RIGHTEOUS RAGS

I’m not a bad person.
I’m a good person.

I’m not so bad.
I’m pretty good.

I’m better than most people.
I’m not as bad as . . .

My good is more than my bad.
My good outweighs my bad.

I do a lot of good for others.
I don’t hurt anyone.

I have good relationships.
I don’t hate anyone.
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Ten times “I . . .” in the above.
Four times “My . . .” in the above.
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Good ?
Right ?
Better than ?
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“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

The literal meaning of “filthy rags” (with a Hebrew word to make it clear)—anything after being used for a woman’s menstrual cycle.
That is why the common term was “on the rag”.
God’s choice of the word in the Bible makes it very clear how worthless, how despicable, our best efforts appear before Him.

My good counts for nothing—worse than nothing—repulsive to God.
My sin counts for hell.
And all that is why Jesus suffered and died.
Accept His payment for your sin, today.

“Jesus paid it all—all to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow.”