is there a passage in the bible stating "works of rightousness are as filthy rags"? - Page 3

ChristianWAB · #31 Sep 30, '05, 12:55 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramerbaby

I have a friend who is Baptist and quotes this continually, no matter what religious subject we talk about. Why would she do that?

Probably just wants to emphasize that you can't earn your way into Heaven. It's not saying that we should never do good works. In fact, the opposite is true. Good works should be a part of your life when you've asked Jesus into your heart, but one should never use good works to win their way into heaven.

catholic2 · #32 Oct 2, '05, 12:29 am

I feel so serious...

Isaiah 64:5 points to the fact that the "good deeds" were disimulative ones. Their deeds were faked and therefore were polluted rags. v4 "Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways!" Isaiah declares their guilt.

Paul touches on this same topic where in Philippians 3:2-6 he goes against the legalistic approach, himself being righteous in the law and that based on the law he himself was blameless even as he was persecuting the Church.

But in v 7-9, Paul brings the fullness of righteousness into focus as he says:
"whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. (8) More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ (9) and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith"

Righteous work then comes through faith in Christ Jesus, otherwise it is nothing but filthy rags.

geezerbob · #33 Oct 2, '05, 7:37 am

Read Is. 58. It's short, only two pages, then re-read this one. It could well be that the works the prophet is describing are the ritual works required by the law that are being carried out with unloving hearts. In chapter 58, God tells us what types of works He wants us to do and, in slightly different words, tells us of the futility of ritualistic good works if our hearts aren't right.

Roamin-Catholic · #34 Oct 2, '05, 10:48 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by geezerbob

Read Is. 58. It's short, only two pages, then re-read this one. It could well be that the works the prophet is describing are the ritual works required by the law that are being carried out with unloving hearts. In chapter 58, God tells us what types of works He wants us to do and, in slightly different words, tells us of the futility of ritualistic good works if our hearts aren't right.

I think this is exactly it. Our works must be accompanied by faith and love or else they are as filthy rags. This Scripture is used out of context by the "once-saved-always-saved" crowd to try to argue that our works are meaningless. This is a big lie from the little devil. Faith w/o works is dead, which means works are absolutely necessary. Here is a Scripture verse that gives us quite a different picture of works:

Quote:

"Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."
It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

BayCityRickL · #35 Oct 3, '05, 7:52 am

Last evening, Fr. Groeschel had a 'live' program about the judgment after death.

He quoted the verses in scripture (in Romans 2: 5- 6)
By your stubbornness and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself for the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgment of God, who will repay everyone according to his works.

Some of you may know the evangelical radio Bible teacher Harold Camping. I think Harold has it right when he says that every fornicator will wish he had committed fornication even one less time, and every adulterer will wish he had committed adultery even one less time, and a pornographer will wish that he had used pornography one less time.

St. Paul also tells us that God will not be mocked, so we should stop sinning.

For those who mock fundamentalists, please note that fundamentalists are not wrong about everything. Don't kid yourself.

(I don't accept sola scriptura, but I also reject no scriptura).