Like Filthy Rags ♡♡♡

 

"After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness. "No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of thier land but an account of the wickedness of this nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Understand then that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people" - Deuteronomy 9:4-6

I don't know about you, but sometimes I am all up there high on "Godfimometer" when I have gone many days without sin, or not had any major problems with my heart. Chin up, walk different, talk different. You know, In short moral high lol. On the flip side of things, it only takes one moment of what I consider to be a major slip up, and you'll have me in one corner like a chicken fighting to stay alive. Chin down, walk different, talk different, confidence low [you know, insert others here]. Of course there is room for Godly sorrow, but to those who know, you get it? Thank God for Roman 8:1 & other amazing scriptures like this: we battle to victory the slippery slope of condemnation. Thank God for scriptures like Romans 3:10, we are humbled and cannot even boast in any way about our own righteousness. The cross indeed is a leveler :)

We have the tendency to lean on our own "self righteousness" - When we "feel holy" we believe ourselves to be holy. when we "don't feel holy" vice versa. When the people we value the most in our lives, speak highly of us or validate us in any way, our self worth increases, conversely when they change thier minds, it decreases. What a stressful life that can be [thumbs down]. Thanks be to God who through the Cross of Jesus Christ, has given every man or woman the opportunity to put down "filthy rags" in exchange for His own righteousness.

"If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about - but not before God. What does scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." - Romans 4:3

God called Abraham before he was able to do any "good works". Scripture alludes to the fact that the Israelites were stiff-necked and were never able to fulfill all of God's laws and commands. It was impossible. God's commitment to his word over thier lives was based on his covenant agreement with their forefathers- "......to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob". Also because frankly speaking, that is who HE is "Faithful & True" on period. Likewise in the dispensation of grace, it is to accomplish what God wrought through Christ on the cross. For everyone who has Jesus as thier Lord and Saviour, they fall under this category. And for anyone else who will surrender to Jesus in the future YAY. To be honest, that is major good news for me, cause boi! - Mind you this is no license to sin however way we please. Romans 6:1-4. God's deep love for us in this way, should rather compel us to good works and spur us unto righteousness. 2 Cor 5:14-15. Can I get an amen?! :)

So what really is my point in all of this? It is our posture before God and before people, thanks for asking. It is our humble surrender to and dependency on God everyday of our lives, when we recognize that every good thing we have, will ever own, do or accomplish is only because He enables us to, and not because we have earned it, or have anything to boast of by ourselves. I heard this amazing quote this week, from a German philosopher - "I don't know myself, Only God knows who I am. And may God deliver me from ever finding out" LOL, but seriously spot on. Really all to say, that it is pointless trying to understand and know thy own self. Pointless to rely on thy self and thy own self righteousness. At best it is "filthy" with an extra drag. Let our deepest pursuit be to know intimately that man from Galilee. The ONLY one who dresses people in the BEST apparels, for our own righteousness are indeed like filthy rags.

"I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels" - Isaiah 61:10

Is this your testimony? If it isn't, repent :)

Love,

SR