By nature, we are all under the power of sin, BUT...

No-one is righteous

9What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10As it is written:

‘There is no-one righteous, not even one;

11there is no-one who understands;

there is no-one who seeks God.

12All have turned away,

they have together become worthless;

there is no-one who does good,

not even one.’

13‘Their throats are open graves;

their tongues practise deceit.’

‘The poison of vipers is on their lips.’

14‘Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.’

15‘Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16ruin and misery mark their ways,

17and the way of peace they do not know.’

18‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’

19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20Therefore no-one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Righteousness through faith

21But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.