Garments Clean and White

 

 

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,.....And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen. [Matthew 22:1-14]

The Word of God places great emphasis upon Christians to strive toward the Prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The prize is a resurrection - not the judgment seat of Christ itself. 

 

The Apostle Paul stated it like this: Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:8-14]

 

 

But what is the one scriptural factor which determines the worthiness of a Christian reaching that "mark for the prize of the high calling"? It cannot be a decision reached at the The Judgment Seat of Christ it's-self. The JSOC is only the place where just recompense of reward is given to those whom have overcome. Their worthiness or unworthiness has already been determined prior to the JSOC. Their worthiness was determined by the kind of life they led.

How can one be judged for worthiness at the JSOC and then turn right around and be judged a second time at the same judgment as to just recompense of reward. Well one might say: These two judgments are made at the same time! At which point I would have to point out that nowhere in the scripture, in type or otherwise, is ones worthiness and just recompense addressed at the same time.

When Jacob and Esau stood before Isaac worthiness was not addressed but rather what Jacob and Esau wore when they appeared is the factor that was addressed in the scripture.

When Jacob's twelve son's stood before him, just before Jacob's death, the context was just recompense not worthiness. The history of each of those son's up to that point in their lives was the determining factor for their just reward and at no time was worthiness at issue in that part of scripture.

Then there is Ruth. Was worthiness at issue when when stood up after her sleep at the feet of her kinsman redeemer? No, but rather, it was what she was wearing and the fact that her just recompense of reward would be her marriage to Boaz.

Throughout chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation Christ states, to Christians in the seven Churches of Asia minor, "He that overcometh" seven different times. He is emphasizing a condition of worthiness that Christians must have achieved or attained, through obedience, by the time they die or the rapture of the Church occurs. Let me state that again in another way. 

Christians must weave for themselves wedding garments through their obedience and faithfulness to the most high God and those garments must be clean and white. Christians must be accounted worthy to be out-resurrected from the second death and only then, go on to stand before Christ to be judged and rewarded with ruling and reigning with Christ for ever and ever.

[Revelation 3:5]  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 

Simply being saved by the grace of God does not cloth Christians in white raiment and lest any get distracted, the book of life mentioned here is not the Lamb's Book of Life. We know this because the Lamb's Book of Life is the book wherein all the names of all believers have been written from the foundations of the world. Christians cannot lose everlasting life for it is bought for them by the sacrificial work of Christ and therefore it is not theirs to lose. Their everlasting life is in Christ and therefore belongs to Christ. Christ is God. Do you suppose a Christian can take their everlasting life away from their creator? Not hardly!

Everlasting life is Christ's gift to all Christians. Is it not written: The gifts and calling of God is without repentance? That means God does not change His mind. 

When He wrote the name of a believer into the Lamb's Book of Life it was no mistake. God does not make mistakes. Hence, the book mentioned in [Revelation 3:5] cannot be the Lambs' Book of Life. But rather it is the book of soul life and there is a major difference.

For a more intimate study of this subject please read our more complete study titled The Books of Life.

Let us now continue with the subject matter at hand.

[Revelation 19:7-8] Gives us greater detail concerning the wedding garment.

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Notice that John the revelator writes: "and his wife hath made herself ready". 

God's Word is plain and taken literally {as it should be in this verse} the Word says that those who are worthy to become the wife of Christ have made themselves ready.

The context of this verse rests in another aspect of salvation that lies beyond the free gift of everlasting life. This 'other aspect' of salvation is determined by the works of the Holy Spirit wrought through the lives of Christians and then God accounts it to them as if it were their own works. [Revelation 19:7-8] 

The "free gift" is Christ's gift to all who have believed, or ever will believe and it was Christ only that apprehended that place in the family of God for every Christian. Christ found them. They did not find Christ. 

But, the 'other aspect' we are addressing here is not about the free gift of Christ but rather a reward for obedience that is gained only after this life is over. The living of life makes us worthy, or not, the reward comes later.

A gift is freely given. A reward is earned by works.

