'Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.' Romans 3: 19-22

You see! Paul says, whatever the law says, it says to those under the law. It doesn't apply to those apart from the law! How do you get apart from the law? You get the righteousness of God which is now manifest, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ! Romans 3: 19

At this point in Romans, there is a shift that must occur to understand the rest of the letter. I ask you to shift your thinking. Can you imagine how the Jews recoiled at this message of grace having religiously followed rules! Their mouths were stopped! They were dumbfounded to learn that, though the law made them conscious of sin, it was powerless to do anything about it! Our relationship to Jesus Christ is not based on that old covenant system. We cannot be put right or justified before God by our obedience to law.

What's missing?

'But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.' Romans 3:21-22

The shift occurs at this point in Romans: The righteousness we need, cannot be obtained by our efforts. Paul has made no secret of it for from Chapter One he tells us, 'For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.' Romans 1:17

And repeats it in Chapter 3 saying,' But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ.' Romans 3: 21

Many of us are still operating on our own efforts because we haven’t understood this difference. God’s righteousness comes through Jesus, not by the law, as witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.

God did not give the law, then send a Savior only to default back to the law. The righteousness we need now comes from Him, apart from the Law.