Good works are like Filthy Rags

I was checking through a few commentaries to see what exactly Isaiah meant in Chapter 64:6 when he said

"All our righteousnesses are like filthy rags"

The word used for "filthy rags" literally means a "menstrual rag".

This is pretty sick, just think about it, apart from Christ all our goodness, our good works & righteousness is on Parr with a used tampon.
If we are relying on our own goodness to find favour with God & earn us a spot in heaven, it is as though we are handing God a menstrual rag as payment.
That's how He sees our good works.

And if that's not enough Paul says in Philippians 3:8 the Apostle Paul described all of his self righteousness as a dung, a big pile of crap!

So the next time we are inclined to think that 'we haven't really done anything bad', that 'we're really a good person after all' or 'Well, we're not as bad as...' lets just remember that at best our goodness is like a 'used tampon' & a 'steaming pile' before the eyes of a holy, righteous God.
His righteousness is so far above ours, His goodness is incomparable and His command to us; that we are to be Holy as He is Holy, is so far beyond us that we fail at every quarter.

That's why Jesus had to come
That's why the Son of God alone could 'fulfill all righteousness' on our behalf. Not only did He fulfill righteousness for us, but He took our punishment; the wrath of God over our sin.
That is why salvation, forgiveness & peace with God is found in & through the act of God on our behalf in the life of Jesus & His death at the cross alone. No one else was, is or ever shall be good enough.

We couldn't come up with anything better than a bloody tampon & a pile of poo, So Jesus came and fulfilled righteousness for us.

For further contemplation
If our 'righteousness' & all our good works, in the eyes of God are on Parr with a menstrual rag and dung, what must our sinfulness look like to God?