How does Isaiah 64:6 describe our righteousness compared to God's holiness? Setting the Scene Isaiah addresses God on behalf of the nation, confessing the depth of human sin and the impossibility of self-generated righteousness. Text: Isaiah 64:6 “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.” Our Righteousness: A Filthy Garment • “Filthy rags” literally refers to garments so soiled they are unfit for any holy purpose. • Even the deeds we label “righteous” are tainted by pride, mixed motives, and imperfection (Romans 3:10, 23). • The imagery demolishes every notion that human effort can merit favor with a perfectly pure God. God’s Unblemished Holiness • Scripture paints God as “Holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:3), utterly separate from sin. • His standard is moral perfection (Leviticus 19:2; Matthew 5:48). • Against that blazing purity, the best human virtue appears as polluted cloth. Why Our Best Falls Short • Human nature is corrupted from birth (Psalm 51:5). • Sin twists even noble intentions into self-centeredness (Jeremiah 17:9). • Apart from divine cleansing, we remain spiritually “unclean,” disqualified from God’s presence (Habakkuk 1:13). The Hope Found in Christ • God offers the perfect righteousness of His Son as a substitute for our filthy rags (2 Corinthians 5:21). • Through faith, believers are “clothed with garments of salvation” and “wrapped in a robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). • Christ fulfills the Law’s demands, enabling us to stand blameless before God (Romans 8:3-4). Living in Humble Dependence • Recognize daily that any good we do flows from God’s grace (John 15:5). • Confess sin quickly and rely on Christ’s cleansing blood (1 John 1:9). • Serve others, not to earn acceptance, but out of gratitude for acceptance already granted (Ephesians 2:8-10). |
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