions: “Indeed, when there are jealousies, quarrels, and divisions among you, are you not worldly, and do you not live like other people? When one says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ and another, ‘I belong to Apollos’—are you not worldly people?”^[45].

6. The natural Christian possesses natural wisdom. He desires to explain things rationally and logically, and seeks the Holy Spirit only to gain power. God, however, always looks at the motives behind our requests for His Spirit. Do we want to overcome sin for His sake, so that we no longer grieve Him, or do we simply want another reason to boast? Why do we desire the fullness of the Holy Spirit? To perform some work that will make us stand out? To distinguish ourselves before our fellow believers by the way we pray? We must please God alone, and the main reason we should desire the Holy Spirit is to love Him more, glorifying His Name through a total surrender of our lives into His hands.

7. The natural Christian practices the deeds of the flesh. The Epistle to the Galatians was written for Christians. But there were two kinds of Christians, spiritual and natural: “But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not destroyed by one another. I say, then: walk by the Spirit and do not fulfill the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh; these are opposed to one another, so that you cannot do what you want.”“I warn you in advance, as I have said before, that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”^[46]

The natural Christian, who practices the works of the flesh listed in Galatians (“sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, envy, anger, strife, divisions, factions, jealousy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these”) will not inherit the kingdom of God! Nowhere in the Bible do we see that a natural man, who lived according to his fallen nature, ultimately reached heaven. Those who are worldly do not please God and have no chance of reaching heaven. The standard God has set for us is a high one, and the path that leads to life is narrow and difficult.

The natural Christian cannot handle solid spiritual food, and if he hears a more difficult word, he does not understand it. There are people who have been feeding on spiritual milk for decades. These people are natural and lack the spiritual growth the Lord desires: “As for me, brothers, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but had to speak to you as worldly people, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not with solid food, for you were not yet ready for it; indeed, even now you are not yet ready for it”^[47]. They are “sick” children, for a healthy child grows normally and, after only a few months of life, is ready for a change in diet. Therefore, if you consider yourself a natural Christian, do not think about heaven, but about how to emerge from this state as quickly as possible, before your face-to-face encounter with the Lord!

The first step toward moving beyond natural Christianity is to begin feeding on solid food, to ask the Lord for wisdom and understanding so that you may comprehend His Word. Spiritual food must be chewed thoroughly; it must be meditated upon: “Indeed, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again, and you have come to need milk, not solid food. And anyone who feeds only on milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for adults, for those whose judgment has been trained, through practice, to distinguish between good and evil”^[48].

You should begin to approach the Bible spiritually, not through natural, worldly wisdom: “We preach the wisdom of God, the hidden and secret wisdom, which God ordained before the ages for our glory. And we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may know the things God has given us through His grace. And we speak of these things not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Holy Spirit, using spiritual language to describe spiritual things”^[49].

God wants to make us people whom He can use. Let us strive to make up for lost time and experience the growth that the Lord desires for us! Let us seek spiritual maturity, conduct ourselves spiritually in every way, and rely not on what we know, but on the Spirit of God. Let us thirst for the Holy Spirit every day; let us ask for strength from above so that we may do God’s will in our lives. A spiritually mature Christian stands firm in the face of trials, relying entirely on the fact that God is on his side.

God pours out rivers of living water upon those who stand in humility before Him, who seek the Holy Spirit for greater sanctification and to make up for lost time. The Lord comes for those who are wholly His—people who live not to be appreciated by others, nor for themselves, but to wait for Him as their Bridegroom.

Seven Characteristics of the Lord’s Church

To come into possession of God’s promises requires courage and boldness. Faith gives us such boldness because, by nature, we are not born courageous. As we go on living in sin, it brings with it fear, depression, and anxiety, and we begin to fear death, sickness, and the future. We begin to worry, so that a multitude of fears caused by sin accumulate in our hearts. By nature, we are people prone to fear, but this is not the fear of God. In order to enter the Promised Land, after being delivered from the bondage of sin, we must have both courage and faith.

Fear was the main obstacle for the people of Israel when they reached the borders of the Promised Land. When they heard about the fortified cities and the giants—next to whom they were no more than grasshoppers—their fear turned to terror. In their rebellion, they wanted to choose a leader to take them back to Egypt. Through this, the people of Israel were in fact rebelling against God, not against Moses, whom He had appointed as their leader over all of them. When a congregation rebels against God, when it seeks to break free from His authority, it ends up appointing leaders of its own choosing. Although the Lord had already given the Jewish people a leader, they considered that Moses was no longer of any use to them.

