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!

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

6 What shall we say then? ^(A)Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? ² By no means! How can ^(B)we who died to sin still live in it?

^8 (A)Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was ^(B)to destroy the works of the devil. ^9 (C)No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's^[a] seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. ¹⁰ By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, ^(D)nor is the one who ^(E)does not love his brother.

⁵ You know that ^(A)he appeared in order to ^(B)take away sins, and ^(C)in him there is no sin.

Justified by Faith

¹⁵ We ourselves are Jews by birth and not ^(A)Gentile sinners;

⁷ What then? ^(A)Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest ^(B)were hardened,

Israel's Unbelief

³⁰ What shall we say, then? ^(A)That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, ^(B)a righteousness that is by faith; ³¹ but that Israel ^(C)who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness^{[a] (D)}did not succeed in reaching that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the ^(E)stumbling stone, ³³ as it is written,

² a minister in the holy places, in ^(A)the true tent^[a] that the Lord ^(B)set up, not man.

²⁴ but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues ^(A)forever. ²⁵ Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost^{[a] (B)}those who draw near to God ^(C)through him, since he always lives ^(D)to make intercession for them.

²⁶ For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, ^(E)holy, innocent, unstained, ^(F)separated from sinners, and ^(G)exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, ^(H)first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this ^(I)once for all when he offered up himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints men ^(J)in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made ^(K)perfect forever.