Are ALL Good Works Like Filthy Rags?
If you spend any time listening to Calvinists, it won’t be long before you’ll hear them say that good works are like filthy rags. God could care less about these things, we are told. This view is allegedly based on Isaiah 64:6, where the prophet said:
“But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6).
Commenting on this passage, determinist Ward Fenley of NCMI Live said: “Our good works mean nothing to [God]…They are like dung.”[1]
The problem with Fenley’s interpretation is that he is ripping the passage out of context. Isaiah was not referring to everyone’s good works; rather, he was referring to hypocrites’ good works. When this passage was written, the Israelites were walking around in religious robes, pretending to be righteous, kissing babies in public—sort of like many politicians today—yet inside they were full of abominations. It is these people whose good works are like filthy rags—not everyone’s!
The Jews in Jesus’ day were like this too, which is why he called them whitewashed tombs (Matt. 23:27). They looked clean on the outside—wearing religious robes, acting righteous in public—but inside they were full of abominations. This is the kind of people Isaiah was referring to when he said “our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.” He wasn’t referring to everyone!
The Context
The context surrounding Isaiah 64:6 shows this. In the very last verse of previous chapter, Isaiah 63, the prophet had just said: “We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled” (Isa. 63:19). Notice that Isaiah said they had become this way; they were not born this way. They had become this way because of their iniquities.
Isaiah then says, “Our righteousnesses are like filthy rags (Isa. 64:6).
Then Isaiah says to God: “You have hidden Your face from us, and have consumed us because of our iniquities” (Isa. 64:7).
As this passage says, the Israelites in Isaiah’s day were full of iniquities. Yet in spite of this, they were walking around claiming to be God’s righteous people. It is these people whose good works were like filthy rags—not everyone’s.
God Cares Immensely about Righteousness
Claiming that good works mean nothing to God is a complete misreading of the Bible. Righteous people are role models all throughout Scripture. Noah was called righteous (Gen. 7:1); Daniel was called righteous (Ezek. 14:14); Job was called righteous (Ezek. 14:14); John the Baptists parents were called righteous (Luke 1:5-6).
Even some non-Jews/non-Christians were righteous. The book of Acts describes the Gentile Cornelius—who was not a Jew (or Christian yet)—as “a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always” (Acts 10:1-2). And Cornelius’ prayers were heard (Acts 10:31)! Keep in mind, God does not hear the prayers of the unrighteous (John 9:31, James 5:16).
Cornelius’ righteousness meant everything to God! In fact, because of this, God set up a meeting between him and Peter so that Peter could tell him about the good news of the gospel. Peter than said about Cornelius and other non-Jews/non-Christians, “In every nation whoever fears Him [God] and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Acts 10:35).
Claiming that God does not care about good works and righteousness is a complete misreading of the Bible. People are created for good works (Eph. 2:10). God absolutely wants people to do good works (Matt. 5:16; Titus 3:8). That’s why these works are called “good” instead of “bad.”
Now it’s true that our good works can’t save us—only Jesus saves us (the repentant)—but it’s absurd to think God doesn’t care about righteousness. One would be hard pressed to find a single page in the Bible that does not implore people to good works and righteousness.
It’s high time Christians dropped the notion that God doesn’t care about righteousness/good works. Not only is it grossly unbiblical, but it also leads to more sin in the world.
For more about this topic, see my article “None Righteous! No not one.”
By Alex Polyak, founder of Answering Calvinism, 9/12/25
[1] Ward Fenley, NCMI Live, “The Sovereignty of God” video series, video #3, 3:38.