Bride of Christ

      The "fine linen" is the righteousness or righteous acts or deeds of the saints, who are the bride of Christ. These righteous deeds are all necessarily by grace through faith, otherwise they would be "as filthy rags," which would disqualify the bride for the marriage. She would not have made herself ready. This righteousness of the saints is also necessarily the righteousness of God, for there are only two kinds of righteousness as far as mankind is concerned: the righteousness of God and the righteousness of man -- the righteousness of man is as filthy rags. Therefore, these righteousness deeds of the saints equates nothing short of progressive and accumulative justification.
      Justification does not qualify one for salvation from hell, for the person must already be saved from hell. Justification is a COVENANT PROMISE to the covenant people, is progressive, accumulative, and is lost when a justified person turns from the righteous way and refuses to repent, Acts 3:25; Gal 3:6-8-29; Gen 15:6; Ja 2:17-25; Rom 3:22-26; 4:3-25; Gal 2:16-21; 3:1-29; 5:5; Phil 3:9; Mt 5:6; 6:33; I Tim 6:11; II Tim 2:22; Heb 11:7; Ezek 3:20; 18:24; 33:12-13. The unfaithful saved and the non-covenant saved do NOT have and will NOT receive these fine linen garments which are the righteous deeds of the saints.
      We will be greatly helped by studying the subject of "garments" or "washing our garments," and examine all such passages as Lev 15 plus Mt 22:11-14; Rev 3:3-5,16-18; 7:9-14; 16:15; 19:7-8; 22:14. The ceremonial washing of garments, following contact with some uncleanness, was a requirement of the Law Covenant. This means it foreshadowed an important doctrine in the New Covenant, and that is none other than justification. The finality of justification is the infusion of God's righteousness into the bodies of the bride people.
      "And be found in Him (in Christ), not having my own righteousness, which is of the Law (flesh works), but that which is through faith of Christ, the righteousness of God by the faith," Phil 3:9-11; Mt 5:6; 6:33: 25:31-46; Gal 5:5; I Tim 6;11; II Tim 2:22; Heb 11:7; 12:9-11.
      The righteousness of God, which is the righteousness of justification, is one among many attributes within the fullness of the divine nature, promised ONLY to the bride people, II Pet 1:4; Eph 1:22-23; 3:19; Col 2:9-10; Titus 3:7; II Tim 2:10; et al. No one outside the bride of Christ will receive this "fine linen" righteousness. There is no other righteousness than God's righteousness, a covenant promise by grace through faith.