Romans
3:19-28
(19) Now we know that whatever the
law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be
stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
(20) For by works of the law no
human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes
knowledge of sin.
(21) But now the righteousness of
God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets
bear witness to it--
(22) the
righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For
there is no distinction:
(23) for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
(24) and
are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus,
(25) whom
God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This
was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had
passed over former sins.
(26) It was to show his
righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier
of the one who has faith in Jesus.
(27) Then what becomes of our
boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.
(28) For we hold that one is
justified by faith apart from works of the law.