Reclaiming the Word | Isaiah 64:6—Your Righteous Pursuit is Not Filthy Rags
Blog Post | Isaiah 64
Your Righteous Pursuit is Not Filthy Rags
Have you ever felt like your best efforts to live righteously are worthless?
Maybe you didn’t even think about it—until you sat in church one Sunday and heard your pastor completely butcher Isaiah 64. As you looked around, wondering if anyone else noticed, the weight of his words settled in.
Before you know it, guilt sets in. Shame sets in.
No matter what you do to honor God, you feel as if all your works amount to nothing more than “filthy rags.”
You’re not alone.
Since becoming a Christian, I’ve seen this verse twisted time and time again. I’m sure many have good intentions, but God’s Word should never leave us in shame. Conviction? Absolutely. But shame? That’s something entirely different.
Here’s the hard truth: many people are so used to mental and spiritual abuse that when a pastor shames them, it feels normal—almost comfortable. Anything else might even make them uneasy, to the point where they struggle to receive any message at all. But let me be clear: abuse is not normal. And we must start holding those who mishandle the Word accountable. The shame belongs to them, not you.
Sorry, but you can’t sling God’s Holy Word like mud—hurling accusations and insults—and then wrap it up with an “amen” and a “hallelujah” and call it preaching. There are far too many pastors shouting at their congregations and not enough congregations correcting their pastors. Perhaps too few people are truly in the Word. If that’s the case, I hope to help change that.
Jesus wants you to know you are loved. You deserve a shepherd who feeds the flock, not one who burdens them with guilt. No one has the right to shame what Christ Himself has washed clean and died for.
So, let’s dig in.
Jesus, guide us in Your Word. Lead us in Your power, Your truth, Your light, and Your life! Open our eyes and ears to Your glory. Give our hands and feet the strength to carry Your Word to all nations. In Jesus’ Name, we pray—Amen and Amen!
But before we dive into Isaiah 64:6, let’s pause and recognize what’s happening here: shame, defeat, discouragement, isolation, misunderstanding.
God never makes us feel these things.
Those are darts from the evil one. And if that’s what you’re feeling in church, it’s time to educate your pastor.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to leave your church. The body of Christ is meant to stand together, to fight the enemy—not to abandon one another when things get hard. But we do need to pursue truth. Because the reality of Isaiah 64:6 is far more beautiful and life-giving than this misinterpretation suggests.
So let’s take a deeper look at what this passage really means for those who desire to live a life that pleases God—which, as Christians, is exactly what we are called to do.
Otherwise… what’s the point of it all?
You receive salvation. But what does God receive?
Relationships are reciprocal.
“Isaiah 64:6 has often been misquoted and taken out of context, leaving many believers discouraged. But God’s Word always brings hope and encouragement—not defeat or fear! ”
At first glance, this verse seems to dismiss any attempt at righteousness as “polluted.” But context is critical. Isaiah 64 is a lament—a confession from Israel during a time of rebellion and spiritual decay.
The people were performing outward religious rituals, but their hearts were far from God (Isaiah 29:13). Their so-called “righteous deeds” were empty because they lacked faith and true repentance.
The very rituals God had given them—meant to draw them closer, stir their hearts to seek Him, and lead them to worship—became a source of resentment. Instead of inquiring about their God and esteeming Him, their hearts hardened. And isn’t that still the world’s problem today?
(Hence why they killed their Messiah. Their anger was so deeply rooted that the last thing they wanted to hear was a message of love and forgiveness. Forgive the Romans? Who does this Jesus think He is, telling us that? But… that’s a different blog for a different day.)
They feared the Lord—but not in the way a child reveres a loving Father. They didn’t see that He was raising them as His children, teaching them how to live in Him, and calling them to true freedom.
Isaiah 64:6 is not a condemnation of genuine, Spirit-led obedience. It’s a call to humility—a warning for those who trust in their own works apart from God. It speaks to those who continue striving in their own strength, refusing to cry out to Him.
A Good Father
A good word to define the Israelites’ behavior is self-reliance—but not the kind rooted in true faith. They believed in God’s power, yet they failed to fully trust Him, attempting to sustain themselves apart from His provision.