In the Word of God it is written that “the time will come when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires”^[50]. This is, in fact, rebellion against God. When the Lord chooses a person, it will be immediately evident: that person will not need to promote himself in any way. God will personally take charge of that work, and it will be recognized as His work, because there will be lives transformed by His power.

If God is not with that person, we must not obey him. But if God has appointed him as a leader, as He did with Moses, the people under his authority must obey him; otherwise, they will end up appointing their own leaders, following the desires of their own minds. This is what the Israelites wanted to do, but God did not allow it; instead, He revealed His glory by coming to the defense of His servant. When the entire assembly reached for stones to kill Moses, they proved that they had forgotten all the good the Lord had done for them through their leader. Moses stood alone on God’s side, and He vindicated him.

The main question is whether we will stand firm when everyone else is heading in the opposite direction. Will we stand firm for God as Moses did? The entire assembly was heading in the opposite direction, but Moses stood with God, and God is on the side of the few. Those who sided with Him in this instance were only four people: Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb. For Aaron, it was a chance to make amends for the mistake he had made with the golden calf, when he caused the whole people to sin. During the people’s first rebellion, Aaron sided with them, but Moses interceded on his behalf because the Lord was angry and wanted to destroy him. This time, Aaron does the right thing and remains on the Lord’s side. This lesson applies to us as well. Therefore, even if we have not done things right in the past, we all now have a chance to make amends. Even though it was only a small group of people, Aaron stood with Moses—a decision that was very important for his soul, for it enabled him to serve as high priest for forty years.

God will always have a remnant of courageous people who make up His Church. To this very day, God continues to speak of a faithful remnant. The people of Israel are a people who know His Name, but the Word of God states that even if they were as numerous as the sand of the sea, still only a small remnant will be saved. It has always been this way, ever since the time of the Old Testament, and the same is true of the Lord’s Church today.

There are at least two examples of people in the Old Testament who knew God. In the time before the Flood, a single man was taken up to heaven: “Enoch walked with God; then he was no longer seen, for God took him”^[51]. The reason God took Enoch was that he walked with God. The same was true of Noah: only he and his family walked with God, which is why God saved them all from death. However, there is no mention of Enoch’s family walking with God, for he was not taken away together with his wife or children. Of all humanity at that time, God had only one man who served Him: Enoch. If we were left alone, would we have the courage to serve God to the very end? Will we be among the few who love God? It is said of Noah that “he was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time: Noah walked with God”^[52]. Because he walked with God, both he and his household were saved.

Returning to our own times, the Lord says what will happen before His coming: “But of that day and hour no one knows—not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” There are reasons to believe that at this moment the Son knows the day of His return. When the Lord Jesus spoke these words, He had appeared as a man on earth; but now He is God, glorified and blessed in heaven. “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Indeed, just as it was in the days before the flood, when people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, right up to the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away—so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Then, of two men in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Of two women grinding at the mill, one will be taken and the other left behind. Therefore, stay alert, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come”^[53]. Just as it was in the days of Noah, before the flood came, so it will be before the coming of the Lord Jesus. At that time, the number of those who “walked with God” was very small compared to all of humanity. In fact, only eight souls were saved, while millions of people perished under His righteous judgment.

 Even today, God has a minority who cling to Him, and in the following paragraphs we will outline the seven characteristics of this minority who follow Him, representing His Church. These are the people who, when the whole nation is heading in the wrong direction, stand on God’s side. Sometimes they risk their jobs and reputations; they face slander, threats, and mockery, and are the target of demonic attacks. All of these, however, are the signs of God’s remnant. We must ensure that we are part of that minority in the place where God has placed us.

It must be clearly understood that those who walk the path that leads to life will always be few, while those on the broad path will be many: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it”^[54]. Each person’s eternity depends on this. There is only one path that leads to life—it is a narrow, constricted path, and few walk upon it: “There are many ways that seem right to a man, but in the end they all lead to death.”^[55]

1. Those who belong to this minority do not love the world or the things in it. This world will one day be wiped off the face of the earth. Noah knew this very well; he knew that the earth would be covered by water and then by mud. We must all believe what Scripture says, namely that “the earth, with everything on it, will be burned up.”^[56] What the nations toil for and what they gather, they gather for the fire. Noah, however, was gathering for the ark. If anyone loves the world, he is not part of this remnant and does not build the ark together with God. The ark of our day is called the Church of God, and it grows through what each member contributes. Very soon, His Church will be lifted up. If we have worked on it, we will share in its departure to heaven. If our hearts have been set on heaven, we will share in it. But if we seek the things of the earth, we will remain with them, “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”^[57]. 

