“What we do in life echoes in eternity!” Thus saith Maximus, the Gladiator. Now the question we’re all asking: is Gladiator good theology? 
I’ve been reading through Revelation, and today came through a few chapters close to the end. This is where the great whore goes up in flames and becomes sport for her own crows… er… a feast for those who profited from her. Great, gory stuff.
But the thing that continually pops out at me when I read through these concluding segments are the places where we discover that our works are far from incidental for the eternity ahead.
Let’s start with the dress of the Bride. In my deeply Pauline circles, people often talk about being clothed in the righteousness of Christ. That’s an apt metaphor for union with Christ: “all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ” and all that.
But what is the Bride wearing? Is she wearing the bright, spotless righteousness of Christ? No.
“It was given to her that she might be dressed in pure, pristine linen–for the linen is the righteous deeds of the saints” (Revelation 19:8). The church, the bride of Christ, shines with the glory of what God’s people have done on earth.
Earlier in the book there had been a word of comfort spoken concerning those who “die in the Lord”: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the spirit, in order that they might rest from their labors–for their works follow with them” (Revelation 14:13). Why don’t they work anymore? Because their works enter in after them.
The really scary stuff, of course, comes at the very end. With the judgment.
“The dead were judged by what was written in the books–according to their deeds” (Rev. 20:12).
“…Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds” (Rev. 20:13).
“Behold! I am coming soon! And my reward is with me to pay each one according to what he has done” (Rev. 22:12).
One of the challenges besetting post-Reformation soteriology is coming up with a robust place for our works in the big picture of both what God is up to in the world and our own eternal future. We shrink back from passages such as these that seem to tie our eternal state with what we do here on earth. We often retreat to Paul for counter-testimony to overturn what otherwise would seem clear.
I think we need to get over it.
The assumption throughout Revelation is that God’s people are distinguished from the world by being faithful witnesses of God and of the Lamb. We are distinguished by not participating in the violence, immorality, and abuse of persons that defines “the world,” as well as by our faithful service to God rather than God’s adversaries.
In other words, the point of Revelation is that Christians should take comfort in the fact that God looks at the ways that they are set apart from the world and will vindicate them for it in the end. If the idea of being judged according to our deeds, or having our deeds be the eternal adornment of the church, is not a source of comfort to us, I’d humbly suggest that the problem is not that this is theologically incorrect.
Instead, the problem is how we’re living (or not living) in faithfulness to the lives to which we have been called.
I like this Daniel. I am doing a paper on Infant Baptism in order to enter into a dialog with Reformed Theology (aka covenantal theology) for my Presbyterian Distinctives class. Graceful divine initiative sets the tone for living into one’s baptism. The fruit of baptism is good work. It is the calling of baptism and a grateful response to the graceful divine initiative.
I may end up teaching in Revelation soon and may have to cite this.
thanks for your struggling.
Ah, I felt a sense of relief reading this post.
You’re so right in that what we do on earth in this life counts in the eternal stakes. So many folk seem to view a discontinuity between this ilfe / age and the one to come, it’s quite bizarre as if this life has no bearing whatsoever.
In line with this, I take solace from this Scripture:
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Holding to discontinuity would make a mockery of this verse. I personally find that living this life knowing that it “echoes” into eternity is a strong and powerful motivator.
Anyway that’s enough from me, would you mind if I cross-posted this in full on our blog for our readers with appropriate link and acknowldgement…
Hi, Stuart, glad this post resonated with you.
In terms of cross-posting, I’d prefer that you copy a paragraph or two and send folks back here for the whole thing.
Thanks!
So you’re saying that things are more complex than the simple mantra, “when God looks at me he does not see my sin”?
Yes, Kyle, I’m saying it’s a bit more complex than that!
This is a fascinating post, thank you for writing up your reflections. You just made my choice between advanced preaching and Greek exegesis of Revelation ten times more difficult!
In our retreat to Paul for counter-testimony, we hear him saying “Amen” to John, and saying “nuh-uh” to us!!
Well said.
After several years of reading Revelation over and over devotionally, and then having it turn into academic interest, I smile when I read blog posts like this. The idea of works in a post-reformation (and even post-protestant) sense really does get folks worked up. Understanding Revelation apart from “bible math” and other serious abuses really shows the tension between those who align themselves with God and those who align themselves with the Beast. Our citizenship is tied up in the true actions of devotion.
You navigated some tough waters here and it turned out great. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for more thought-provokation Daniel
Can I push back a bit?
In the judgement according to works part, there is another book that is opened, the book of life. I take it that all are judged according to works, but found wanting. But then the names are cross-checked: only those whose names are in the Lamb’s book of life are spared.
Re. the clothing of the bride. Works do indeed adorne the saints, but I’m not sure your conservative (/ post Reformation) friends would have a problem with that?
You’ll probably think this is one of those distinctions that Reformed types make too much, but I don’t think it’s helpful lumping the final judgement with the eternal rewards/andornments of the saints under the vague heading of ‘eternal state’ and saying ‘look, both of these involve works why don’t conservatives acknowledge this??’
the Rev 14.13 verse is an interesting one, but I’ve never thought about it before, so I’ll have to lodge that one away to come back to at some point!
i hope i don’t sound short – thinking about works is important and i’m glad you’re doing it. just hoping to help the discussion.
Sam,
I don’t think that there is dissonance between the two books. Those who will be saved will be saved because, when judged according to their works, their own lives manifest the life of Christ. The instructions at the beginning of the letter are for the churches and their members to be faithful, to endure to the end. If they’re not, they’re cut off. The final scene is in accordance with those testimonies. Also, throughout the book people are differentiated by what they do or don’t do.
Re. clothing: I was in a Presbytery exam where an examiner asked what the clothing was, the person said it was Christ’s righteousness, and everyone nodded happily.
I suppose I don’t agree with the distinction you’re making that causes you to say that I’m lumping two different things together. As in Matthew 25, Matthew 7, and everywhere else in the NT that tells us how the final judgment will be determined, so also in Revelation it’s on the basis of what we’ve done on earth.