God Says, Part 2

‘But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.’ How does God describe us? He says we are all as an unclean thing. We would proclaim all our good deeds we have done, but God says they are as filthy rags in His sight.

Now remember we are looking at things from the way God sees them. How does God look at me? I say I’m a good person. I’ve been baptised. I go to church. I give my money. I do good deeds. I’m the best person I could be. I pray. I read my Bible. I believe in God. Surely this is good enough. But God says all my good works are like a filthy rag.

Let me explain what a filthy rag is briefly to help you understand what God is describing. A filthy rag in Bible days was a rag hung on a post outside of town. Lepers weren’t allowed to go into town because they would infect others with their oozing sores. But on a post outside of town was a rag hanging, called a filthy rag. A leper could come by with the puss oozing out of their sores and take that rag and clean their sores off. They would leave it hang on the post and the wind would dry it, the rain would come and wash it a little bit, and then another leper would come by, grab the rag and wipe his sores. The filthy rag was the community wiping rag of all the lepers.

God says your good deeds, all the good things you have done, your church membership, your attendance, your giving money, being a preacher or Sunday school teacher, is like a filthy rag in His eyes. That is how horrible it looks to God. That is how much good it does for you. God says He views it like a filthy, vile rag. Can you imagine, ladies, taking that rag home and washing your dishes with it? You wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing. But that is exactly how you propose to get into Heaven, isn’t it? By a filthy, vile dish rag.