witnessed by the law and the prophets". These passages of scripture (Rom 3: 19 -- 21) are so often used to make the claim: that we are not "under the law".

What are these passages saying when it says, "them who are under the law"? What is meant by "the righteousness of God"? I will explain!

The term: "under the law" is a term that simply says that one is under the curse of the law (Gal. 3: 10)! "Every mouth is stopped, and all the world is guilty before God" because all have sinned and is under the curse of the law, until one becomes truly repent and under the protection of Christ's blood. We saw that earlier on when God said, obeying His laws would bring "blessings and life, and disobedience would bring curse and death. We also saw that Christ took our curse -- the ultimate curse of death -- on Himself when he hanged on the tree/cross, thereby freeing us from the curse of the law.

The Bible's definition of sin is this: "Sin is also the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4). The Bible also tells us: "For the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6: 23). The Bible tells us that we have all sinned (Rom. 3: 23 Ps.14: 3). Because we are all sinners the law speaks to every one of us. The law tells us that we are transgressors under the curse (penalty) of the law [death]. It (the law) speaks to the whole world because all the world is guilty of sin before God (Rom 3: 19) and is condemned to death. Because Christ took the curse of death on himself -- was put to death in our stead -- the truly repentant sinner is now able to receive the righteousness of God by faith through Christ.

The law does not and cannot bring righteousness. Righteousness comes only by the grace of God through faith in Christ. Not by works of the law (2 Cor. 5: 21. Phil. 3: 9). "Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified" (Rom. 3: 20).

It is a fact that no man is justified or save by the deeds of the law (Gal. 3: 21). The purpose of the law is not to save us but, rather, to give us the knowledge of what sin is (Rom.7: 7). The law speaks to us. It tells us what sin is! The law brought the curse of death upon us, but the righteousness of God brings life through faith in Christ.

Of our own selves, there is not one of us who is righteous (Isai. 64: 6). If the law could save, then there would be no need for the death of Christ!

In verse thirty-one (Rom. 3: 31) we read: "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law". Read carefully again verse thirty-one (Rom. 3: 31), It is very important! Notice, after explaining the fact that one is not saved by the law, Paul then