Romans 3:10–31

^10*As the Scriptures say:

“There is no one who is righteous,

^11*no one who is wise

or who worships God.

^12*All have turned away from God;

they have all gone wrong;

no one does what is right, not even one.

^13*Their words are full of deadly deceit;

wicked lies roll off their tongues,

and dangerous threats, like snake’s poison, from their lips;

^14*their speech is filled with bitter curses.

^15*They are quick to hurt and kill;

^16*they leave ruin and destruction wherever they go.

^17*They have not known the path of peace,

^18*nor have they learnt reverence for God.”

¹⁹Now we know that everything in the Law applies to those who live under the Law, in order to stop all human excuses and bring the whole world under God’s judgement. ^20*For no one is put right in God’s sight by doing what the Law requires; what the Law does is to make people know that they have sinned.

How God Puts Us Right with Him

²¹But now God’s way of putting people right with himself has been revealed. It has nothing to do with law, even though the Law of Moses and the prophets gave their witness to it. ^22*God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all: ²³everyone has sinned and is far away from God’s saving presence. ²⁴But by the free gift of God’s grace all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free. ^25–26God offered him, so that by his blood^d he should become the means by which people’s sins are forgiven through their faith in him. God did this in order to demonstrate that he is righteous. In the past he was patient and overlooked people’s sins; but in the present time he deals with their sins, in order to demonstrate his righteousness. In this way God shows that he himself is righteous and that he puts right everyone who believes in Jesus.

²⁷What, then, can we boast about? Nothing! And what is the reason for this? Is it that we obey the Law? No, but that we believe. ²⁸For we conclude that a person is put right with God only through faith, and not by doing what the Law commands. ²⁹Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles also? Of course he is. ^30*God is one, and he will put the Jews right with himself on the basis of their faith, and will put the Gentiles right through their faith. ³¹Does this mean that by this faith we do away with the Law? No, not at all; instead, we uphold the Law.