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

11 There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.

12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.”

14-16 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery lie in their wake,

17-18 and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

— Romans 3:10-18

Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge.

— Psalm 51:4

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

God’s multifaceted justice involves His righteousness, anger at sin, punishments, and rewards. He reveals His righteousness through His Law and judicial acts. God’s commands and judgments satisfy His perfect standards of justice. His distribution of punishments and rewards also remains perfectly just. As God moves to bring creation and all human society back into perfect order, His ways will be seen as just and equitable. He will vindicate the penitent and the needy who have no human advocates.

God’s justice is wholly righteous. The degradation and horror of humanity’s sin, minimized by the world, helps us understand God’s response. People exaggerate their own goodness. Modern culture rejects the Bible and denies God’s existence and standards of right and wrong. People who deny sin’s reality and gravity will naturally reject the concept of divine judgment. The Bible clearly dispels the thought that people are basically good. Without exception, all people are born in sin and naturally function as rebels against God. We unavoidably have to come to this serious realization—sin that hurts and offends other people is ultimately committed against God Himself.