²¹ Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For ^(A)if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.

²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God, for ^(A)if righteousness^[a] were through the law, ^(B)then Christ died for no purpose.

³ For, being ignorant of ^(A)the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. ⁴ For ^(B)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.^[a]

The Message of Salvation to All

⁵ For ^(C)Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that ^(D)the person who does the commandments shall live by them. ⁶ But ^(E)the righteousness based on faith says, ^(F)“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down)

³¹ but that Israel ^(A)who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness^{[a] (B)}did not succeed in reaching that law.

²⁰ For ^(A)by works of the law no human being^[a] will be justified in his sight, since ^(B)through the law comes knowledge of sin.

The Righteousness of God Through Faith

²¹ But now ^(C)the righteousness of God ^(D)has been manifested apart from the law, although ^(E)the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God ^(F)through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. ^(G)For there is no distinction:

The Law and Sin

⁷ What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, ^(A)I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if ^(B)the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” ⁸ But sin, ^(C)seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. ^(D)For apart from the law, sin lies dead. ⁹ I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. ¹⁰ The very commandment ^(E)that promised life proved to be death to me. ¹¹ For sin, ^(F)seizing an opportunity through the commandment, ^(G)deceived me and through it killed me. ¹² So ^(H)the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

¹³ Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

^6 (A)as to zeal, ^(B)a persecutor of the church; ^(C)as to righteousness under the law,^[a] blameless. ⁷ But ^(D)whatever gain I had, ^(E)I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of ^(F)the surpassing worth of ^(G)knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I ^(H)have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having ^(I)a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but ^(J)that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

¹⁹ For through the law I ^(A)died to the law, so that I might ^(B)live to God.

¹⁷ But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found ^(A)to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not!