Isaiah 64:6
The believer has been made clean through the blood of Jesus Christ and His Word spoken into us and over us (John 15:3), but if you want to see what we look like without His finished work in our lives, then read this verse from Isaiah:
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). This does not paint us in a very good light, comparing us to a “thing”, which is nameless and without identity but most certainly “unclean”. All of our attempts at goodness and holiness are as “filthy rags”, meaning that there is nothing that we can do that is considered “godly” or “good”.
Note the author’s use of “righteousnesses” in the plural, as opposed to the singular form of the word “righteousness”. This denotes more than one deed, and in fact, encompasses all of our efforts at goodness. Every individual act of righteousness that we perform is seen as a filthy rag. Why is this?
Most believers would have no problem accepting that each of their sins were as filthy rags, but to see their righteous acts as filthy would offend their sensibilities. The filthy rag of Isaiah 64 has a much deeper meaning in Hebrew as it represents the used menstrual cloth of a woman. This cloth is good for nothing and should be discarded and destroyed. What a striking example of man’s attempts at goodness!
When the woman with the issue of blood came to Jesus, she had already tried everything the world had to offer and “was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:26). Her constant bleeding meant that she had produced many “filthy rags” which sets her as a type of the believer living in self-righteousness. One touch of the Master and her bleeding stopped, freeing her from her works. One encounter with God’s grace (Jesus Christ) will make all attempts at self-righteousness seem silly and wasteful.
Another example of our righteousness is brought out in Isaiah 64:6, where we see that “we all do fade as a leaf”. Again, the Bible has already set the precedent for the leaf earlier in Genesis, when Adam clothed himself in an apron of fig leaves after he ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 3:7). This usage of fig leaves to cover nakedness makes the mention of leaves throughout the word represent man’s efforts at clothing over his sinful state. Any act of righteousness on our part that we do to get God’s approval, anointing, blessing, etc, is an “apron of fig leaves”.
The fig leaf is huge when it is on the tree, which is probably why Adam chose that particular leaf, but once it is disconnected from the branch it begins to lose moisture, eventually shrinking in the hot sun. As the day progressed, that which Adam had put on to cover his sin began to shrink in the light of the Sun of Righteousness; just as all of our righteousnesses will always do.
Remove the works of righteousness that you have added to your life to try and get God’s attention. He is already paying attention to you through the finished work of Jesus. His righteousness is in you, producing out of you, righteous acts. He took your sin so you can take His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21); don’t mess it up by offering Him your righteousness instead of your sin.
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). This does not paint us in a very good light, comparing us to a “thing”, which is nameless and without identity but most certainly “unclean”. All of our attempts at goodness and holiness are as “filthy rags”, meaning that there is nothing that we can do that is considered “godly” or “good”.
Note the author’s use of “righteousnesses” in the plural, as opposed to the singular form of the word “righteousness”. This denotes more than one deed, and in fact, encompasses all of our efforts at goodness. Every individual act of righteousness that we perform is seen as a filthy rag. Why is this?
Most believers would have no problem accepting that each of their sins were as filthy rags, but to see their righteous acts as filthy would offend their sensibilities. The filthy rag of Isaiah 64 has a much deeper meaning in Hebrew as it represents the used menstrual cloth of a woman. This cloth is good for nothing and should be discarded and destroyed. What a striking example of man’s attempts at goodness!
When the woman with the issue of blood came to Jesus, she had already tried everything the world had to offer and “was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:26). Her constant bleeding meant that she had produced many “filthy rags” which sets her as a type of the believer living in self-righteousness. One touch of the Master and her bleeding stopped, freeing her from her works. One encounter with God’s grace (Jesus Christ) will make all attempts at self-righteousness seem silly and wasteful.
Another example of our righteousness is brought out in Isaiah 64:6, where we see that “we all do fade as a leaf”. Again, the Bible has already set the precedent for the leaf earlier in Genesis, when Adam clothed himself in an apron of fig leaves after he ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 3:7). This usage of fig leaves to cover nakedness makes the mention of leaves throughout the word represent man’s efforts at clothing over his sinful state. Any act of righteousness on our part that we do to get God’s approval, anointing, blessing, etc, is an “apron of fig leaves”.
The fig leaf is huge when it is on the tree, which is probably why Adam chose that particular leaf, but once it is disconnected from the branch it begins to lose moisture, eventually shrinking in the hot sun. As the day progressed, that which Adam had put on to cover his sin began to shrink in the light of the Sun of Righteousness; just as all of our righteousnesses will always do.
Remove the works of righteousness that you have added to your life to try and get God’s attention. He is already paying attention to you through the finished work of Jesus. His righteousness is in you, producing out of you, righteous acts. He took your sin so you can take His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21); don’t mess it up by offering Him your righteousness instead of your sin.
