Romans 3:10–31

¹⁰as Scripture says, 

“Not one person has God’s approval. 

¹¹No one understands. 

No one searches for God. 

¹²Everyone has turned away. 

Together they have become rotten to the core. 

No one does anything good, 

not even one person. 

¹³Their throats are open graves. 

Their tongues practice deception. 

Their lips hide the venom of poisonous snakes. 

¹⁴Their mouths are full of curses and bitter resentment. 

¹⁵They run quickly to murder people. 

¹⁶There is ruin and suffering wherever they go. 

¹⁷They have not learned to live in peace. 

¹⁸They are not terrified of God.” 

¹⁹We know that whatever the Scriptures say applies to everyone under their influence, and no one can say a thing. The whole world is brought under the judgment of God. ²⁰Not one person can have God’s approval by any effort to follow the laws in the Scriptures. These laws show what sin is. 

God Gives Us His Approval as a Gift

²¹Now, the way to receive God’s approval has been made plain in a way other than the laws in the Scriptures. Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets tell us this. ²²Everyone who believes has God’s approval through faith in Jesus Christ. 

There is no difference between people. ²³Because all people have sinned, they have fallen short of God’s glory. ²⁴They receive God’s approval freely by an act of his kindness^athrough the price Christ Jesus paid to set us free ⸤from sin⸥. ²⁵God showed that Christ is the throne of mercy where God’s approval is given through faith in Christ’s blood. In his patience God waited to deal with sins committed in the past. ²⁶He waited so that he could display his approval at the present time. This shows that he is a God of justice, a God who approves of people who believe in Jesus. 

²⁷So, do we have anything to brag about? Bragging has been eliminated. On what basis was it eliminated? On the basis of our own efforts? No, indeed! Rather, it is eliminated on the basis of faith. ²⁸We conclude that a person has God’s approval by faith, not by his own efforts. 

²⁹Is God only the God of the Jews? Isn’t he also the God of people who are not Jewish? Certainly, he is, ³⁰since it is the same God who approves circumcised people by faith and uncircumcised people through this same faith. 

³¹Are we abolishing the laws in the Scriptures by this faith? That’s unthinkable! Rather, we are supporting these laws.