[i]righteous – adjective - characterized by uprightness or morality: a righteous observance of the Torah[/i]. (HaShem's instruction) From the Hebrew word "[i]Tsaddiyq[/i]" Defined as - [i]right, correct, lawful[/i]. Only HaShem can define "[i]Righteous[/i]." [b]Deuteronomy 4:8 - "Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole Torah which I am setting before you today?"[/b] HaShem says nothing in the earth is a righteous as His Torah. He calls man's attempt at defining it and trying apart from Torah as clean as a used tampon. [b]Isaiah 64:6 - "And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment......And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away"[/b] Never is His Torah called "[i]filthy rag's[/i]", nor is the doing of it implied as such. Only our attempt at righteousness apart from His instruction is what is called filthy. Notice how in Isaiah 64:6 our righteous deeds are called (and placed on the same level as) "iniquities." [i]Iniquites = perversion[/i]. Our iniquities are our perversion of His Torah. What would an example of our attempt at righteousness be, then equated as iniquity? A righteousness apart from Torah like not honoring His Sabbath and calling that good, or eating an unclean animal and calling it clean and claiming it to be righteous. [b]Matthew 5:10 - "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of (Torah) righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heavens."[/b]

[b]Barry wrote:[/b] [quote]Isaiah 64:6 - "And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment......And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away" Never is His Torah called "filthy rag's", nor is the doing of it implied as such. Only our attempt at righteousness apart from His instruction is what is called filthy.[/quote] There isn't really anything in the context to suggest that their righteousness was as filthy rags because they were trying to be righteous apart from it. The wording of it seems to suggest that it is because of their iniquity that their righteousness has become "stained." Paul uses this idea (I'm not sure if quotes this verse or not. . .I don't have a Bible with references for quoted text with me at the moment) to show our [i]inability[/i] to be righteous because we all have iniquity that "stains our righteousness. [quote]A righteousness apart from Torah like not honoring His Sabbath and calling that good, or eating an unclean animal and calling it clean and claiming it to be righteous.[/quote] A better example would be not accepting the righteousness of God freely offered because of the blood of Jesus Christ.