Romans 9:27-28. "And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: 'Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sands of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved; for the Lord will execute his sentence upon earth with rigor and dispatch.'"

Paul was not quoting Isaiah here as a warning about God's judgment day, but rather as an example of an Old Testament indication that the Jews will not be necessarily entitled to salvation. Paul points out that Christ's message is for the Gentiles as well, and even says that the Gentiles are attaining righteousness ahead of the Jews, since the Jews seems stuck in pursuing it through the law, rather than through faith (Romans 9:30-31).

Isaiah was prophesying about the coming conquest of Israel by Assyria in his time, but his message is eternal, as is all prophecy. Paul is quoting him to make the point that God will not necessarily save Israel over others. Paul was not referring to coming chastisements, but Isaiah was, and the message in this verse is hard to ignore: even if God's people are as numerous as the sands, if they are not willing to be saved, they will not be. At times in Old Testament history, only a remnant of the Jews survived, a remnant that was to keep the flame alive when many of the chosen people had fallen into darkness and death. In Paul's time, his concern is that the Jews are too caught up in the law to see the truth of who Jesus is, and if they continue this way, they will not gain salvation.

We can apply Isaiah's prophecy, as interpreted by Paul, to ourselves, as well. It does not matter if we identify as Catholic, nor how many Catholics or Christians there are in the world, if we are turning away from God or refusing to believe in all His Son taught us, we will not be saved. In times when many in the Church "go long to get along", this warning strikes home. It is not the name we call ourselves, nor our "religious identity", nor the denomination with which we associate, that saves us, it always comes down to a question of faith. Do we believe that Jesus Christ is the only path to salvation? Do we believe and try to live by all He taught us? Do we believe the Church is His bride whom He guides through His Holy Spirit? If we do not believe these things with faith, we cannot count on being saved when God executes His sentence upon the earth, or even in our own lives.