Filthy Rags

“You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry.
How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind, our sins sweep us away.”

Isaiah 64:5-6

 

It is my opinion that one of the worst smells ever is the stagnant stench of a dirty, moist, on the verge of mold dish rag. This stench radiates from the rag like a dead animal.

 

It’s hard to imagine that all of our good deeds, our righteous acts, could be like that stinky dish towel. But that’s exactly what Isaiah is saying.

 

What could cause such a thing to happen? 

Sin.

 

Sin spoils, rots, decays- taints even our best efforts.

 

“How then can we be saved?” Isaiah asked.

Jesus.

 

God’s plan from the very beginning was Jesus! He knew his people would continually fall short, and the only answer — Jesus.

 

As believers, we are preserved by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. All our sins are forgiven. However, our sinful acts can still taint our good deeds.

 

If we don’t have the right motive- they don’t count to our favor, but even more devastating is the effect our sinful acts have on the unbelievers around us.

 

Our hypocritical lifestyle is the excuse an unbeliever needs to not accept Jesus Christ. They judge the perfect Gift by the imperfections of those who are called by His name. The solution?

 

 “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

1 Timothy 5:16

 

 “…walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Ephesians 4:1-3

 

 It’s time to wash those filthy rags!

 

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Susan E. Greenwood is a wife, a mother, and a mother-in-law :D. She has over 28 years experience in youth and children’s ministries. Susan loves to write blogs, articles, devotionals, and curriculum. She has blogged for bible.org, and authors Mary Demuth, Lynn Cowell and Ruth Schwenk. Susan writes regularly for skitguys.com. Her passion is to help people live their Life In Stride with the Word of God.

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