The statement "made herself ready" is talking about a garment that was woven by the faithful acts of the Saints who will have overcame the flesh, the world, and the devil during their lifetimes upon this Earth. This becomes plain upon the reading of verse 8. 

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

 

This verse reveals that the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints {faithful Christians}. The original Greek word is transliterated as 'Hagios' meaning: most holy thing, a saint. Saints, faithful believers, are accounted worthy to be sanctified in God's mind as the most holy of all believers. All Christians cannot claim the title of 'Saint'.

In other words the works of the saints is what constitute the fabric of their wedding garment. The underlying Greek word transliterated 'Dikaioma' but translated into English as righteousness should have been translated as {righteousnesses or righteous acts} for the Greek word in the original texts is plural. 

But before someone gets ahead of us now, let us also say that those acts of the saints could not have been worthy at all if they had been works of the flesh. 

No, these acts are the works of the Holy Spirit that are allowed to work themselves out in the lifetimes of each one of those who will be accounted worthy to obtain the status of Saints and become a part of the bride/wife of Christ when they lived out their physical lives here upon this sin-cursed world.

The Holy Scriptures use two metaphors to describe the overcomer in Scripture. The first is the idea of the first born son. In the Old Testament and Jewish culture, even today, the first born son inherits a double portion of his fathers property and in addition inherits the priesthood of the family and the ruler-ship of the family. Unlike the other sons of the family, who only get one portion of the inheritance.

In like manner the other metaphor is that of a bride. The bride of the groom shares in the inheritance of the bridegroom. All that is his is also hers after they are married. These two metaphors help us to understand the other aspect of salvation. The works aspect of the overcomer.

There is a pattern to the statements we find in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3 and a following promise after each invocation of the recurring  statement "He that overcometh". The pattern goes like this: He that overcometh and then a positive or negative reward is promised. Said another way it could sound like this: 'He that is worthy will be rewarded in this way or that way.

Let's take a look at some examples or types from the Old Testament that help us to see what the Spirit of God would have us to understand about the metaphors of the firstborn son and the bride.

Jacob went to great lengths, with the help of his mother, to make himself worthy to appear before Isaac to obtain the inheritance that Esau had sold to him for a bowl of red stew. The context is obvious in that it concerns being attired in acceptable raiment in order to obtain an inheritance. 

This is exactly the context that we find in [Revelation 3:5]. Acceptable raiment and appearing before our Father so that we may obtain Christ's inheritance with Him as His 'first born son' for the Scriptures tell us we shall rule and reign with Him. [Romans 8:17] [2Timothy 2:12] First born son's inherit the ruler-ship over the family in general.

Another occasion where we see a garment being required of the worthy is in the Book of Ruth.

Did Ruth {in the beautiful type that she is as the bride of Christ} not adorn herself in her finest raiment when she appeared at the feet of Boaz {a type of Christ, our kinsman redeemer} before she became his bride? Was this not during the winnowing of the barley {a type of the overcomer} being separated {winnowed} from the chaff {a type of the non-overcomer}? [Ruth 3:3]

The English word raiment used in this verse is a Hebrew word transliterated as {Simlah}. This same word is used in [Isaiah 3:6-7] where it  is used in relation to acceptable raiment for ruling over the southern kingdom of Judah. This word is also used in [Isaiah 4:1] in relation to self made garments.

So what is it that makes one an overcomer or worthy of the out-resurrection from the second death?  

[Revelation 3:5] reveals the answer. "the same shall be clothed in white raiment". In other words Christians who overcome, according to this verse, have already attained this state of worthiness, during their lifetimes, prior to the rapture of the Church.

The dispensation of the Church ends at the occurrence of the rapture or catching away of the Church. Christ will no longer be our advocate, or our intercessor. At that point in time Christ will become the Judge of every Christian ever born.

 

[Revelation 2:11] Reveals another clue to this mystery: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

The odd thing about this little exercise was that the Sadducees did not believe in a general resurrection from the dead much less an out-resurrection from among the second dead. But for the purposes of their attempt at tripping up Jesus in the soundness of Jewish law they were willing to ignore scriptural doctrine concerning the subject of resurrection.

