If all of our good works are but filthy rags, why did Jesus commend the sheep for doing them?

The Bible distinguished between "dead works", which are religious works done to gain God's favor; and works of faith - works that are done out of love after having been justified by faith. The first are worthless in God's eyes; but the latter are precious and produce eternal benefits......

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. '

Ephesians 2:8-10

Notice the first works mentioned cannot save; but the latter are called good works, because they proceed out of a position of having been justified by faith.

and again......

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. '

Titus 2;11-14

"But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men."

Titus 3:3-8

"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love."

Galatians 5:6

" What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. "

James 2:14-17

" By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him."

I John 3:16-19

You must ALWAYS preserve contexts! The passage about good works being nothing more than filthy rags in God's sight actually means in regards to salvation. We do not work for salvation. It is a free gift. We bear fruit and many good works for the Lord's glory - not for our salvation.

It is just the opposite !! He says He will count all those things as done for HIM.

Our works are filthy rags that is why it is important not to denigrate the offer Jesus makes to count it as done for Him.

Just because OUR works are filthy rags shouldn't have an effect on the good works of the sheep. Why can't sheep get one little compliment without you getting all huffy?

They're filthy rags "to God" but when we do good works for man or just to do good works, then that's different.

Because loving one another is loving God.

Perhaps he has a fetish for filthy rags?