LESS than the Least! Filthy Rags Fellowship! [podcast]

The cross reveals your sin, and God’s love, not how wonderful you are! Repent!

Jesus died, was buried, and raised again from the dead to forgive, regenerate, redeem, and grant complete victory in this life to every one of His people. Yet, we must do things God’s way and no other way.

JESUS JUDGED SIN ON THE CROSS SO WE DON’T HAVE TO BE JUDGED FOR OUR SIN AND SO WE CAN EXPERIENCE “THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE” BOTH NOW AND FOREVER (JOHN 12:31-32; EPHESIANS 1:7; 2:7).

No. No. No. Born again believers into Christ are no longer walking in their own righteousness which is as “filthy rags” and yet, they are ever aware of the fact that outside of Christ, if they dare tread, means they are again as “filthy rags” in the sight of a Holy God (Isaiah 64:6; Ezekiel 33:12-13; 2 Peter 2:20-22)..

“And be found in him, NOT HAVING MINE OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS (“filthy rags”), which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” Philippians 3:9

Saints, we cannot possibly begin to appreciate this “so great salvation” that is Christ until we understand how lost, helpless, and alienated we were in our sin (Ephesians 2:1-10; Hebrews 2:3). We must study to understand the biblical doctrine of inherent sin, fallen mankind, and the holiness of God …. in order to begin to be able to appreciate the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.

“It is then, we say, in the successive stages of his experience, that the believer sees more distinctly, and adores more profoundly, and grasps more firmly, the finished righteousness of Christ. And what is the school in which he learns his nothingness, his poverty, his utter destitution? The school of deep and sanctified affliction. In no other school is it learned, and under no other teacher but God. Here his high thoughts are brought low, and the Lord alone is exalted.” Octavius Winslow

The true disciple sees himself as absolutely undeserving of and infinitely blessed to have been found, forgiven, and saved by the LORD Jesus Christ! He sees himself like Paul – “LESS than the least of all saints.” (Ephesians 3:8)

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15

Like Paul, we should always see ourselves as the one most in need of the great mercy of God given us through Christ our LORD! Pour over Titus 3:5-7 daily this week beloved of God.

We cannot die for our own sins. Jesus alone did that – perfectly paying for them (John 19:30). He lived a sinless life under the law – to keep it perfectly as no sinful man had or could ever do (Genesis 6:5, 12; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3; James 2:10, etc.). Christ then nailed the law to the cross and “took it out of the way,” removing us from under it – from under its impossible weight (Colossians 2:14-19, etc.). Memorize Romans 10:4 and James 2:10 and Galatians 2:16 brother.

Paul’s flesh was and our flesh is a constant reminder of the ever momentary need for the grace of Jesus. Romans chapters 6-7.

All I have to do to find the man most in need of God’s saving grace and mercy, is to look in the mirror (Romans 7:18, 24; James 1:23-24). As long as we neglect to look in the mirror, honestly, we will continue to be self-righteous as were Jesus’ most evil enemies, the religious frauds, the pharisees of His day (Matthew 23). Are we pharisees or humble, broken, honest disciples of Christ? (Matthew 18:3-4)

“Hell is full of people who think they deserve heaven. Heaven is full of people who know they deserve Hell.” Unknown

If we vainly imagine that someone else’s sin is more vile than our own in the eyes of a holy God, this is a tell tale indicator that we still don’t have a Gospel clue – as to our own utter unworthiness, wretchedness, and depravity outside of Christ! (Genesis 32:10; Jeremiah 17:9; James 2:10, 13; Titus 3:3-7, etc.)

How can we possibly begin to understand and appreciate why Jesus came to the earth to die if we still see ourselves as anything except “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” before a holy God? (Isaiah 6:3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 7:18; Revelation 4:8)

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9

The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart.

