Living By Faith

“For by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” So again, very emphatic, no one will ever achieve righteousness by keeping a law.

“We have believed in Christ that we might be made righteous by faith, not by keeping the works of the law. But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” And he’s quoting the prophet Habakkuk.

And then he says, “Yet the law is not of faith, but ‘the man who does them shall live by them.’” If you can keep all the law, all the time, you’ll live that way. You’ll be righteous in the sight of God. But, the alternative is by faith, which is not observing a law. These are mutually exclusive alternatives.