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Sound Doctrine / 28 Fundamental Beliefs
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Remnant and It's Mission
| Doctrine 13. The Remnant and Its Mission The universal church is composed of all who truly believe in Christ, but in the last days, a time of widespread apostasy, a remnant has been called out to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This remnant announces the arrival of the judgment hour, proclaims salvation through Christ, and heralds the approach of His second advent. This proclamation is symbolized by the three angels of Revelation 14; it coincides with the work of judgment in heaven and results in a work of repentance and reform on earth. Every believer is called to have a personal part in this worldwide witness. (Rev. 12:17; 14:6-12; 18:1-4; 2 Cor. 5:10; Jude 3, 14; 1 Peter 1:16-19; 2 Peter 3:10-14; Rev. 21:1-14.)
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In Biblical prophecy, a pure woman represents God's faithful church.The dragon, the "serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan" was waiting to devour the male Child, the long-expected Messiah, Jesus Christ. Satan, warring against his arch-enemy Jesus, used as his instrument the Roman empire. Nothing, not even death on the cross, could deter Jesus from His mission as Saviour of humanity.
The Mission of the Remnant
The prophecies of the book of Revelation clearly outline the mission of the remnant. The three angels messages of Revelation 14: 6-12 reveal the proclamation of the remnant that will bring a full and final restoration of the gospel truth. These three messages comprise God's answers to the overwhelming satanic deception that sweeps the world just before Christ's return. (Rev. 13: 3, 8, 14-16) Immediately following God's last appeal to the world Christ returns to reap the harvest (Rev. 14: 14-20)
The first angel's message proclaims the everlasting gospel and calls for the restoration of the true worship of God as Creator because the judgement hour has arrived. The second angel warns against all humanly origination forms of worship. Finally the third angel proclaims God's most solemn warning against worshiping the beast and his image - which all who reject the gospel of righteousness by faith ultimately will do.
Every person will have to choose whom to worship. Either one's choice of righteousness by faith will be revealed as one participates in a form of worship God has endorsed, or one's effectual choice of reigheousness by works will be revealed as on participates in a form of whorhip God has forbidden but which the beast and his image command, a man-made worship. God can not accept this latter form of worship, because it gives priorities to the commandments of men and not to those of God.
In the light of the soon coming of Christ and the need to prepare to meet Him, God's urgent, compassionate call comes home to each of us: "Come out of her my people, lest yuo ahare in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities" (Revelation 18: 4, 5)