“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 15:5.
Three serious and prudent questions are asked in this biblical passage. We who live in these last hours of earth’s history must seriously consider these questions and answer them every day with an affirmative “Yes.” Are we “in the faith?” Do we believe, live and communicate the faith, the glorious faith of the Remnant people of Revelation 12? The Remnant Church is a restoration movement that is building the “old waste places” and raising up “the foundations of many generations.” (Isa. 58:12).
“There will be a remnant who will do the will of God. ‘And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places; thou shall raise up the foundations of many generations and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.’ “ (Signs of the Times, March 12, 1894).
“The Lord has a special message for His ambassadors to bear. They are to give the people the warning, calling upon them to repair the breach that has been made by the Papacy in the law of God” (Evangelism, p. 225).
The special light given us to “repair the breach” and “restore the paths to dwell in” are found in both the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. The historic, apostolic faith was lost during the 1260-year reign of the papacy. The work of restoration is found in the Three Angels’ Message and this is the mission of the Remnant people. Are we living and communicating this light? The preaching of the everlasting gospel in context to the Three Angels’ Message is the final warning for this time. This is the historic and prophetic work that makes us God’s people in the final generation.
In Paul’s second question he inquires, “How that Jesus Christ is in you…” 2 Corinthians 15:5. In the Christian experience this is called reflecting Christ. God’s Remnant people will not only preach the Three Angels’ Message with a “loud voice,” but they will reflect the image of Christ as well. The righteousness of Christ is a necessary, absolute component to the finishing of the gospel work in our time. This is what gives “power” to the message.
The Remnant Church will develop a unique character and experience: “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.” Revelation 19:8. Are we desiring this linen every day? Are we praying about it? Are we washing and ironing our garments through the blood of Christ (Revelation 1:5) and the word of God (Ephesians 5:26)?
You can’t preach the Three Angels’ Message, the most solemn warning ever entrusted to human beings, wearing filthy, dirty and disgusting garments. The Remnant Church will develop an experience in Christ that will give them the “victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name” (Rev. 15:2) and over every lawless, sinful element that soils our garments and make us unfit for the Second Coming of Christ.
Finally, in 2 Corinthians 15:5, Paul cautions against becoming reprobates. This is a very harsh and severe classification. The word “reprobate” could also be interpreted as degenerate or good-for-nothing. This is a serious characterization that should cause us to examine our walk with the Lord? Is it possible that we could be professing to be part of the Remnant Church only in word and tongue? Could some only have a guise of religion that is based on pretensions? Can we claim to be working for God while working against Him? Yes, it’s possible to praise Christ with our lips and deny Him with our lives:
“Men may deny Christ by evilspeaking, by foolish talking, by words that are untruthful or unkind. They may deny Him by shunning life’s burdens, by the pursuit of sinful pleasure. They may deny Him by conforming to the world, by uncourteous behavior, by the love of their own opinions, by justifying self, by cherishing doubt, borrowing trouble, and dwelling in darkness. In all these ways they declare that Christ is not in them” (Desire of Ages, p. 357).
The signs of the times and the end of all things are fast fulfilling. The whole world is in agitation today. We have been entrusted with earth’s last and greatest message and everywhere people are looking to heaven for light and truth. At this very time Jesus is calling you and I today to be the light of the world. We are to make visible the marvelous truth from heaven before the eyes of men and women so that when the world sees the power of God both in the message and in the life of the Remnant people, they will worship and glorify our Father which is in heaven.
Notice the future and glorious prospect of God’s faithful, “despised” Remnant people, who by the grace of Christ, will meet every requirement ordained by God:
“The despised remnant are clothed in glorious apparel, nevermore to be defiled by the corruptions of the world. Their names are retained in the Lamb’s book of life, enrolled among the faithful of all ages. They have resisted the wiles of the deceiver; they have not been turned from their loyalty by the dragon’s roar. Now they are eternally secure from the tempter’s devices” (Prophets and Kings, p. 591).
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