Wrong Way Around

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.
Isaiah 64:6 NIV

When the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, we realize that we are fundamentally sinful or unclean.  While we used to believe that we were basically good people who sometimes did wrong things, the Holy Spirit shows us the opposite is true.  Our default is to be sinful and to do hurtful and destructive actions to ourselves and others.  This is a shocking revelation but unless we face it, we will never see the need for a saviour.  Isaiah calls our righteous acts "filthy rags". A rag is often used to clean something but a filthy rag is useless to clean anything or to accomplish any good. Even what we think of as good deeds are tainted by our innate sinfulness unless we are made clean by God.

It can be frustrating when our friends and family brush off any talk of a saviour. Don't they want their sins forgiven?  Don't they want to get rid of sin in their lives?  Don't they want to go to heaven to be with God?  Many of them believe they are basically good and don't need forgiveness. And, sadly, they don't want to be with a holy God.  I can pray that the Holy Spirit will convict them because without conviction of sin, they will not turn to Christ.