And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness [righteous acts] of saints. (Revelation 19:8)

The believers of today need to understand that every word they speak, every thought they think, every action they take, is shaping their resurrection, the renewal of their life on the earth. Our resurrection will come to us as a robe that clothes our flesh and bones when they are raised from the dead. We are creating that robe now by our behavior.

That we are creating our resurrection now is the central concept of the redemption of the body. Whatever we sow now we shall reap in the resurrection. If we sow to the Spirit of God we will reap a robe of eternal life. If we sow to the appetites and lusts of our flesh we will reap corruption.

The saints of the Old Testament did not accept release from torture because they desired a better resurrection. We are to do the same. We are to focus our efforts on our resurrection. If we fight the good fight of faith we will receive the crown of life and righteousness in the Day of the Lord. If we live in the appetites of the flesh we will slay our own resurrection.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:11-13)

Our spirit has been imprisoned in an animal body for the purpose of testing our faithfulness to God. We do not owe our body anything except to beat it down and keep it under our strict control. If we are so foolish as to allow our animal body to govern our life we will drive out the resurrection life given us at our conversion. We will reap fleshly corruption in the Day of the Lord.

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:8)

The righteous live by faith in God—faith that God will raise them from the dead and they then will receive the treasures they have laid up in Heaven by their faithful, cross-carrying obedience during their discipleship on the earth.

And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. (Hebrews 11:36-38)

The Lord's saints always have been and always shall be considered by the wicked to be sheep for the slaughter. They shall also be rejected and slain by the Lord's own people. Every true prophet is cast out by the Israel of God.

To be continued.