The Apostle Paul calls this resurrection "the out-resurrection from among the dead"  For a deeper more detailed study of this resurrection please read: The Mystery of the Second Death  and The Second Resurrection. 

 

The judgment seat of Christ comes after the out-resurrection from the dead. The out-resurrection from the body of Christ {the church} carries with it the idea of separating a bride, for Christ, from Christ's body {the general assembly of the Church}. 

The type can be seen in the separation of Eve's body out from the body of the first Adam when God created Eve.

God had a purpose in the way that he brought forth Eve and presented her to Adam.

God intended for those events to become a type or example in the way that He would remove the bride of Christ from the general assembly of the Church. What does the Word have to say about the general assembly of the Church?

Is it not the body of Christ? Then the body of the bride of Christ must be removed from the body of Christ {the last Adam}!

 

The apostate, Laodicean teachings of most Churches in the world today, teaches that the general assembly of the Church is the bride of Christ which is far removed from the truth. The Word of God is plain. The Church is the body of Christ not the bride of Christ! 

Now, so that we do not get away from the purpose of the task at hand and for a more detailed study on this truth please read Ye are the "Body of Christ" not the "Bride of Christ" 

 

What is it then that makes overcomer Christians worthy of the out-resurrection from those non-overcomer Christians who will be hurt or held by the second death? 

This writer is convinced that worthiness is dependent upon how Christians are clothed {if clothed at all} when they are caught up into the heavenlies {the air} at the time of the rapture of the general assembly of the Church {and that means all Christians from the day of Pentecost up until the moment of the rapture itself}. 

There is no such thing as a split rapture as some Christians teach. But we won't be going down that rabbit trail at this time.

 

Hopefully, it is needless to say that this writer is not suggesting that Christians must somehow get dressed up in some carnal, physical, or fleshly way at the time of the rapture of the Church. First, because no man knows the day nor hour in which our Lord will return but beyond that, the garments that the Holy Ghost refers to are spiritual in nature and only God can actually see those garments. Remember? Those garments are the righteous acts of the saints.

Is it not written: I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. [Jeremiah 17:10]

Let us move on by looking again at our current subject matter.

[Luke 20:34-36] And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither  can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

 

Without going into the fact that the Jewish sect of the Sadducees did not believe that men could be raised from the dead in the first place, let us examine some rather obvious points of truth in these verses. 

First let's look at the words of our Lord in verse 35 specifically "But they which shall be accounted worthy".  

Notice that the Lord indicates a worthiness is required of believers to obtain and partake in this resurrection of which He is speaking.

But ask yourself this question: when do they acquire that worthiness other than in this lifetime of the carnal flesh?

The Apostle Paul calls the body that we now have "the body of this death". [Romans 7:24]

The 'body of this death' will be changed to the 'redeemed or natural body at the time of the rapture of the Church. The natural body is like the body that Adam and Eve had before they sinned. The Adamic body contained and was animated by blood just like 'the body of this death' contains and is animated by blood.

The blood is the life or soul life of all living things. Leviticus 17:11

When the Church is removed from this Earthly realm and is deposited in the heavenly realm, any body that contains and is animated by blood must die the second death.

But the overcomer will be worthy to immediately 'stand up' or 'be resurrected from the second death in the moment of a twinkling of an eye.

 

Then Jesus goes on to say: "to obtain that world". 

It must needs be explained that the English word "world" is translated from the Greek word "Aion" from which we derive the English word "eon". This word is singular and refers to 'one' age and it is referring to the next age to come. The most common definition of this Greek word is "a period of time" or "an age". In this specific context our Lord is referring to the 1000 year age just out ahead of us known as the Millennial Reign of Christ even though the Sadducees did not perceive His meaning in His answer at the time.

 

Now we can see the mystery of Peter's reference to the coming age when he said: "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ". Do you see? Six one thousand year days have almost been completed. There is now only one more one thousand year day that remains to be fulfilled. That day is the Sabbath Day, the Day of the Lord or the Lord's Day. The next 1000 year age to come.

The book of Hebrews chapter 4 verses 9 and 11 clarifies this matter for us. "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.....Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

 

Do you see? The seventh 1000 year day (the rest that remaineth) remains in the future at this time and Christians are expected to labor or do some type of work in order to obtain that 1000 year day of rest.

