Dear friends:

Yesterday I was watching the excellent new British Christian TV channel, GodTV, and one speaker (didn't catch his name) reminded me of an important principle, with some interesting insights.

He said people need to repent of the "good things" they do as much as the "bad things," if not more so, if those so-called good things are seen in any way as self-righteousness.

He then gave two graphic illustrations, the first using Isaiah 64:6 (KJV): "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags."  He reminded us that the words "filthy rags" in the Hebrew (ed beged) literally mean a "stained menstruation cloth."  In other words, compared to God's holiness, our own righteousness is like a used Kotex or Tampex.  That surely puts self-righteousness in a new perspective and in the "yuk" category.

He also used Paul's words in Philippians 3:8: "I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ."  The word "dung" in the Greek (skubalon) means excrement.

Then this speaker, a very stuffy and proper chap, with the heavy British accent, made this unexpected statement, "People criticize me for saying this, but Paul was really saying that he counted the loss of all things as nothing but shit that he may win Christ." 

I was somewhat shocked but amused, and was struck with the simplicity and plainness of the Bible's words, unadulterated by man's attempts to make them more acceptable to modern polite and sophisticated ears.

May we also be quick to repent of any thoughts of self-righteousness that may creep into our consciousness, and automatically label such thoughts with the proverbial "s-word," as they deserve.  And may we always confess before our holy God, "Nothing in my hands I bring; simply to thy cross I cling."

May we be "found in him, not having a righteousness of (our) 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, NIV).

I hope no one on this mailing list is so self-righteous that they are offended at my using the literal, modern-day meaning of the Bible's plain language.  If so -- repent!

Jim