Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for ye make yourselves like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous ... but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matt. xxiii 27, 28.

Woe unto you ... for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside may be clean also. Matt. xxiii 25, 26.

Also from these words in Isaiah:

Hear the word of Jehovah, ye rulers of Sodom give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah:

To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moon and sabbath . . . I cannot endure the iniquity ... Your new moon and your appointed feasts my soul hateth . . . And when ye stretch forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil... Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red . . . they shall be as wool. Isa. i 10, 11, 13-18.

These words in brief mean, that unless a man shuns evils, none of his acts of worship, and likewise none of his works, are good; for it is said, I cannot endure the iniquity ... Make you clean, put away the evil of your doings, cease to do evil.

So in Jeremiah:

Return ye every man from his evil way, and amend your doings. Jer. xxxv 15.

[2] That such persons are not wise is taught in Isaiah:

Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Isa. v 2 1.

In the same:

For there shall perish the wisdom of their wise men, and the understanding of their prudent. Woe unto them that are profoundly wise, and whose works are done in the dark. Isa. xxix 14, 15

and elsewhere in the same:

Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong: but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek Jehovah ... But He will arise against the house of the evil-doers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. For Egypt is not God, and his horses are flesh, and not spirit. Isa. xxxi 1-3.

Thus is described self-intelligence: Egypt denotes natural knowledge (scientia); the horse denotes the understanding thence derived; the chariot denotes doctrine thence derived; and the horseman denotes intelligence from the same source. Of all these it is said, Woe to them that look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek Jehovah. Their destruction by evils is meant by the words, He will arise against the house of the evil-doers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. That these things are from the proprium, and consequently have no life in them, is meant by Egypt being man and not God, and his horses being flesh and not spirit. Man and flesh denote man's proprium, while God and spirit denote life from the Lord, and the horses of Egypt denote self-intelligence. There are in the Word many such passages concerning intelligence derived from oneself and that derived from the Lord, which become clear only by means of the spiritual sense.

[3] It is evident from the following passages that no one will be saved through the good deeds that he does from self, because they are not good:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father... Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name have done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matt. vii 21-23

and elsewhere:

Then shall ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open unto us ... Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But He shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are: depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. Luke xiii 25-27.

For such persons are like the Pharisee

Who stood and prayed in the temple, saying that he was not as other men, an extortioner, unjust, an adulterer; that he fasted twice in the week, and gave tithes of all that he possessed. Luke xviii 11-14;

and they are also those who are called

unprofitable servants. Luke xvii 10.