“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous decrees of the saints.)” (Revelation 19:7-8)

Uggh!  What is that? Another stain! That was my last pair of good pants! I would like to be able to admit that every time I get a stain on my clothes it was because one of my children knocked their drink over at the table or climbed onto my lap with their greasy hands, but I can’t. There are times when food falls off my fork or I clumsily drop something or inadvertently brush up against something and stain my clothes. It’s embarrassing and I have to go and rummage around my closet for some clean clothes. I know that it’s sometimes “cool” to wear clothes with rips and holes in them, but I’m not sure it’s ever been “cool” to wear clothes with stains and dried food particles!

Much less cool than that, however, is how our “clothes” look before God. God tells us that even our righteous acts are like filthy rags in His sight. Even the best things that we do are still mixed with sinful attitudes and motives. And… one day we’ll have to stand before God! The holy and perfect Judge! Wearing the dirty, stained, filthy clothes of who we are and what we’ve done?!? That’s not only embarrassing, that’s terrifying!

But take a look at this passage. When you’re standing before your God, that’s NOT what you’ll be wearing. You’ll be wearing fine, bright, and clean linen – without any stain or wrinkle or any kind of blemish. You’ll stand before God looking holy and blameless!

How can that be? God tells us: the fine linen stand for the righteous decrees of the saints! (“decrees” is the literal translation of the Greek). You have been declared innocent by God because Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead to declare you innocent!

That means: you look good, perfect, wonderful to your Savior!

Rejoicing to wear Jesus’ perfect clothes before my God, just like you,

pastor