FILTHY RAGS: GOD CALLS US TO DO GOOD
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Filthy Rags
a) The statement, "All our righteousness is like filthy rags", is found in the middle of a Biblical poem in Isaiah (Isaiah 64:4-9). The saying has caused a deep struggle in many hearts. Does the statement mean that it's pointless to do righteous deeds and they have no value in God's eyes? No, it doesn’t.
b) We put the "filthy rags" statement into context, looking at other statements in Isaiah to see that true righteousness is not "filthy rags".
2. God Calls Us To Do Good
a) A recurring feature of Isaiah is the pleading of the Lord for his people to give up their evil and turn back to righteous living. The Lord says, "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean, take away from before my eyes the evil of your deeds. Cease to do evil, learn to do good" (Isaiah 1:16-17). The passage goes on to say that if the people do this willingly and obediently, they will be rewarded and blessed (Isaiah 1:18-20).
b) Here’s another example: "Thus says the Lord, Preserve justice and do righteousness... How blessed is the man who does this..." (Isaiah 56:1-2). How can that be "filthy rags"?
The End ...
1. Filthy Rags a) The statement, "All our righteousness is like filthy rags", is found in the middle of a Biblical poem in Isaiah (Isaiah 64:4-9). The saying has caused a deep struggle in many hearts. Does the statement mean that it's pointless to do righteous deeds and they have no value in God's eyes? No, it doesn’t.
b) We put the "filthy rags" statement into context, looking at other statements in Isaiah to see that true righteousness is not "filthy rags".
2. God Calls Us To Do Good
a) A recurring feature of Isaiah is the pleading of the Lord for his people to give up their evil and turn back to righteous living. The Lord says, "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean, take away from before my eyes the evil of your deeds. Cease to do evil, learn to do good" (Isaiah 1:16-17). The passage goes on to say that if the people do this willingly and obediently, they will be rewarded and blessed (Isaiah 1:18-20).
b) Here’s another example: "Thus says the Lord, Preserve justice and do righteousness... How blessed is the man who does this..." (Isaiah 56:1-2). How can that be "filthy rags"?
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