Has God Rejected The Church?

I have put forth that our hardened hearts have helped in causing many people to go to hell for all of eternity. Like the nation of Israel we, the church, have become hardened to what God would have us to do. We have become hardened to personal repentance, corporate repentance, and also have become hardened to preaching a gospel to lost people that involves repentance. This disobedience is sin, and when we disobey in this manner we abandon God. Notice that I said we abandon Him! Just like that nation of Israel the church has abandoned God, and so now I think it only fitting to see what the scriptures would tell us to expect. Here is what Paul says happened with Israel. I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life." But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. Romans 11:1-5

Has God rejected the church? By no means has God rejected the church. Just because much of the church has rejected him by serving money, or serving pop culture, or serving the easy gospel of “you don’t have to repent, just ask Jesus in your heart,” does not mean he has rejected and left us. For I say, like Paul said of being and Israelite, I am of the church – a child of God by faith and repentance. Often have I said as Elijah said, “Lord they have rejected you, they have forsaken you and left your house as a haunt, they have went after money, power, sexual immorality, and other sins. Now they even seek to lead me away.” Yet God’s reply has always been the same. He has said, “Jerry I have kept a righteous remnant for myself. I have people besides you that have never bowed a knee to any of these false Gods, and have do not serve sin.”

It is a wonderfully comforting thought to know that God has people in the world, if only a remnant, that serve him. It is wonderful to know that I have the privilege and honor of serving the Lord with such brothers and sisters. It is a beautiful thing when we meet together to evangelize on the streets, or to lead worship services, or to study God’s word in homes. No matter how frustrated we get with the church, may we always keep in mind that God has a righteous remnant. The real question is are we a part of the righteous remnant or are we apart of the big crowd that divorced God and got married to sin?

Gracious Lord,
Speak to me through your Word, the Bible. May your Spirit speak to my conscience. If I have abandoned you show me so that I might return and reconcile to you through Christ Jesus. I want to serve you and obey you for all of my life.