The work for Christian's is to 'die to self'', worship no other god's, love they brother, do Christ's commandments, allow the Spirit of God to use them, and confess ongoing sin in their lives. Simply put, just get out of the way and let God work in and through our lives. 

Getting back to the discussion Christ had with the Sadducees in [Luke 20:34-36]. Please notice that our Lord states that this age must be "obtained"; meaning that something must be done to gain admittance into the age that Christ is referring to. This is clearly a works related doctrine and therefore absolutely cannot be referring to the free gift of spirit salvation. 

Spirit salvation is a gift of God not a reward or prize. God's gift is not dependent upon anything whatsoever that men can do in the flesh to gain everlasting spirit salvation. 

For a more detailed study of the difference in spirit salvation and soul salvation and how to obtain soul salvation, please read The Tripartite Makeup of Man  and Works and Salvation of the Soul.

 

But notice now that Christ continues with the verse in saying "and the resurrection from the dead".

 

The Apostle Paul reveals the mystery of this resurrection to us in [Philippians 3:10-14].  Let's go there and take a look at this mystery beginning with verse ten.

 

"That I may know him {Christ}, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

 

By now the reader should have been stopped more than once in reading these verses for they are very strange indeed to those who have been a Christian in this Laodicean season of the Church dispensation. Let me play the role of instigator for a moment and ask the questions that one might ask of these verses.

 

First and foremost - the Apostle Paul is possibly the finest Christian that ever lived and yet Paul says: "That I may know Him "  meaning That I may know Christ! Does this statement not beg the question - Do all Christians not know Christ? If we are saved doesn't that mean that we "know" Christ?

 

The Scriptures would answer:  obviously not! Does this verse then not indicate that there is something far more intimate suggested here by Paul than merely the fact that he has been born again of the Spirit of God, and is therefore saved? 

The English word "know", in the context that it used here has the idea of having an intimate relationship with Christ that is far beyond merely believing that Christ is God manifest in the flesh and therefore the Saviour of the world. It has the connotation or portrays an idea of the intimacy that a husband and his wife share with one another.

Do you think that Paul didn't "know" Christ? Paul was saved was he not? Yes. Had Paul not spent three years in the desert of Sinai with the resurrected Christ and was Christ not teaching Paul the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven? Yes. Then what could this word "know" really mean?

Let's take a look at another place where "knowing" Christ is the context of a verse. Let's turn to [Matthew 7:23]. 

And then will I profess unto them *, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The English word 'knew' used in this verse is the same word used in [Philippians 3:10] but there the English spelling is 'know'. The transliterated Greek word is 'Ginosko' meaning to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of, to become acquainted with. It can even be used as the Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman, denoting the intimacy that this word is sometimes used to convey. 

At the time, Jesus was making a statement concerning believers who had lived their lives in disobedience to God's Word. These believers had practiced a form of religious living but their works were motivated by wickedness and the flesh and not by doing the will of our Father which is in heaven.

Yes, believers can and will suffer the second death and therefore many will suffer the loss of soul-life or kingdom life or bride-ship because of unfaithfulness but at the same time not be in any danger of losing the gift of their everlasting life. (All of these metaphors are used to describe the same thing so choose for yourself the description you want to use.)

Jesus is telling these believers that just because they believe and have everlasting life, that fact does not guarantee them a place with Him in His kingdom during the 1000 year age to come. Just because He knows us as believers does not mean that we know Him in the intimate way that He accounts as worthy enough to rule and reign with Him as his bride.

That is the dangers of the teachings of the modern day Church. They want you to believe that as long as you are saved you will also rule and reign and that is not biblical or scriptural. The Word of God does not ever say that. Children, let us rightly divide the Word of Truth!

 

The latter part of [Philippians 3:10] brings us back to the context of our study. Paul continues by adding: "and the power of his resurrection". You see, Paul knows that one must be worthy to be a part of this resurrection. 

Christ Himself, being worthy because of His obedience to the Father, was the 'first fruit' of this particular resurrection and we shall follow after Christ in the power of this particular resurrection if we obediently suffer with Him. Notice that Paul finishes the verse with: "and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death".

