Know the Real You

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses 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 KJV).

Dear friend, would you like to know the real you?

Our society has reached the point where nothing is absolute or settled: everything is open to question, debate, or amendment. What may be right to you and for you, may not be right to me and for me. As per this “relative righteousness,” we cannot condemn anyone or anything. All must be accepted without hesitation. This way of life will allegedly eliminate hatred, poverty, injustice, and war.

Humanity, having recognized there is a problem in this world, is desperately attempting to solve it in the energy of the flesh. Our world is trying to duplicate the Creator’s will, but it is attempting to do it without Him. The Bible calls this sin (hence, the Bible is never popular with people!). The Scriptures take an extremely narrow position on what is right and what is wrong. This standard of absolute righteousness stands in the way of man’s “progress” (to bring about God’s life via weak, futile human efforts!). Consequently, various methods have been devised to set aside the Scriptures—retranslate them, ignore them entirely, erase all traces of them.

Man believes there is nothing wrong with him. Even if he admits a fault here or there, he believes he can make it right. The two extremes are science (“I am smart enough to figure out the solution through empirical means”) and religion (“I am good enough to participate in rites, rituals, ceremonies”). Both parties endeavor to be upright—but this human goodness is insufficient because omniscient, sinless God is left out!

One inconvenient fact is: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We indeed are better than others—but, indeed, others are better than we. Yet, the standard is God’s righteousness, which none of us reach! Today’s Scripture declares, most unflatteringly, all our righteousnesses (our VERY “bests!”) is but “filthy rags” (sanitary napkins, what women use to wipe their menstruation blood!). If we are to be made right in God’s sight, we must look beyond ourselves and over to Him and what He can do for us.