God Remains Faithful

(Psalm 147:1-20; Hebrews 10:1-18)

1What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2Much every way: chiefly, because that to them were committed the oracles of God. 3For what if some did not believe? will their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

4By no means: verily let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mayest be justified in thy sayings, and mayest overcome when thou art judged.

5But if our unrighteousness commendeth the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man.) 6By no means: for then how shall God judge the world? 7For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie to his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? 8And not rather (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

There is No One Righteous

(Psalm 14:1-7)

9What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

10As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh God.

12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

13Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

14Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

15Their feet are swift to shed blood.

16Destruction and misery are in their ways:

17And the way of peace have they not known.

18There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19Now we know that whatever things the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20Therefore by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Justified by Faith

21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being testified by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ to all, and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he may be just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus.

27Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? No; but by the law of faith. 28Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 29Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: 30Seeing it is one God who will justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

31Do we then make void the law through faith? By no means: but we establish the law.