The Christian’s Calling — Excursus

The first entry in this series can be found here.
The previous entry can be found here.

When we think of the book of Revelation in Christian scripture, it is common to associate it with the end of the world: earthquakes, eclipses, oceans of blood, meteors, demonic armies, and apocalyptic horsemen. Christ slaughters his enemies with a sword from his mouth, and the beast and false prophet end up in the lake of fire. End of the world, right?

We’ll consider this reality more when we move into the next section of Revelation, but I believe we should be slower to describe Christ’s return as violent. Hell is a reality (the lake of fire), but whether or not the lake of fire is supposed to be understood literally is complicated, since it is really only described as such in the most symbolic book of the Bible (though cf. Matthew 25:41).

But what if the main point of Revelation is to describe the redemption, restoration, and even improvement of the world?

Look back at Revelation 18:9-20 and note that greed and dehumanizing practices (among other things) will be done away with when Babylon falls. This leads directly to John’s comment in Revelation 19:8b.

For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.

Revelation‬ ‭19‬:‭8b ‭HCSB‬‬

If you’ve been around this blog for any length of time, you might know that I am a novelist. At present, I’ve only self-published one: Stranded. The eventual second book in the series will continue Jay Liyfer’s story, chronicling his struggle for victory against lust. One of the critical themes in this book will be the expectation that Jay needs to keep his robes clean and white, which is accomplished primarily by not spending time in the castle of Lust.

While this theme is going to remain, there will be an author’s note at the end of the book explaining the lousiness of this understanding of the white garments in Revelation.

You see, righteousness is a confused term in our modern era of Christianity. We consider a person to be righteous if they refrain from certain actions. You are righteous if you don’t do drugs; you are righteous if you don’t drink alcohol; you are righteous if you remain a virgin until marriage (bonus points if you refrain from doing anything that causes you to wonder, “Did I go too far?”). But this is a very weak understanding of righteousness, especially when understood in the context of Revelation.

Now granted, John describes the Church as a bride, and our evangelical, purity-culture-molded minds scream, “Sexual purity is the righteous deed we’re supposed to be clothed in!” And you might cite Revelation 14:1-5 in support of this idea as well.

But we need to dig a bit deeper than this. When it comes to properly understanding Scripture, one of the best things we can do is–in the words of Jedi Master Yoda–“unlearn what [we] have learned.”

If we back up and take in the previous verse and all of verse 8, we get a much clearer picture of what John is actually showing us about the white robes:

”Let us be glad, rejoice, and give Him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself. She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.“

Revelation‬ ‭19‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Our Protestant understanding of “righteousness” has been sorely divorced from what it once meant. Righteousness used to refer to good deeds, but the Protestant Reformation divorced good deeds from salvation in the name of Ephesians 2:8-9, “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.”

I’m not saying that the Protestant Reformers–Martin Luther and John Calvin especially–are responsible for this divorce. But their later disciples–especially in modern times–have certainly helped to promote this misunderstanding. The emphasis on refraining from evil works rather than actively doing good works is proof. When was the last time you heard a sermon encouraging you to pursue the virtues listed in places like Galatians 5:22-23 or James 3:17-18?

For this reason, Ephesians 2:8-9 should not be divorced from the very next verse:

For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

This is what John is describing in Revelation 19:7-8.

In other words, the symbolism of Revelation is describing what Paul proclaimed in Ephesians. And Revelation 19:8b proves it by interpreting the linen: “the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.”

But what might these righteous acts be?

The Old Testament answers this question in multiple places.

Learn to do what is good.
Seek justice.
Correct the oppressor.
Defend the rights of the fatherless.
Plead the widow’s cause.

Isaiah 1:17 HCSB‬‬

Hate evil and love good;
establish justice in the gate.
. . .
But let justice flow like water,
and righteousness, like an unfailing stream.

Amos 5:15a, 24‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Mankind, He has told you what is good
and what it is the Lord requires of you:
to act justly,
to love faithfulness,
and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8 ‭HCSB‬‬

This is what God desires of his people. And Jesus was all about this himself as well:

The Spirit of the Lord is on Me,
because He has anointed Me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent Me
to proclaim freedom to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Luke 4:18-19 HCSB‬‬

And if God declared this in the Old Testament, and if Jesus made this his mission on earth (literally, not just spiritually), then shouldn’t it be our mission too?

This is why William Wilberforce and John Newton fought against the slave trade in Britain before the Civil War ever broke out in America. This is why many hospitals around the country (world?) contain the word “Saint” in their names. This is why education is accessible to all (especially in America). These are all fruits of Christianity, to liberate the oppressed and provide healing and improved quality of life to all.

We must join in this mission. Maybe not in the realms of the slave trade, education, or medicine–but God will guide us into good works he prepared for us. If we don’t walk in the works he prepared for us, will we be clothed in fine linens at the end?

No.

The gospel is that salvation is by grace through faith, but the proof that we were saved by faith is that we practice good works. This is what the entirety of Ephesians 2:8-10 explains; it’s the picture painted by Revelation 19:7-8. Place your faith in Christ and allow him to steer you to good works by the power of his Spirit.

Are you passionate about the things he is passionate about? Have you placed your faith in him yet?

In this with you.

Soli Deo Gloria
Sola Fide
Solus Christus
Sola Scriptura

Thanks for reading.

The next entry can be found here.