Connect Isaiah 64:6 with Romans 3:23 on human sinfulness and need for Christ. Setting the Scene Isaiah and Paul lived centuries apart, yet both prophets spoke with one voice about the human condition. Their words strip away self-deception and point every heart to the only sufficient Savior. What Isaiah Saw “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.” (Isaiah 64:6) • “All of us” means no exceptions. • Even our best deeds, measured against God’s holiness, are “filthy rags”—stained and unacceptable. • Sin is not static; it drives and carries us along “like the wind,” leaving us powerless to save ourselves. Paul’s Echo in Romans “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) • Paul echoes Isaiah’s “all of us,” showing continuity between Old and New Testaments. • “Fall short” pictures an arrow that never reaches the target—God’s perfect glory. • Sin is universal and active, not merely inherited but continually practiced (Romans 5:12). Universal Sin, Personal Need • Ecclesiastes 7:20 confirms that “there is no righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.” • Psalm 14:2-3 states that none do good, “not even one,” a truth Paul repeats in Romans 3:10-12. • The biblical verdict is collective, yet deeply personal. Each heart must reckon with its own guilt. Why Our Efforts Fail • Human righteousness is performance-based; divine righteousness is holiness-based. • Works cannot erase guilt (Ephesians 2:8-9). • Law-keeping exposes sin rather than curing it (Romans 3:20). • Reliance on self improvement is like trying to wash a garment with muddy water. Christ: The Only Remedy • “He was pierced for our transgressions… and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) • “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) • The righteous life we lack, Christ lived. The penalty we deserve, Christ bore. • His resurrection seals the promise of new life (Romans 4:25). Receiving His Righteousness • Repentance: turning from sin because it offends a holy God (Acts 3:19). • Faith: resting in Christ alone for forgiveness and new life (John 1:12; Romans 10:9-10). • New birth: the Spirit applies Christ’s work, giving a clean heart (John 3:5-6; Titus 3:5). • Justification: God declares the believing sinner righteous, not by works but by grace. Living in Humility and Hope • Confession remains vital: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves… If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us” (1 John 1:8-9). • Gratitude fuels obedience: “I urge you… present your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1-2). • Hope anchors the soul: the grace that saved us “instructs us to deny ungodliness” while we await Christ’s return (Titus 2:11-14). All have sinned; all may be saved. Isaiah exposed the stain, Paul explained the scope, and Christ supplied the solution. |
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