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"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. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace." |
"But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work" |
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In the first place, a remnant does not "come to be" in the sense given
in this verse. A remnant is or is not. The rewording of Scripture here
is an extraordinary distortion of the established doctrine of the free
will of man to choose or reject salvation. According to the NASV God,
by "His gracious choice," arbitrarily chose a group of Israelites to
be a remnant. It does not say whether any of these Israelites had
any of their own thoughts about it. From the worldly, human viewpoint,
perhaps it would be wonderful if God chose everyone for
salvation on the basis of His "gracious choice." But according to
Scripture, He does not work that way.
The fact is, seven thousand men believed God instead of Baal, so God had reserved to Himself those seven thousand men. They were a remnant of believing Israel. They were reserved because they had faith in God; they didn't have faith in God because they were reserved. And they were Old Testament Israelites, so they were saved on the basis of the works of the Old Testament Law. In Paul's day, which he terms, "at this present time" (his present time, not ours), there was also a remnant. This was a remnant, however, according to the election of grace. To put it simply, this meant that Jews, in the time of Grace - that is - from the time Christ died on the cross to bring salvation to all mankind by grace rather than by works, Jews that were faithful to God the Father, and by the same token, also believed in God the Son, were saved. They were the "elect." They were the believing remnant of Israel in Paul's day. This was how they became the elect, the remnant. They were saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, not by works of the Law, and not "by His gracious choice." "That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him" (John 5:23). |
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