This mirrors Israel’s time in the wilderness. They witnessed God's miracles firsthand, yet they remained stubborn, doubted His care, and refused to believe His promises. Slavery doesn’t just disappear in one generation; it takes time to be uprooted from a people’s mindset.
They even went so far as to demand that Moses keep God away from them! Can you imagine how that must have broken God’s heart?
Psalm 78:40-41 tells us, "How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel."
A more biblical term for this is double-mindedness (James 1:6-8)—wavering between trust in God and trust in themselves.
But God wasn’t teaching them to be independent in a worldly sense. He was teaching them faithful dependence—learning to take action while fully relying on Him. Perhaps a better way to phrase it is God-dependent stewardship: they were meant to act, but never apart from trust in Him or outside His will.
“Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”
This moment is heartbreaking. God was drawing near to them, but instead of embracing Him, they pulled away in fear. They witnessed His power but failed to understand His heart. Rather than trusting Him as their Father, they kept Him at a distance, relying on Moses as a mediator.
This stands in stark contrast to what God truly desires for His people. Later, in Christ, we see the fulfillment of what Israel rejected—a Mediator who not only speaks for God but is God, drawing us into a relationship rather than keeping us at a fearful distance. The writer of Hebrews highlights this beautifully in Hebrews 12:12-29, emphasizing how we are called to approach God with reverence and awe, confident in our relationship with Him:
12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.
17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.
18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest
19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.
20 For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.”
21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,
23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.
26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”
27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
29 for our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:12-29
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016 | Crossway Bibles
All God ever wanted was for His people to love Him and trust Him as their Father. But they were enslaved for so long—generations deep in oppression—that fear became their natural response. They feared Pharaoh, they feared the wilderness, they feared God’s presence, and so they never truly learned to rest in His love.
(And we can get carried away thinking the message is that we have to be careful or God will pass us by—but you’d be wrong. The message is that the people of Israel were the vessel God used to reach the gentiles and get His message to the masses. Through them, Christ is magnified and the Good News of the Gospel is preached to all the nations; hence the reason Jesus is never stressed about anything — aside from the fact he’s God— he knew the plan. That he would be magnified through the disobedient Israelites.)
I think part of the reason they never overcame their fears is that they never fully surrendered their hearts. They saw His power but didn’t truly know His character. Instead of trusting Him as their loving Father, they treated Him like a distant ruler—someone to appease rather than someone to love.
It’s the same pattern we see in the Garden. Adam and Eve walked with God, but when they sinned, their first instinct was fear—they hid from Him instead of running to Him. Sin distorts how we see God. Israel had been in slavery for so long that they saw authority through the lens of oppression rather than love.
And yet, God never stopped pursuing them. He fed them, guided them, and showed them mercy over and over again. But they hardened their hearts. Instead of allowing His love to drive out their fear (1 John 4:18), they clung to their fear because it was familiar. They never made the choice to trust Him.
It’s heartbreaking because we see the same thing today—people who stand at the edge of true freedom in Christ but refuse to step into it because fear feels safer than faith. But God is still calling, still loving, still longing for His people to trust Him. That’s why Jesus came—to show us, once and for all, that we don’t have to be afraid anymore.
Your Righteous Pursuit is Not Filthy Rags
For believers who are in Christ, the desire to live righteously is not worthless—it’s evidence of God’s Spirit at work in you. It is the very fruit Jesus Christ speaks of, “You will know them by their fruit,” —Matthew 7:16.
Your efforts to honor God, walk in obedience, and reflect His character are pleasing to Him.
Consider these Biblical truths:
God delights in your pursuit of righteousness.
“The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.” (Psalm 147:11)
Your longing to live a life that glorifies God comes from Him. It’s not a futile effort; it’s an act of worship.Jesus transforms your works.
In Christ, your works are no longer tainted by sin but are made acceptable to God. His righteousness covers you, enabling you to live in a way that pleases Him:
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
—Ephesians 2:10.
God sees your heart. He knows you’re not trying to earn His love, or your salvation—you already have it. Your efforts are an offering of love and gratitude, not polluted garments.
