I do not agree, God told us how He sees our "good works" but apparently some people still don't get it and so it is important to remind them what God actually thinks
That is a great point.
If they are so offended by God's truth, maybe that should tell them something about what actually should offend them -- men's corrupt nature which reveals itself in blasphemy against God.
Please tell me how anyone can know “what God actually thinks.”
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THIS is one of those points I fiercely agree on.
Human nature in ALL of us wants to white wash our sins . . .
AND
gild, embellish, auto-sanctify, neon-highlight, trumpet our good works--and maybe their bloodlines or organizational purity or pile of white hankies.
CHRIST, as usual, slices through all that deadliness describing the BEST WE CAN OFFER of our works
AS
The worst of that culture's offensive articles/objects--at least the worst that Good Israelites would have anything to do with.
I suspect pig poo would have been worse to them but they'd have not had anything to do with that.
Used Kotex, on the other hand, all were quite familiar with--very close to home. For Christ to say THAT'S what our best works of righteousness amount to slices to the bone marrow of self-righteousness, pride, arrogance, haughtiness, !!!CONTROL!!!! freaque-ism, etc.
What better declaration that ONLY HIS BLOOD IS SUFFICIENT. ONLY HIS BLOOD MAKES US THE LEAST BIT HOLY. ONLY HIS BLOOD CAN PRESENT US BLAMELESS BEFORE THE FATHER. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WE DO
EVEN with the best heart and spirit motives
can earn us the least corner of Heavenly Glory, nor the least favor of God in gratitude for OUR selfl-righteous works.
The words were harsh because
THE REALITY IS HARSH.
He wants us to GET IT.
Many still fail to GET IT.
The compulsion remains to white-wash our sins and gold spray our good works.
We resist with almost our every fiber that it's all deadly rot.
We want !!!!CONTROL!!!! of our own righteousness so we can take the credit. We want our works of righteousness to earn some of Heaven so we can leverage our negotiations with God.
He's designed it supremely wisely so that there'll be NONE OF THAT.
IT'S ALL JESUS BEGINNING TO END.
TO GOD'S GLORY.
NO FLESH SHALL GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE.
WE MUST GET THAT.
The used Kotex metaphor CAN help us GET IT, if we will pay attention with a teachable spirit.
About the time we start breaking our hands patting our backs for our good deeds this smell wafts by . . . and Holy Spirit says . . . uhhhh . . . 'Are you real sure about that?'
I do not agree, God told us how He sees our "good works" but apparently some people still don't get it and so it is important to remind them what God actually thinks
Exactly...God is very graphic and very clear what HE thinks about people counting on some 'work' that they may do to get to Heaven instead of relying of the 'it is finished', 'once for all' work of Jesus Christ...
Apparently some folks are offended by God when He speaks to them like that...