Galatians 2:15-21

GOD’S WORD Translation

¹⁵ We are Jewish by birth, not sinners from other nations. ¹⁶ Yet, we know that people don’t receive God’s approval by any effort to follow the laws in the Scriptures, but only by believing in Jesus Christ. So we also believed in Jesus Christ in order to receive God’s approval by faith in Christ and not by our own efforts. People won’t receive God’s approval by their own efforts.

¹⁷ If we, the same people who are searching for God’s approval in Christ, are still sinners, does that mean that Christ encourages us to sin? That’s unthinkable! ¹⁸ If I rebuild something that I’ve torn down, I admit that I was wrong to tear it down. ¹⁹ When I tried to obey the laws in the Scriptures, those laws killed me. As a result, I live in a relationship with God. I have been crucified with Christ. ²⁰ I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live I live by believing in God’s Son, who loved me and took the punishment for my sins. ²¹ I don’t reject God’s kindness.^[a] If we receive God’s approval by obeying the laws in the Scriptures, then Christ’s death was pointless.