Filthy Rags Unto Rigtheousness

Filthy Rags unto Righteousness Written: Monday November 7th, 2022, 4:05 a.m.

Sitting down at work I know it was a good time to get up and take a walk. The Lord was on my mind than the task at hand, so I grabbed my phone, locked my computer and commenced to begin of the few daily walks I take.

Inner Thought: “What does it mean to be self-righteous and what does it take to move beyond self-righteousness into righteousness in and before God?”

I pondered this as I walked, students around me books opened, laptops beaming light, and laugher abrupting from time to time, not to mention the beeping of the vending machines.

Looking out the windows of the third floor, I saw the clouds on their journey floating across the sky blue as the ocean came from. “Jaque’, you know all our righteousness is as filthy rags.” I heard my dad’s voice faintly in the back of my mind. In hearing that for the first time it unsettled and settled me at the same time.

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)

I was unsettled in the fact that all I’ve done or attempted to do to please God within my own strength paled to compare to his righteousness alone. I was very taken aback and settled in knowing there was an answer on the other side of unpracticed self-righteousness.

Me to Jesus: “But I like self-righteousness, it gives me something to do.”

Self-righteousness gave me many business and ministry ideas, podcast themes, and scripts for Netflix one day. It gave me much prayer time attempting to get back in good standing with God because I kept failing. Knowing all along what he wanted me to do, but out of fear of failure or more so fear of growth in the Lord, I chose what was perceived as safety. “For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” (Romans 8:3)

Scripture says: Abide in me as I abide in you, that means to stay, means to stay in him, in holiness, in righteousness, and how do we do this? That happens through our full obedience to the Lord, and how do we know what to obey, how to obey? By having a personal relationship with the Lord and a communal relationship with the saints, the sons and daughters of God.

Self-righteousness in looking at my own walk with the Lord only included me and what I could get. The measurements of success and growth by the world’s standard, which I used to determine my growth and success in God. Social Media being the litmus test of my faith rather than application of the word of God.

The Great Confession “And it came to pass as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them saying, whom say these people that I am? They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. He said unto them, "But whom say ye that I am?” Peter answering said, “The Christ of God.” (Luke 9: 18-20)

“For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.” (Romans 6:10)

Through obedience we begin to understand that work of God, but not only that we also begin to understand the mind of God, not in its entirety but in part as the Lord reveals his true nature to us, for his ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts, that’s what scripture tells us.

“For as heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

Self-righteousness unto righteousness, filthy rags into righteousness is like cleaning a window shield with a muddy rage wondering why it won’t come clean. Sitting down at my desk I take a deep breath, opening the case for my glasses I proceed to clean them with my shirt only to leave smudges behind. Reaching in my work bag I pull out my glass cleaner and cloth providing a cleaner clean and shine.

We have an opportunity to put aside our rags for his righteousness as we walk with the Lord personally and communally. Self-righteousness gave me something to do, obedience unto righteousness unto holiness gives me something to become. Selah...Amen!

Reference Passages: John Ch.15 Romans Ch. 6-8