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

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

— Romans 3:10, 23

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

— Ephesians 2:8-9

However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.

— Romans 4:5

10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

11 After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.

— Isaiah 53:10-11

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

People’s work does not earn them right standing with God. The history of God’s people confirms how we persistently falter and fall far short of God’s perfect standards. “There is no one righteous, not even one,” God proclaimed through Paul. Only God, who is perfect in all He does, can declare a person righteous. What, then, is the purpose of trying to act righteously?

The people of God are saved by grace through faith. In the Old Testament time, Israelites’ faith was embedded in the promised sacrificial redemption of the Messiah. Their ritual sacrifices and worship pointed to Jesus Christ. Because redemption is God’s gift, the works of His people rise as a grateful, worshipful response, giving glory and honor to their Savior.