Isaiah 64
5 You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. Behold, You were angry, for we sinned, We continued in them a long time ; And shall we be saved ? 6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment ; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
I want to look a little bit at Isaiah 64:5-6.
This was written concerning the Jews and was talking about the way they had obeyed the law and gone through their religious ceremonies.
Two comparisons here, one would be to today's religions that practice ceremonial religious functions in an attempt to cover themselves in righteousness. The other comparison is to those who try to cover themselves in righteousness by doing good works in the name of our Lord.
God love those who rejoice in doing righteousness. I think we make a mistake in calling, or referring to, these acts to be 'Good Works' we should be calling them 'Acts of Love'. People do not rejoice when they do acts of labor but the same act done because of love and not something that is done for personal gain or recognition, brings joy to that person.
You can be baptized, say the Lord's prayer five times a day, deliver food to orphans on your days off, but all this will be seen as filthy rags by your Creator unless it is done as acts of love. There is no ceremony great enough to take away your sins and cleanse you in the eyes of God. The only thing that can cleanse you is a covering of your sins by the blood of Christ.
