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"Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." - Rom. 3:20

Works of law cannot justify, i.e. pronounce one "not guilty". Why not? Because everybody's guilty! (Jesus, of course, wasn't guilty, because He never broke the law.) The law points out our guilt. Isn't that what Paul just said there?

So what now? What hope can a guilty man have? It's no use appealing to the law, since the law is not on his side. When he's on trial, it's no use pointing to the criminal code, or calling as a witness the cop who caught him in the act.

How is a guilty man going to escape the sentence for the crime he's committed? If he is to be acquitted, he needs something besides the law that says he's guilty. How can a guilty man be pronounced "not guilty" i.e. "righteous" when he's guilty? Certainly not by telling about all the times he DIDN'T break the law. That won't help. What choice does he have except to throw himself on the mercy of the court?

"But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed" (3:21) Ah! A way for a guilty man to be acquitted! He broke the law, but the Judge judges him on a basis other than the law.

And what is this other basis? "even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ" (3:22) So the guilty man who met the Judge's requirements is acquitted.

So is that it? Is that all there is to it? Just have faith?

Not so fast. Let's be sure we understand this faith.

"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith."

Hmm. So now the acquitted man is under a "law of faith". Not under the law that points out his crimes but is incapable of helping him escape punishment. No, it's a law that allows forgiveness for his crimes when he commits them.

Some believe that there ARE no crimes under faith, because there is no law. But they're ignoring this "law of faith" Paul mentions.

Further, he poses the question, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" (6:1) Well, if there's no law for the Christian, there can't be any sin, right? And Paul's question would be a straw man, wouldn't it?

The one who appeals for mercy on the basis of his faith in Christ is now under the law of Christ. It is this law which saves us from the punishment we deserved for our crimes under the other law:

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death." - Rom. 8:2

Sorry for being long-winded, but it was my turn. :-)

Try thinking of this from a familial perspective. Once you believe in Him as Deliverer and Lord, you are born from above. Being born from above is a singular event. Jesus told Nicodemus (John 3) that we must be born again, born from above.

Nic tried to re-up his carnal perspective, to focus back on the birth from his mother's womb. Jesus took Him to a 'higher calling', being born from above, spiritual birth. What is spiritual birth? well, it is the dead spirit in the fallen man being born by the Life of God entering the cleansed spirit, to be there as witness that we are in His family thereafter.

The dead spirit of man is cleansed by the sacrifice made for us on the Cross. The Passover lamb was slain to atone then a small portion of the blood --the rest of which was 'poured out upon the earth', the largest altar upon which are smaller altars-- was placed upon the doorposts and lintel for the angel of death to pass over. The blood of Jesus upon the entry to our spirit is signal that we are under His covering of the law of sin and death, no longer subject to the 600+ laws of Moses.

BUT as family members we are to be raised up in the Way that we should go as family members. Who is going to do this parenting thing? The indwelling spirit of God, as the earnest of our inheritance, The Holy Spirit. Is there some way to know what the parameters of this family behavior are? well, yes there is. Jesus explained it as Two Great Commandments upon which hang all the law and the Prophets:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. [Matt 22:37-40]