The Garment of Righteousness

I've said quite a bit about "the prayers of a righteous man (person)," and that we do not come to the Lord in our own righteousness. I wanted to expound on that a bit, in the words of another:

"Only the covering which Christ Himself has provided can make us meet (fitting, proper) to appear in God's presence. This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, Christ will put upon every repenting, believing soul. 'I counsel thee,' He says, 'to buy of Me... white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.' Rev.3:18.

"This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us. 'All our righteousness are as filthy rags.' Isa.64:6. Everything that we of ourselves can do is defiled by sin. But the Son of God 'was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin.' Sin is defined to be 'the transgression of the law.' 1 John 3:5,4. But Christ was obedient to every requirement of the law. He said of Himself, 'I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart.' Ps. 40:8. When on earth, He said to His disciples, 'I have kept My Father's commandments.' John 15:10. By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God's commandments.

"When we submit ourselves to Christ,

the heart is united with His heart,

the will is merged in His will,

the mind becomes one with His mind,

the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him;

we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness.

"Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah.

"The guests at the marriage feast were inspected by the king. Only those were accepted who had obeyed His requirements and put on the wedding garment. So it is with the guests at the gospel feast. All must pass the scrutiny of the great King, and only those are received who have put on the robe of Christ's righteousness." From The Wedding Garment by E. G. White.

I know E. G. White wasn't from our religious tradition, exactly, but I think she puts it clearly and succinctly. Don't we just try to weave our own righteousness? What an oxymoron is this "self-righteousness"...nothing but filthy rags! Isn't it time we trade them in for the true righteousness He wants to adorn us with?