All of our righteous is as filthy rags.
JL: Notice the beginning of Isa64:6
ALL OF US HAVE BECOME LIKE SOMETHING UNCLEAN.
[Isa64:5 YOU come to the HELP of **THOSE who gladly DO RIGHT, WHO REMEMBER YOUR WAYS. BUT WHEN
WE CONTINUED TO SIN against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? 6
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. 7
NO ONE CALLS ON YOUR NAME or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away
BECAUSE OF OUR SINS.]
I would guess the vast majority of Protestants who quote Is64:6 have never once read anymore than verse six. Most probably haven’t even looked up verse six at all. They HEARD it preached and simply believe and pass it on, in an oral tradition of men, made a doctrine of God, from generation to generation. Teaching ALL WORKS, whether in GRACE (saved) or SIN (unsaved), are as filthy rags before God. I heard it preached when I was Protestant.
The reason their righteous acts are like a polluted garment, or filthy rags, is because they were done in a state of sin. They had gone astray, were unfaithful to God. Living in a state of sin when they did those works. Their righteous acts were polluted by their sins. Righteous works are pleasing to God if we are in a state of grace (friendship with God). There is no reward (merit) for works, no matter how good, done in a state of sin (enmity with God). [Jer 17:10 I THE LORD SEARCH THE HEART and examine the mind, to reward a man according to HIS CONDUCT, according to what his DEEDS deserve.] Scripture tells us many times we will be judged by our DEEDS.
In a state of grace (saved) good deeds exercises faith making faith and God’s grace grow and increase in the faithful believer. [Eph2:10 For WE ARE his workmanship, CREATED in Christ Jesus UNTO GOOD WORKS, which GOD hath before ORDAINED that WE should WALK IN THEM.] It is totally ridiculous to say, we are God’s workmanship created in Christ to walk in good works, which God himself has prepared and given the grace for those IN CHRIST to do. Then say they are as filthy rags before God.
There are none righteous, not one.
JL: I think you are referring to Ps14:4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD. 5 There were they in great fear:
for God is in the generation of the righteous. You might find the Ampflied Bible more clear,
biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2014&version=AMP
Ps97:10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. 11
Light is sown for the RIGHTEOUS, and gladness for the upright in heart. 12
Rejoice in the LORD, ye RIGHTEOUS; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Mt13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets
and RIGHTEOUS men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Lk1:5 THERE was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6 And
they were both RIGHTEOUS before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
Is scripture in error and contradicting itself or is your interpretation, a tradition of men, in error?