Romans 3:9–23

⁹What, then, is the situation? Do we have any advantage? Not at all. We have already accused everyone (both Jews and Greeks) of being under the power of sin, 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.