 In Noah’s time, people loved the world; they married and were given in marriage, ate and drank, built houses, and engaged in trade, and so on. Likewise in our own day, unfortunately, most of those who call themselves Christians love the world. Those who do not store up treasures in heaven run along with the rest of the world toward the same flood of debauchery. The Lord Jesus said: “Do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For all these things the Gentiles seek. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”^[58].

2. The second characteristic of the Lord’s remnant is holiness. God’s remnant seeks holiness. They could never say, “We are too holy!” This sanctification must be sought every day of our lives: “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord”^[59]. If we want to have assurance in our lives as Christians, we must pursue holiness. Let us examine ourselves to see if we are holier today than we were a month ago or a year ago. If we do not seek to grow in holiness, we are on the side of the many.

In the last days, there is a group of people who once had faith but have turned away from it, seeking the things that even the Gentiles seek: “The Spirit clearly states that in the last days some will fall away from the faith to follow deceiving spirits and the teachings of demons.”^[60] Many will have “a form of godliness but denying its power.”^[61] In most denominational churches, only the form of godliness remains, yet it is completely devoid of power. This form will not disappear until the Lord sends His judgment upon this earth. For example, the Lutherans, who had their origins in a great revival, have been left with only the form of godliness, and today they even perform marriages between people in unions contrary to human nature. Let us examine whether we have only a form of godliness or whether we also have power against sin. Do we have power when we preach the Gospel? Do we have power in our testimony, in our singing, and in our prayers? The Apostle Paul told the believers in Corinth that he wanted to see “not mere words, but the power of those who boast, for the Kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.”^[62]

3. Third, the few have life from God—the Holy Spirit in His fullness. They speak constantly of Him and seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This pursuit must be a daily one. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us, guides us, and gives us power and light. He will be taken from the earth at the time of the Church’s rapture, and God will call home only those believers who have the fullness of His Spirit. He will not take the virgins whose lamps have fire in them but are not full, but only those whose “cup overflows”^[63]. This is the criterion by which the few are known. They constantly seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit, just like the wise virgins. The many are dead in their sins and lawlessness: “I know your deeds: you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead”^[64]. Where the Spirit of God is not, there is no life in the church: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life”^[65]. This is the condition of most Christians. Those who have life desire to be in fellowship with one another, to build one another up, and to praise God with all their hearts.

4. Fourth, the remnant of the few walks in the light. Whenever their conscience warns them, they confess their sins; they do not hide from one another. True brotherly relationships are only those that take place in the light. If there is hidden and unconfessed sin, there can be no fellowship or light: “For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”^[66] Many walk in darkness, even if they attend a Christian gathering, yet they are accountable to no one. The Apostle Peter advises us to make every “effort to add to our faith virtue; with deeds, knowledge; with knowledge, self-control; with self-control, perseverance; with perseverance, godliness; with godliness, brotherly kindness; with brotherly kindness, love for all people… But whoever lacks these things is blind, walks with his eyes closed, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed of his former sins^[67]. 

God’s remnant is neither lazy nor unproductive. They go out to preach the Gospel in parks and hospitals, without wasting time in front of the television or on the internet. The vast majority of Christians are blind and do not want to open their eyes because they do not want to give up sin. They choose to go to places where their deeds are not brought to light and where they do not have to renounce them through repentance. Whoever is holy will become even holier; whoever is righteous will continue to live in righteousness; but whoever lives in sin will sink deeper into it. The church that best characterizes the condition of many churches before the Lord’s coming is the church in Laodicea, about which the Lord Jesus says: “Because you say, ‘I am rich; I have prospered, and I lack nothing,’ and you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked”^[68]. This is the worst condition anyone can be in. The Lord, however, calls all who are blind to come to Him to buy ointment, anoint their eyes, and see their condition. The ointment symbolizes the Holy Spirit, who searches people’s hearts and brings them light.

5. The few have fellowship with one another: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer”^[69]. The early Church lived in constant fellowship and had no set religious program. Those who live for themselves are not part of the Lord’s remnant. Christians today live in selfishness and loneliness because of their selfishness: “For people will be self-centered, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, and unholy”^[70]. These people are focused on themselves and on what they want, but they represent nothing other than apostasy in its most severe form.

