10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one.

21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.

22 And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

25 God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.

26 He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

— Romans 3:10, 21-26

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”

— 1 Peter 2:24

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace and mercy to you from the Lord Jesus.

In and of ourselves, with our relative goodness, we greatly fall short of Christ’s perfection and we stand condemned before God, who requires utter perfection. Without Christ’s righteousness, we face eternity separated from God and bearing the judgment for our sin. But in grace and mercy, God made a way for sinners to receive the needed righteousness their best effort could never earn. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, died on the cross to pay the penalty our sins deserve. Everyone who puts faith in Him receives His perfect righteousness in place of his debt of sin. This means that when God looks at believers, He sees Christ’s perfection, not our failures. God’s children receive Christ’s perfect righteousness because He carried their sin on the cross.

God did not leave us stuck in unrighteousness without a way of escape. Christ died to bear our sin and offer His righteousness to everyone who turns to Him in faith. When the promised day of the Lord comes, God’s people will stand before Him undefiled, covered by the righteous blood of Christ. We believers do not face condemnation but await deliverance from all of sin’s wreckage. We praise the Lord Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is the reward of all who repent and receive His indescribable gift. To Him be the glory forever and ever.