Moreover, the idea of working in harmony with God aligns with the Gospel and His original plan for Adam and Eve. And when we pray, “on earth, as it is in heaven,” we further the idea of continuous worship with the promise of eternal life and New Jerusalem.
It’s the culmination of God’s redemptive plan, His people, in His place, under His loving rule, glorifying Him forever. What a hope to hold on to! Hello!
(Now if you think your works will get you there, and not Jesus—there’s a problem! But, if you have accepted Jesus and you have a desire for good works, then that is Fruit of the Spirit calling you to relationship with God).
Jesus’ Greater Promise:
The vision of the New Jerusalem paints a picture of a restored and perfect creation where all of God's people live in His presence, worshiping and glorifying Him—not just with songs and praise, but through everything we do. It’s a fulfillment of what we were always meant to be: a people in perfect harmony with our Creator, reflecting His glory in all aspects of life.
In the New Jerusalem, our "works" won’t be burdensome or corrupted by sin—they will flow naturally as fruit of the Spirit. These works will be acts of love, creativity, stewardship, and service, all done in the joy of being fully united with God, and God’s people...
Revelation 22:3-5 gives us a glimpse of this:
“No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”
Good Works as Eternal Worship
In the New Jerusalem, our good works—those pleasing to God—will be an unending act of worship. Everything we do will glorify Him, because sin will no longer taint our actions. Just as now the Spirit enables us to do good works as worship, in the New Jerusalem, this will be perfected.
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” (Colossians 3:23) Even today, this is the call of the believer—but in eternity, we will live this truth perfectly and joyfully.
Fruit of the Spirit Fully Manifested
The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)—will define our lives in the New Jerusalem. These fruits will shape all of our interactions, our work, and our worship. Imagine a world where everything you do springs from perfect love and goodness, without selfishness or struggle.
The Restoration of Creation Mandate
In Genesis, humanity was called to steward creation, reflecting God’s image by ruling over it in love and care. In the New Jerusalem, this original purpose will be fully restored. Our work, relationships, and worship will harmonize perfectly with God’s will.
“And they shall reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 22:5) This reigning isn’t about domination—it’s about joyful stewardship under the authority of God, bringing Him glory in every action.
The Eternal Glory of God Through Us
Isaiah 60:19-21 gives us a prophetic vision that mirrors Revelation:
“The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified.”
God’s people in the New Jerusalem will live as His “workmanship,” radiating His glory forever through every act of righteousness and love.
Living as a Foretaste of New Jerusalem
What’s beautiful is that even now, as redeemed believers, we have the privilege of living out a foretaste of this eternal worship. Our Spirit-led good works today are glimpses of what will be perfected in the New Jerusalem. Each time we serve others, care for creation, or glorify God in our lives, we echo the eternal reality of worship in His presence.
Rejecting the Misuse of Isaiah 64:6
Using this verse to condemn a heart pulled toward righteous living is a distortion of the gospel. The good news is that Jesus has fulfilled perfect righteousness on our behalf, and through Him, we are empowered to live in a way that honors God. Far from being “filthy rags,” a life of Spirit-led obedience is a beautiful reflection of God’s grace at work.
A Word of Encouragement
If you’ve felt the weight of this verse misused against you, let it go. Your pursuit of righteousness is not wretched—it’s worship. God doesn’t expect perfection, but He does delight in your heart’s desire to glorify Him.
Here’s the truth: You are His child, and He rejoices in your journey. Keep walking in faith, trusting that He is with you, guiding you, and transforming you.
Closing Reflection
Lord, thank You that my efforts to live righteously are not worthless but instead are a beautiful reflection of Jesus Christ and the growth of Your Abundant Blessings and Your Fruit from Your Spirit working in me, and a promise of the Hope (assurance) we can rest in for the eternal that is now, but yet to come. We praise You for Your mercy and Your love and grace and Father, Help me to rest in Your grace and walk in obedience, knowing that You delight in my desire to honor You. May my life be an offering of worship, not out of fear, but out of love and joy for all You have given me, and all those whom You love and have called to You, in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen + Amen!
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