Let us read from Mathew 22:14, “For many are called, but few are chosen”. God’s chosen people are not many but few. Let us look at another verse in Romans 11:4,5, “But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.” There is a remnant; a few people that God has chosen. We know the history from which this verse is referred from. This is God’s response to Elijah when he says that he alone is left as one who worships God. God always has a remnant; set apart from the world. And God is preparing these chosen ones to be his bride through the church. In 1 Peter 2:9 we read, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”. At the time of Elijah we know how almost all the people were worshipping Baal but God had kept a remnant. God is watching and preparing people.
In Mathew 7:14 we read, “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” In many places in the New Testament God mentions that there are few that find the way of life and God is working on and preparing those few to be his bride. In Judges 7 we know how God filtered a few whole-hearted people from the large crowd to fight the battle for him. God chose only 300 men from 32,000 men to go with Gideon. This is how God works even today. God prepares a few for him and uses them. We as a church are called to be set apart and be holy as God is holy.
In Revelation we see some qualities of the few people whom God has chosen. In Revelation 3:4 and 5 we read, “But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” God is appreciating a few chosen people and their quality is that they haven’t soiled their garments. While they lived on the earth, they were purifying themselves. This is what God expects from our lives too. For such people, God has a promise – God will not erase their name from the book of life! Let us daily wash our garments and cleanse ourselves. There is a possibility that our name can be erased from the book of life. In Exodus 32:33 we read, “The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.”” How seriously we have to take heed to this. If we are not careful to life a pure life, God can erase our names from the book of life.
In Revelation 14 we see another set of few people set apart for God. In verse 4 and 5 we see a quality they had, “These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.” When we are in heaven, we can follow the Lamb only if in our life on earth we have been following the God. In Luke 9:23 Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Those who have taken up their cross and followed Jesus while on earth are the ones who can follow the Lamb in heaven. How much I should be careful of the life I live on earth!In Revelation 17:14 we read, “those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful”. The chosen few are wholehearted and faithful. They keep themselves pure and follow Jesus daily. God wants to prepare the chosen few to be the bride of Christ.
In Ephesians 5:27 we read, “that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.” This is how God wants us to be as a church. In 2 Peter 3 we read of the day of the Lord. Everything in this world will be gone tomorrow – how essential it is to live a holy life preparing ourselves for the coming of the Lord. Like God said about the people in Sardis, let us have desire to walk with God. To the elder of the church of Sardis initially God gave a strict correction. God says in Revelation 3, “I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.” Let us wake up and be alert. Let us examine ourselves and see what God wants us to strengthen in our lives. But God has mercy on the church and gives an opportunity to repent. Just as we are, let us come before the Lamb of God; let us judge ourselves and cleanse ourselves so that we can be holy and blameless as His bride at His coming. May God bless all of us.
