Throughout the Bible and the teachings of the Fathers of the Church, there is a recurring theme that a saint preserves society from moral decadence and divine judgment. This concept – that a small group of righteous individuals can act as preservers – has its roots in Jewish tradition, continues in the New Testament, and runs throughout the history of the Christian church. From Abraham’s intercession for Sodom to Jesus’ teachings that he is the “salt of the earth,” the idea of ​​a faithful remnant protecting the world remains relevant.

Today, this speaks directly to a growing division within the Church over whether personal holiness or political activism is more effective in transforming society. However, the testimony of Scripture and history overwhelmingly shows that it is the presence of holy men and women who primarily serve as God’s preservers in a sinful world.

The Jewish tradition of the rest just

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There is an ancient Jewish belief that at any given time there are at least 36 righteous individuals whose presence preserves the world from destruction. This belief has its roots in Jewish mysticism and rabbinic tradition, which speak of the Lamed Vavniks – 36 hidden righteous people who serve as a spiritual buffer for the world. Even if these individuals are unknown to society, their loyalty to God hinders divine judgment.

This concept parallels Abraham’s intercession for Sodom in Genesis 18. In this passage, Abraham begs God not to destroy the city if a certain number of righteous individuals can be found. Abraham asks, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? » (Genesis 18:23). Starting with 50, Abraham eventually bargains down to 10 righteous people, and God promises to spare the city for them. Although God ultimately destroys Sodom because even 10 could not be found, this passage reveals God’s willingness to extend mercy for the sake of a faithful few.

Additionally, this story can be expanded to include the fact that God found only one man on all the earth, Noah, who walked with Him, thereby precipitating the destruction of the world with the worldwide flood.

Furthermore, Elijah, despairing over the moral state of Israel, believes that he is the only faithful one who did not worship Baal. However, God reveals to Elijah that He preserved 7,000 people in Israel who did not bow to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). The existence of these 7,000 faithful shows that God always preserves a remnant, even in the darkest times, to carry out His purposes.

Likewise, during the Babylonian exile, we see God using Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, as part of the remnant to preserve the Jewish people and extend God’s kingdom to the Babylonian and Persian empires.

The New Testament: Jesus and the rest

The concept of a society preserving the holy remnant continues in the teachings of Jesus. One of the most famous teachings on this subject comes from Matthew 5:13, where Jesus calls his disciples “the salt of the earth.” In the ancient world, salt was used to enhance the flavor of foods and as a preservative, especially in hot climates where foods spoiled quickly. Salt worked by removing moisture from food, preventing the growth of bacteria and stopping rotting.

By calling his disciples the salt of the earth, he indicated that their presence would preserve the world from moral and spiritual decadence and eventually judgment. However, according to Matthew 5:13, if Christians cease to be righteous and holy, they can no longer preserve the world. Their influence is canceled.

The apostle Paul calls the Church “children of God without blemish, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). The righteous remnant, according to Paul, stand out in a world of darkness, reflecting the light of Christ and holding back the forces of darkness.

Holiness versus political activism

One of the most pressing challenges facing the modern evangelical Church is the tension between personal holiness and political activism. In today’s climate, there is a growing sense that personal piety is ineffective if not coupled with cultural or political engagement. However, history and scripture demonstrate that holiness is never a waste of time. On the contrary, it is often the key to preserving society from moral collapse.

During the collapse of the Roman Empire, monastic communities preserved Christian faith and knowledge in the face of societal decline. These monks, devoted to prayer, study and manual labor, became centers of learning and spiritual renewal, ensuring that the light of the Gospel continued to shine even during the darkest times of the history.

The early Church Fathers also adopted the concept of a righteous remnant. In The City of GodSaint Augustine affirmed that the presence of Christians in the Roman Empire held back the judgment of God. He wrote that the holiness of the saints, even within a corrupt society, acted as a preservative, delaying the full outpouring of God’s wrath.

John Chrysostom believed that just as salt keeps food from spoiling, the righteous preserve society from complete moral decadence through piety and prayers.

The power of intercession and preservation

(Extract from “Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew – Homily 15”)

Scripture also provides multiple examples of righteous people interceding for a sinful world and delaying or preventing judgment. Moses interceded for the people of Israel after they worshiped the golden calf (Exodus 32), and God relented to the full extent of His wrath because of Moses’ prayers. Likewise, in Daniel 9 and Nehemiah 1, Daniel and Nehemiah intercede to restore Jerusalem. They confessed the sins of his people, pleading for God’s mercy, which resulted in King Cyrus giving a decree to the Jews to rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem.

James 5:16 reminds us that “the prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” The prayers of the righteous remnant can turn the tide of history. They mediate between God and a sinful world, delaying judgment and bringing about repentance and revival.

The concept of a holy remnant, preserving society, is woven into the Old and New Testaments and supported by centuries of Christian teaching. From Abraham’s intercession for Sodom to Jesus’ calling for his disciples to be the salt of the earth, we see that God systematically uses a faithful remnant to delay judgment and preserve society from moral decadence and spiritual.