Is our own righteousness like filthy rags compared to God's righteousness?
Yes. Scripture contrasts human righteousness with God's righteousness: our own is nothing but filthy rags, while God's righteousness comes by faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. Believers are covered with Christ, so God sees His righteousness, not their own.
Les teaches that the phrase “even the righteousness of God” is not our righteousness, because ours is nothing but filthy rags. God's righteousness is by the faith, or faithfulness, of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe. He illustrates “upon” as being draped with a blanket or cloak that totally covers a person. When God looks at a believer, He sees that outer covering, and that covering is Christ. This is what it means to put on Christ: whatever God sees is not me or you, it is Christ. It happens by a work of God, not by human effort, just as a person cannot crucify themselves. Salvation likewise must be done by God in the invisible realm of the Spirit. Later, returning to Galatians, Les connects putting on Christ with Romans, where it becomes His righteousness.
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
More Questions
How is God's righteousness given to all who believe?
God's righteousness is by the faith or faithfulness of Jesus Christ and is unto all and upon all who believe.
How do we get God's righteous covering?
The covering of God's righteousness is obtained by believing, not by keeping the Ten Commandments, repenting and being baptized, or joining a church.