6. The Lord’s remnant does not live for the earth, but for heaven. If we store up treasures in heaven, we will enjoy them for eternity, but those who store up treasures on this earth will possess them only for a time. That is why the Lord urges us: “Make friends for yourselves with unrighteous wealth, so that when you die, they may welcome you into the eternal tents.”^[71] Each person will have what they have built. Some build for heaven; others for earth. The most precious treasure we should seek and possess is our Lord Himself.

7. Finally, the few are those who love and hasten His coming. They do not merely await His coming, but they love it more than anything else. Those who do not love Him love their own lives.

After the Rapture, all the spirits of wickedness will torment the people on earth, and it will be very difficult for anyone to repent under these conditions. There will be many who will weep bitterly because they have missed the chance of a lifetime to spend eternity with God. We hasten His coming by proclaiming the Gospel and loving Him, in a time about which Peter wrote: “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, full of mockery, who will live according to their own desires and say, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything remains just as it was from the beginning of creation!’ … But, beloved, do not forget one thing: that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”^[72]. 

These words are addressed first and foremost to Christians. He is still patient with everyone and wants all to come to their senses and not be lost. Nevertheless, His patience has a limit. God’s mercy still allows for days on earth, but it will soon come to an end: “But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. On that day, the heavens will pass away with a roar, the heavenly bodies will melt from intense heat, and the earth, along with everything on it, will be burned up: ‘Therefore, since all these things are to be destroyed, what sort of people ought you to be, living holy and godly lives, as you look forward to and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will melt away in the heat of the fire?”^[73].

Only those people who possess the characteristics described above can be assured of the Rapture. They are the ones who live as Enoch and Noah lived and who make up His true Church. Examine yourself in the light of Scripture and make sure you are part of the holy remnant that will soon meet the Lord in the air. To Him be the glory!

^[1] John 13:1–17

^[2] Philippians 2:8.

^[3] Mark 10:42–45.

^[4] Matthew 23:6, 7.

^[5] Matthew 23:8.

^[6] Matthew 23:12.

^[7] Ephesians 4:11.

^[8] Ezekiel 34.

^[9] John 14:1–4.

^[10] Hebrews 12:2. 

^[11] 1 Thessalonians 4:18.

^[12] John 16:33.

^[13] John 15:18, 19.

^[14] John 16:1–4.

^[15] John 13:34.

^[16] 1 John 1:8, 9.

^[17] 1 John 1:7.

^[18] John 13:34, 35.

^[19] 1 John 2:8–10.  

^[20] 1 John 3:10.

^[21] 1 John 3:14–16.

^[22] 1 John 3:17.

^[23] Acts 4:32.

^[24] 1 John 4:21.

^[25] John 15:1–5.

^[26] John 15:2.

^[27] Romans 6:22.

^[28] Matthew 25:12.

^[29] Revelation 3:16.

^[30] John 14:15–17.

^[31] 2 Corinthians 4:7. 

^[32] John 16:13.

^[33] John 14:19, 20, 23.

^[34] John 14:12–14.

^[35] John 15:7.

^[36] John 16:23, 24.

^[37] Matthew 16:28.

^[38] Matthew 16:17.

^[39] 1 Corinthians 2:14, 15.

^[40] Isaiah 53:3.

^[41] Matthew 10:36.

^[42] 2 Peter 1:3.

^[43] Galatians 1:10.

^[44] Isaiah 14:13, 14.

^[45] 1 Corinthians 3:3, 4.

^[46] Galatians 5:15–17, 21.

^[47] 1 Corinthians 3:1, 2.

^[48] Hebrews 5:12–14.

^[49] 1 Corinthians 2:7, 12, 13.

^[50] 2 Timothy 4:3.

^[51] Genesis 5:24.

^[52] Genesis 6:9.

^[53] Matthew 24:36–42.

^[54] Matthew 7:13.

^[55] Proverbs 16:25.

^[56] 2 Peter 3:10.

^[57] Luke 12:34.

^[58] Matthew 6:31–33.

^[59] Hebrews 12:14.

^[60] 1 Timothy 4:1.

^[61] 2 Timothy 3:5.

^[62] 1 Corinthians 4:19, 20.

^[63] Psalm 23:5.

^[64] Revelation 3:1.

^[65] John 6:63. 

^[66] John 3:20.

^[67] 2 Peter 1:5–9.

^[68] Revelation 3:17.

^[69] Acts 2:42.

^[70] 2 Timothy 3:2.

^[71] Luke 16:9.

^[72] 2 Peter 3:9.

^[73] 2 Peter 3:11, 12.