#SoulHealingTime
Luke 5:31-32
31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Isaiah 53:3
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
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Problem in the Church: Isaiah 64:6
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"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."
Is this scripture talking about born again Christians or "new creatures in Christ"? Does it mean saved persons always sin and never stop sinning willfully (in agreement with the devil and in disagreement with God)? Salvation in Jesus Christ is salvation from sin. It's coming out of bondage to sin and being set free indeed to serve God in righteousness (John 8:36; Romans 6:18).
Challenge yourself today to think upon Jesus' great work of salvation that He shed his blood for. He came into the world to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8), e.g. sin, darkness, uncleanness, unrighteousness.
1 Thessalonians 4:7
* (KJV) For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
* (NIV) For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
We are called by the Gospel to repent and be cleansed by the blood of Jesus (Acts 3:19, 26).
"What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean" (Acts 10:15). Yet the devil will have the child of God calling himself/herself "an unclean thing" according to Isaiah 64:6. That's identity theft. That is not who the child of God is!
Isaiah 64:6 is not talking about people who are new creatures in Christ, walking in the light and the love of God. While the passage is applicable to unbelievers/sinners who have never received the Gospel, because their good deeds would be as filthy rags to God because they themselves are not right with Him, the context of that passage tells us that it is referring to God's chosen people Israel who have gone astray from Him in disobedience. In other words, people who knew the right way but went another way. In the context of the church today, that would mean backsliders (e.g. Hebrews 6:4-6; Hebrews 10:38). So, applying the "we" in Isaiah 64:6 to everyone is saying that everyone is a backslider.
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The righteous do what is right in God's sight and please Him:
1 John 3:7
Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
Matthew 25:37-40
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’
Christians who are walking in the light and love of Jesus do not offer filthy rags to God. They are maintaining their relationship with Him, being faithful to Him and doing his will: good works done in faith.
Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Titus 3:8
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.
Revelation 19:7-8
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.
John 15:10
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 2:5
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
What believers believe about who Jesus is and about sin will determine whether they get saved/set free from sin indeed or whether they will die in their sins as unbelievers (John 8:24; Matthew 7:21-23).
Matthew 16:15
He (Jesus) said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
We who have purposed to follow Jesus and have Bibles, let's take Jesus' warning at heart to be careful to not be deceived by anyone coming in his name (Matthew 24:4-5). And may we choose how we want to be standing when He returns to judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31) and let's be standing that way now:
Revelation 22:11
He that is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still: and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
See also:
Our (own) righteousness is as filthy rags
"Are we are all sinners"? (Repent and be converted)
Struggle with sin and double-mindedness
The Bible speaks about the wicked (sinners) and the righteous (saints)
Problem in the Church: Romans 7
Problem in the Church: 1 John 1:8
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