1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,240 What can a dirty rag teach you about salvation? 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:05,920 More than you think. So let's talk about it on this 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:07,800 week's edition of Liberty at Home. 4 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,000 Hello there, and welcome to Liberty at Home, the five minute 5 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,880 devotional program brought to you by Liberty Baptist Church. 6 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:25,640 I'm your host Pastor Adam Rivero, and I've been the pastor 7 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,360 of Liberty since we started Easton over 12 years ago. 8 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:31,520 Today, as always, we're broadcasting from the studios of 9 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:35,520 ECAT in Easton, MA, where our neighbor to the West, Mansfield, 10 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,760 is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. 11 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,360 Hey Mansfield, we've got 50 years on you. 12 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,760 With all that being said, let's get into today's text, which 13 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:49,280 will be in the Book of Isaiah chapter #64 beginning of verse 14 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:52,440 6, it says. But we are all as an unclean 15 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,360 thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy 16 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:58,080 rags. And we all do fade as a leaf, 17 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:02,120 and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away, and 18 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,040 there is none that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up 19 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,480 himself to take hold of thee. For thou hast hid thy face from 20 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,480 us, and has consumed us because of our iniquities. 21 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:16,040 But now, O Lord, thou art our Father, we are the clay, and 22 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:19,840 Thou art Potter, and we all are the work of thy hand. 23 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:25,000 We've got a pile of them folded up neatly in our laundry room, 24 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,520 and most likely you do too. What am I talking about? 25 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,000 Rags. They're tattered and old, and 26 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,000 they're only used for the dirtiest of jobs. 27 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:39,080 You never, and I must emphasize this, never ever use them for 28 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,040 something requiring a cloth that is guaranteed to be clean. 29 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,640 This is because even when we think that cleaning rags are 30 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,160 clean, can we really be so sure they are? 31 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:50,960 I mean, think about it. They SOP up everything from 32 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,760 animal messes to motor oil. Even though they are washed and 33 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:58,160 maybe even bleached after every use, you're never really 34 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:00,200 comfortable that they're completely sanitary. 35 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,640 Would you dry your dishes with these rags? 36 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,240 Would you clean a baby with a cleaning rag? 37 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,720 Exactly. You know, oftentimes when I talk 38 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:11,920 to people about issues dealing with eternity, they tell me they 39 00:02:11,920 --> 00:02:14,600 hope their good works will gain them entrance into heaven. 40 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:17,960 Although many people believe this to be true, the teachings 41 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,600 of the Scriptures is, believe it or not, exactly the opposite of 42 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,120 this philosophy. The Bible tells us that our good 43 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:28,680 works cannot clean our sinful souls because they are much like 44 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:30,200 filthy rags. Our works are. 45 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:35,040 Consider today's text in Isaiah 64 which says But we are all as 46 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,800 an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy 47 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,880 rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like 48 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,400 the wind have taken us away. The Bible states that our works 49 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,720 cannot save us because human effort from an unclean heart 50 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,240 cannot erase our own sins. It would be like trying to clean 51 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,800 yourself with an oil soaked rag. Instead of getting clean, it 52 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:00,480 just makes more of a mess. This is why the Bible makes it 53 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:03,960 clear in both the Old and New Testaments that salvation is not 54 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:07,440 something we can work for, but rather it's a gift from God. 55 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,960 Consider Isaiah 118. Come now and let us reason 56 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:13,080 together. Say it the Lord. 57 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,400 Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. 58 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,720 Though they be red like Crimson, they shall be as wool. 59 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:22,880 The only thing that can cleanse us from our sins is the precious 60 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:27,040 blood of Jesus Christ. Salvation cannot ever be earned, 61 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:31,240 which is why Titus chapter 3 verse 5 says not by works of 62 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,360 righteousness, which we have done, but according to His 63 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:36,480 mercy. He saved us by the washing of 64 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,200 regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. 65 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,280 Now by the way, this washing is not the washing of baptismal 66 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:45,520 water, but the washing of Christ's blood, as we see in 67 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:49,320 Revelation chapter one verse 5. If you've considered that good 68 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,760 works can save a soul, listen. I'd encourage you to read verses 69 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:58,400 like Romans 327 and 28, Romans 623, or Ephesians 289. 70 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,120 These are just a small sampling of the multitude of verses 71 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,800 teaching that salvation is a free gift of God to those who 72 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:08,120 accept Him. Good works like church 73 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,920 attendance, charitable pursuits, or the so-called sacraments like 74 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:15,560 baptism are never once mentioned in scriptures as a way to 75 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:18,200 achieve heaven. You can't clean a body with a 76 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:22,000 rag, and the Bible tells us you can't clean a heart with one 77 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:24,440 either. This is why Romans chapter 5 78 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:28,080 verses 1 and 2 remind us that being justified by faith, we 79 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,920 have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also 80 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:36,280 we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and 81 00:04:36,280 --> 00:04:38,560 rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 82 00:04:39,280 --> 00:04:42,080 Cleaning with a rag won't make you physically clean, and 83 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,560 neither has good works ever cleansed one soul to grant them 84 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:49,200 entrance into heaven. Well, thank you as always for 85 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,960 watching Liberty at home. Whether you watch today on your 86 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:55,880 TV or online, hope you join us sometime soon for services. 87 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:58,720 Liberty Baptist Church meets every Sunday and Wednesday at 88 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:00,880 800 Washington Street, right here in Easton. 89 00:05:01,280 --> 00:05:04,480 Check us out on social media, on your favorite podcast app, or at 90 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,720 my libertybaptist.org. Well, we're out of time for this 91 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,520 episode, so I'll sign off by reminding you that where the 92 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:12,560 Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 93 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,280 I'm Pastor Adam Rivero, and we're looking forward to seeing 94 00:05:15,280 --> 00:05:18,240 you next week right here on Liberty at Home.