 

Is it not written: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

 

Dear Christian do you know what it means to suffer with Christ?

Then Paul says this: "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."

 

Isn't that a strange thing that a Christian should say if you believe that this verse is referring to the rapture of the Church? 

Most Preachers who teach a pre-tribulation rapture of the Church, these days, are teaching that these verses refers to the rapture of the Church!

It most emphatically cannot be!

 

Again, Paul is saved and all Christians are to have part in the rapture of the Church and none are to be left behind as some kind of punishment for unworthiness as some would teach. The Apostle Paul {the same Author that wrote Philippians}, in [1 Thessalonians 4:13-16] is not at all ambiguous in his admonition to the Church at Thessalonica in referring to the rapture of the Church wherein he states that the dead in Christ will rise first and then those Christians who are alive and remain will join those who were dead and rise into the clouds. 

Where are the clouds? In the air! Where is Christ's future Kingdom of the Heavenlies going to be? In the air!! Where will the out-resurrection from among the second dead occur? In Christ's Kingdom! In the air!! When will the second death of all Christians occur? Right after the Church has been raptured! Selah!!!

 

This verse "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."  is the only verse in the New Testament where the Greek word "out" [EK] is inserted just before the word 'resurrection'. The translators of the KJV, for whatever reasons, decided to exclude this word in their translation. Thank God that the original manuscripts are available to us today for the original manuscripts show us that this verse should actually be translated this way: If by any means I might attain unto the out-resurrection from among the dead.

 

Again we know that this is not referring to the rapture of the Church because Paul is striving to attain unto this resurrection. Christians do not have to strive to attain unto the rapture of the Church. All of the saved from the day of Pentecost to the day of the rapture will be included in the rapture of the Church. So this resurrection has to be a resurrection that occurs after the occasion of the rapture of the Church. 

We also know that one must be worthy to attain unto this resurrection and Paul has already shown that he is not absolutely certain that he is worthy, at the time of this writing, to attain unto this out-resurrection. But he doesn't stop there. 

Now, before we go on, please  study this idea in greater detail on your own. The writer encourages the reader to read The Mystery of the Second Death .

 

Paul goes on to say: "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." And then Paul uses some particular language that modern day teachers stay away from. 

Notice that he emphasizes that he is speaking to believers here: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

 

Now reader, have you read anything that refers to the Judgment Seat of Christ in these verses from Philippians 3? No! Why do you suppose that is? Yes, of course, the context of these verses is focused on a resurrection not on a judgment, much less the Judgment seat of Christ and yet, many teachers today teach that the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus is a reference to either the rapture of the church or the Judgment Seat of Christ!

 

But Christ added more to His answer to the Sadducees in [Luke 20:34-36]. He also said: "Neither  can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." This resurrection, according to the context in which it is placed, can be none other that the out-resurrection from among the second dead. It is the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus referred to in [Philippians 3].

The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus is the out-resurrection from among those who are hurt or held by the second death. Overcomers are to be found worthy of that resurrection because according to the Apostle Paul they have attained a state of already being perfect. The word 'perfect' meaning mature, or worthy. 

That is not to say that Christians can rise to a state of sinlessness in and of their own works of the flesh. That is impossible! The English word perfect is the Transliterated Greek word {Teleioo} pronounced {tel-i-o'-o} and it's meaning, in this context, is: to be found perfect.

 

The only way that Christians can be found already perfect is by dying to self in our lifetimes so that Christ may live through us. The state of being found perfect is accounted to us via our willingness to allow The Spirit of God to rule over our daily lives.  Hence, the works of the Holy Spirit are allowed to be carried out on a daily basis through our obedience to Christ's precepts. In other words, Christ is the Lord over our lives and we ourselves are the servants. We die so that He may live!

 

Dear reader have you made Christ the Lord over your life or are you still in control of your life being involved in the things of this world and your own desires. Is it not written "No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."?

But, lest we swerve from the central message of this study, let's look at another instance in the book of Luke where our Lord reiterates the idea of worthiness in order to stand before Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ. 