The apostle Paul had his personal testimony of being saved by the grace of Christ and considered himself to be, not the least, but rather “LESS than the least” of all saints in Christ. In my opinion, this should be the only thing you and I should disagree with Paul concerning. Paul didn’t know us when he said that, right? 😉 Get the point? -you and I, as we see the truth about our own utter iniquitous depravity (Romans 7), we should view ourselves as “LESS than the least of all saints.” (Ephesians 3:8) We should also agree with the divine truth, uttered from the great apostle of Christ and recorded below:

Defusing the iniquity of self-righteousness increases exponentially when we begin learning the biblical doctrine of fallen mankind (Genesis 6:5, 12; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 7:18; Psalms 39:4-5).  

We should see ourselves as the most undeserving of the saving grace of Christ. We should say before our God, with the man who hung his head low as he prayed and said “God be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18:13)

God calls those whom He saves to relish the great love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy He has shown upon us – “WHILE we were yet sinners.” (Romans 5:6-8) This is the disposition of the true disciple. In fact, He calls us to lift up and prefer others actually ABOVE ourselves.

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” Philippians 2:3-5

The above passage is a great way to begin our day, every morning.

Those who truly seek and love the LORD, love also all men. Having freely received it, they desire to pour out the message of Christ’s saving mercy on others. Memorize the words of our LORD recorded in Matthew 22:37-40.

Saved by Divine Mercy

We cannot die for our own sins. Jesus alone did that – perfectly paying for them (John 19:30). He lived a sinless life under the law – to keep it perfectly as no sinful man had or could ever do (Genesis 6:5, 12; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3; James 2:10, etc.). Christ then nailed the law to the cross and “took it out of the way,” removing us from under it – from under its impossible weight (Colossians 2:14-19, etc.). Memorize Romans 10:4 and James 2:10 and Galatians 2:16 brother.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:5-7

Do we still think we were worthy to be forgiven, saved? …. Not! God did it out of His sheer love! Can we examine that idea?

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…” Isaiah 64:6

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” Romans 3:10

“I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant.” Genesis 32:10

Foundations: JESUS came to save man from his SIN, first and foremost and not just to comfort, remove stress, and solve all the other problems that emanate from sin. Seldom is this foundational Bible truth ever heard in the apostate modern church world where it’s all about “what’s in it for me”? Total self-serving, un-repentant counterfeits! Memorize Matthew 1:29; John 1:29; and 1 Timothy 1:15. The essential doctrine of fallen mankind is ignored by modern wolves. | The Sinful Depravity of Fallen Mankind – Man Outside of the Present Saving Mercy of God

How do you see yourself? 

Some among us recklessly pretend to be sinless. This seems apparent in the way they harshly, mercilessly judge others. Yet, God’s Word warns each of us:

“be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23

Instead of covering our sins, denying we’ve committed them, we must admit them honestly and forsake them:

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8-10

If we don’t see things from God’s perspective, through the eyes of Holy Scripture, we are completely deceived and in need of repentance and true obedience to the only LORD and Savior.

One commentary on this passage states:

“Christ forces from the unwilling hearers an answer which, at the moment, they do not see will condemn themselves. Unaccustomed to be criticized and put to the question, wrapped in a self-complacent righteousness, which was generally undisturbed, they missed the bearing of the parable on their own case, and answered without hesitation, as any unprejudiced person would have decided. The first; i.e. the son who first refused, but afterwards repented and went. Verily I say unto you. Jesus drives the moral home to the hearts of these hypocrites. The publicans and the harlots. He specifies these excommunicated sinners as examples of those represented by the first son. Go into the kingdom of God before you; προαìγουσιν ὑμας: are preceding you. This was the fact which Jesus saw and declared, he does not cut off all hope that the Pharisees might follow, if they willed to do so; he only shows that they have lost the position which they ought to have occupied, and that those whom they despised and spurned have accepted the offered salvation, and shall have their reward. We must remark that the Lord has no censure for those who sometime were disobedient, but afterwards repented; his rebuke falls on the professors and self-righteous, who ought to have been leaders and guides, and were in truth impious and irreligious.” Pulpit Commentary

In this statement and much more of what we see in Holy Scripture, God expresses to us that the filthiest of sinners He detests are the self-righteous religionists.