Filthy Rags Story - Must Read!!

A friend sent me this from one of Bill Bright's books entitled "Living Supernaturally in Christ".  It is a great reminder to every Christ-follower of who we are IN HIM!

The first step to living in Christ is to simply recognize and accept the truth about who you are in Him. When you became a Christian, you became a new person. The core of who you are is no longer the same. All your sins—past, present, and future—are forgiven, and Christ has clothed you in His righteousness. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (NIV).  We often describe a generous person as someone who will give the shirt off his back.  Jesus gave us the righteousness off His back. Isaiah says, “When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags” to God (Isaiah 64:6). But Jesus exchanged our rags for His righteousness—and we will be clothed in His righteous garments for all eternity.

One day a man toured a paper factory in England that makes the finest stationery. He asked, “From what is the delicate paper made?” He was shown a huge pile of old rags.  He was told that the rag content is what determines the quality of the paper. The man would not believe that those dirty rags could be used for anything good. 

Six weeks later he received a package of paper from the company with his initials embossed on it. On the first page were written the words, “Dirty Rags Transformed.”  The same is true of our life in Christ. God has taken our attempts at righteousness, which are filthy rags, and transformed them through the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  Because we are now clothed in Christ’s righteousness, our sins are forgiven and we are justified—declared righteous! Our old nature no longer has power over us because we have a new identity and a blessed future. 

Bill Bright, (2000).  Living Supernaturally in Christ