Are all Our Works Filthy Rags? Reading Isaiah 64 in Context.

Have you ever heard anyone say that good works are “filthy rags,” before God? Maybe you are one has said this yourself. It is common to hear people repeat this phrase out of context. The verse this phrase is taken from is Isaiah 64:6: which says, ” 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.” – KJV

Let’s look at the whole not just a portion of what is being said:

Isaiah 64: 1 If thou wouldest open the heaven, trembling will take hold upon the mountains from thee, and they shall melt,
2 as wax melts before the fire; and fire shall burn up the enemies, and thy name shall be manifest among the adversaries: at thy presence the nations shall be troubled,
3 whenever thou shalt work gloriously; trembling from thee shall take hold upon the mountains.
4 From of old we have not heard, neither have our eyes seen a God beside thee, and thy works which thou wilt perform to them that wait for mercy.
5 For [these blessings] shall happen to them that work righteousness, and they shall remember thy ways: behold, thou wast angry and we have sinned; therefore we have erred,
6 and we are all become as unclean, and all our righteousness as a filthy rag: and we have fallen as leaves because of our iniquities; thus the wind shall carry us [away].
7 And there is none that calls upon thy name, or that remembers to take hold on thee: for thou hast turned thy face away from us, and hast delivered us up because of our sins. – LXXE

The context places the Israelites either during exile, or just after exile, and this passage is basically a plea for forgiveness. Notice in verse five the people say, “we have sinned; therefore we have erred.” They knew they had turned against God, and, therefore, they were “unclean” and their “righteousness was as a filthy rag.” The works they were doing were ritualistic sacrifices which God never wanted in the first place (see Did God Require Sacrifice?). Not to mention the fact that they had turned to false gods and idols. They didn’t have any righteous works, especially those that God called them to do.

Another thing to take note of is in verse 5,  “For [these blessings] shall happen to them that work righteousness,.”

Why do modern Christians believe and teach a whole doctrine from verse 6 proclaiming works are filthy rags in the sight of God, yet the verse just before speaks of how God blesses those who work righteousness? Make sense of that.

What does the Bible Say?

When we turn to the New Testament, however, and begin studying the teachings of Christ and His apostles, we quickly learn that works are actually a part of a true Christian lifestyle. Let’s take a look at some of these verses:

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. 3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. (Titus 3:1-8)

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:14-20)

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ (Matthew 25:31-36)

To say that good works are not expected of us by God and that they are filthy in His sight contradicts a large majority of what we learn from Christ and the apostles. The verses above are only a handful of the many verses that point toward the works that Christians should do and WILL do if they are truly changed and are following Jesus.

We are told to give to the poor, feed the hungry, pray for our enemies, teach the world about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, etc. Can you honestly say that by doing these things we are filthy rags before the eyes of God? Why would He tell us to do these things if they are filthy in His sight? Simple. He wouldn’t.

When we choose to place our faith fully in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, we then begin a conversion. We are justified through our faith, a changing faith that leads to good works—sanctification. James’ epistle points out how faith and works are so intertwined that you can’t have one without the other.

When we are gathered before Christ at judgement and He begins the separation, it will be based on our faith AND on what we have done with that faith. As Jesus said,  “for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.” Do you want to be separated with the sheep to “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world?” Or do you want Him to say “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness?”