Revelation 19:8

And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

For the linen is the righteous acts of the saints ... This clearly means that the righteous acts done by Christians are indeed the fine linen in which the bride must be arrayed. But are not these "given to her"? Yes, but not in any sense of her not having to do them. God gives his saints all kinds of righteous deeds through his holy commandments telling them what to do, and through the motivation to do them provided in the selfless example of our Blessed Lord. "The double nature of the process is here set forth, tit was given to her;' the power came from God; and yet she arrays herself; the action is still voluntary."[18] "Righteous acts flow from a righteous character, which is entirely of the grace of God";[19] but the righteous deeds do not do themselves! They are not done by the believer's faith, nor by the Holy Spirit, but they are done by the believer. Morris voiced a common view thus, "The white robes are not provided by any righteous acts on the part of the wearers,"[20] but this is true only in a certain limited sense. The metaphor of putting on the garments is also prominent here. The bride arrayed herself. "From one point of view, she made the dress herself; she worked out her own salvation."[21] The impact of this verse is so strong against the popular heresy of Solifidianism, that some of the commentators have reached for the explanation of last resort and called it "a gloss"! "It has the sound of some commentator's explanation."[22] Of course, there is no evidence whatever of this verse being a gloss; and those who resort to such an allegation confess in so doing that it contradicts what they are teaching.

[18] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 448.

[19] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1968), p. 111.

[20] Leon Morris, Tyndale Commentaries, New Testament, Vol. 20, The Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 227.

[21] Michael Wilcock, I Saw Heaven Opened (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1975), p. 172.

[22] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 727.