²¹ Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.

²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God; for ^(A)if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died ^[a]in vain.”

³¹ but Israel, ^(A)pursuing the law of righteousness, ^(B)has not attained to the law ^[a]of righteousness.

³ For they being ignorant of ^(A)God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own ^(B)righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For ^(C)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

⁵ For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, ^(D)“The man who does those things shall live by them.” ⁶ But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, ^(E)“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above)

²⁰ Therefore ^(A)by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

God’s Righteousness Through Faith

²¹ But now ^(B)the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, ^(C)being witnessed by the Law ^(D)and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all ^[a]and on all who believe. For ^(E)there is no difference;

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

Sin’s Advantage in the Law

⁷ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, ^(A)I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ^(B)“You shall not covet.” ⁸ But ^(C)sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For ^(D)apart from the law sin was dead. ⁹ I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. ¹⁰ And the commandment, ^(E)which was to bring life, I found to bring death. ¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. ¹² Therefore ^(F)the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

Law Cannot Save from Sin

¹³ Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.

⁶ concerning zeal, ^(A)persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

⁷ But ^(B)what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss ^(C)for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having ^(D)my own righteousness, which is from the law, but ^(E)that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

¹⁷ “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found ^(A)sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!