A Righteous Remnant

Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

Genesis 18:24-26

It’s easy to look at the world around us and see the problems. There are moral, financial, relational, and physical issues that affect all of us in different ways. The decline in church attendance—a trend that has been going on for decades—reflects a continuing movement away from God. In response to these problems, some people focus only on changing external circumstances. They think if we could change the laws, stop the promotion of sin, or install new leaders, everything would be better. Certainly those things can help and have their place, but they do not address the deepest need. Lasting change begins when the people of God live in righteousness and faithfulness before Him. If we want to influence the world around us, those of us who know the truth must first be living it ourselves.

God has called us to be the “salt of the earth.” We are to be a preserving influence in a decaying world, reflecting His truth and righteousness in the way we live. Jesus said, “Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out” (Luke 14:34-35). 

When William Wilberforce was working to get the slave trade outlawed in England, he refused to give up despite the obstacles. He wrote, “My own solid hopes for the well-being of my country depend, not so much on her navies or armies, nor on the wisdom of her rulers, nor on the spirit of her people, as on the persuasion that she still contains many who love and obey the gospel of Christ. I believe that their prayers may yet prevail.”