In [Luke 21:36] Jesus says: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.."

 

Here Luke, once more, brings to us a very important truth, in that, in order for a Christian to stand before Christ, at the Judgment seat of Christ, one must be "accounted worthy" to stand there in the first place!

Did you get that? Please read that last verse again!

 

That is to say that some Christians will be caught up in wedding garments clean and white and will therefore be entirely worthy,  prepared, joyful and un-ashamed to meet their Lord in the air. These Christians are called "overcomers" according to John the revelator. In Revelation 2 and 3 John was writing down the very words of Christ, who at the time, appeared to John clothed in the garments of a Priest and Judge.

 

John, being a symbolic type of the overcoming Christian, in the order of things to come,  first falls down as if dead {a type of second death occurring} but the Judge lays His right hand upon the overcomer and declares "fear not" "I am the first and the last." As you can see, John has nothing to fear from this the most awesome Judge. Is it any wonder that God's Word instructs us that to "fear God is the beginning of wisdom"?

 

Is it a strange thing then that we read in [Revelation 19:8] And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness {righteous acts} of saints. 

 

Who is the "her" referred to in this verse but the Bride of Christ? Again it must be emphasized that the English word righteousness has been unfortunately translated as singular. But in the original Greek this word is plural. Therefore, this verse should read like the following: And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness acts of saints. 

 

This rendering yields the true picture. It is the works of the saints who having given their lives and bodies as a reasonable sacrifice to Christ and allowed the Holy Spirit, through their earthly lives, to produce incorruptible fruit that will yield for them a wedding garment clean and white. 

This idea is the context of [Matthew 16:24-26]

It is this garment that will allow them to go on to stand before Christ and to receive their rewards, at the judgment seat of Christ, and to rule and reign with Christ, during His millennial reign.

 

Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation gives us a preview of not only the rewards for the Christian overcomer but also a picture of what the Christian non-overcomer can expect if they appear before Him, at the time of the rapture of the Church, in garments spotted by the flesh or without garments at all, even naked. [Jude 1:23] [Revelation 3:17] 

Let's examine another verse.

 

[Revelation 19:14] And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

 

The armies in heaven are the un-fallen Angels that did not follow Satan in his rebellion. What loyalty. What devotion! What an awesome reverence these sons of God have for their creator. It is this same awe and reverence for our Lord that we must apprehend if we are going to be motivated to strive to attain unto the prize of the out-resurrection from the second dead.

 

In a study such as this we would be amiss if we did not visit references in God's Word that can only be described, at this point, as farther revelation of light on our subject matter?

 

What does the Word say about unspotted garments?

 

[James 1:27] Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

 

Do you suppose that it takes a great deal of sacrifice of one's own time and energy and sometimes finances "To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction"? Can the reader see how it is that the works of the Holy Spirit through a Christian's life that leads to the fruitfulness that will be used in the creation of an unspotted wedding garment clean and white? But James does not stop there. He also admonishes us "and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

 

Dear Christian let me ask you a question. Do you have one foot in the Church and the other in the world? Do you try to serve the carnal ways of the flesh and at the same time go to Church and pretend in front of your Church friends that you are something that you are not? Is Christ really your Lord or have you been deceived into thinking that you can Lord it over your life and that God will continue to let you get away with your apostasy indefinitely? Do you really think that you can pull the wool over God's eyes?

 

Let's take a look at what Jude has to say about being spotted by the flesh.

 

[Jude 1:23] And others save with fear, pulling {them} out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

 

Did you notice that Jude makes a reference to Christian brethren being pulled out of the fire? Do you suppose that Jude is addressing the unsaved here? Absolutely not!

 

Jude is referring to the saved as being pulled out of the fire. Have you been taught that a child of God is immune from chastisement by fire?

Perhaps right now would be a good time for us to turn to [Psalms 88] to get a glimpse of a child of God that has had the unfortunate occasion to feel the wrath of the great I AM. For the sake of time and space the writer will encourage the reader do this on their own time.

Let us continue with another idea associated with being clothed; or not.

 

What does the Word of God have to say about appearing spiritually naked before Christ?