The best of us are but a mixture of dirt and sin!

(Charles Simeon)  LISTEN to Audio!  Download Audio

Isaiah 64:6, "We are all infected and impure with sin. Our righteous deeds are nothing but filthy rags!"

Job 40:4, "Behold, I am vile!"

Humility is that grace which is most suited to our condition as sinful creatures. Yet we are quite hesitant to acknowledge ourselves to be so depraved as we in fact are. But the declarations of God are sufficient to humble the proudest heart. It is not only atrocious sinners who are thus vile, but "all"--all without exception! Nor are our worst actions only thus defiled--but all, even our "righteous deeds are nothing but filthy rags!"

Let all then, without exception, humble themselves as impure and vile sinners, who are altogether destitute of anything that is good!

Our own righteousness must be wholly renounced, as the best of us are but a mixture of dirt and sin! ("The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground!" Genesis 2:7) We must enter into the kingdom of Heaven, on the very same footing as harlots and scandalous sinners! This is humiliating to our proud nature, but it must be done!

It would be unfitting to an earthly monarch, to present his bride clothed in filthy rags! In the same way, it would be improper to present our sinful souls to the heavenly Bridegroom, clad in such polluted garments as ours!

Paul himself felt the necessity of having a better righteousness than his own, and to be "found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith!" Philippians 3:9

Just so, if ever we would find acceptance with God, we must seek it altogether through the righteousness of Christ!

All who are conscious of their own depravity and sinfulness, should rejoice that God has, "made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him!" 2 Corinthians 5:21