"Let us
rejoice
and be
glad and
give the
glory to
Him, for
the
marriage
of the
Lamb has
come and
His
bride
has made
herself
ready.
It was
given to
her to
clothe
herself
in fine
linen,
bright
and
clean;
for the
fine
linen is
the
righteous
acts of
the
saints."
Revelation
19:7-8
The
Church
of God
is the
bride of
Christ,
and
Jesus
will
return
in glory
when the
bride
has made
herself
ready.
Just
what is
God
looking
for in
the
bride?
What
will He
see that
will let
Him know
that she
had made
herself
ready
for the
wedding?
In a
nutshell
- a
bride
who is
clothed
in
righteous
acts.
Let me
say that
the
Bible
clearly
teaches
that we
cannot
produce
an
acceptable
righteousness,
but must
receive
the
righteousness
of
Christ
for
salvation,
-"All
our
righteousness
is like
filthy
rags."
(Isa.64)
"He made
Him who
knew no
sin to
be sin
on our
behalf,
so that
we might
become
the
righteousness
of God
in Him."
(2
Cor.5)
Jesus
became
our sin
and our
curse
and has
clothed
us with
His
blessing
and His
righteousness.
The
Bible
clearly
teaches
that in
Christ
we are
already
righteous,
holy,
sanctified
and
justified.
Paul
said
that the
Church
was "unleavened" meaning,
it is
without
sin, and
John
wrote
that the
children
of God
cannot
sin
because
sin is
not
imputed
to the
faithful.
In
Ephesians
we see
that we
are
saved by
grace
through
faith
and not
as a
result
of
works.
Paul
also
wrote
that
Christians
must
work out
their
own
salvation
in
trembling
and
fear, so
as clear
as it is
that one
cannot
receive
salvation
through
his
works,
it is
equally
as clear
that one
cannot
remain
saved or
be
clothed
without
works
produced
by their
faith, -"For
just as
the body
without
the
spirit
is dead,
so also
faith
without
works is
dead."
(James
2)
Let us
read
what
Paul
taught
the
Ephesians
in
context,
-"For
by grace
you have
been
saved
through
faith;.
. .not
as a
result
of
works,
so that
no one
may
boast.
For we
are His
workmanship,
created
in
Christ
Jesus
for good
works,
which
God
prepared
beforehand
so that
we would
walk in
them."
(Eph.2)
So we
are not
saved by works,
but are
saved to works -
works
which
God had
prepared
for us
to walk
in. The
bride of
Christ
must be
found
walking
in these
works.
It’s
interesting
that the "fine
linen" which
is "bright
and
clean" is
the "righteous
acts" of
the
saints.
Notice
also
that it
was God
who had
given
these
righteous
acts to
her
beforehand
in order
to"clothe
herself." It
brings
to mind
the
state of
the
Laodicean
Church
which
Jesus
declared"naked" and
counseled
her
saying,
-"I
advise
you to
buy from
Me. .
.white
garments
so that
you may
clothe
yourself,
and that
the
shame of
your
nakedness
will not
be
revealed."
(Rev.3)
Jesus
is not
returning
for a
naked
bride
who is
poor and
blind,
but to a
bride
who has
kept
herself
pure and
without
blemish,
and who
has
clothed
herself
in
faithful
works.
If you
are not
walking
obediently
according
to God’s
will,
then you
are not
doing
your
part in
making
yourself
ready
for the
return
of the
Lord.
Remember,
Jesus
warned
His
followers
to be
"so-doing"
when He
comes.
(Matt.24)
"For
I am
jealous
for you
with a
godly
jealousy;
for I
betrothed
you to
one
husband,
so that
to
Christ I
might
present
you as a
pure
virgin.
But I am
afraid
that, as
the
serpent
deceived
Eve by
his
craftiness,
your
minds
will be
led
astray
from the
simplicity
and
purity
of
devotion
to
Christ."
(2
Cor.11)
How did
the
serpent
deceive
Eve? He
told her
that she
could
disobey
God and
live -
that she
could
follow
she own
way and
not die.
Don’t be
led
astray
from
purity -
the
bride
must be
pure.
