BECAUSE BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW NO FLESH WILL BE JUSTIFIED IN HIS SIGHT: dioti ex ergon nomou ou dikaiothesetai (3SFPI) pasa sarx enopion autou: (Ro 3:28; 2:13; 4:13; 9:32; Acts13:39; Gal 2:16,19; 3:10-13; 5:4; Eph 2:8,9; Titus 3:5-7; Js 2:9,10) (Job 25:4; Ps 130:3; 143:2; Js 2:20-26) (Job 15:15; 25:5)

"No man can justify himself before God by a perfect performance of the Law's demands - indeed it is the straight-edge of the Law that shows us how crooked we are." (Phillips)

Click for an excellent discussion of the purpose of the Law by William Newell.

Paul now declares what the Law cannot do, and then follows with an explanation of what it can do. First, he explains that no one will be declared righteous [justified] in God's sight by works of law ["doing right"] and second, that the business of God's Law is to make known to men their sin, and thereby, their need of a salvation which the Law cannot supply.

Paul appears to be quoting from the Septuagint (LXX) of Ps 143:2 (Expositor's Bible Commentary notes that Paul changes "the Greek text...from "no man living" to "no flesh" (NIV simply has "no one"), an alteration designed to bring out the frailty and inability of man with respect to meeting God's requirements." Expositor's Bible Commentary )

Ps 143:2 (NASB) And do not enter into judgment with Thy servant, for in Thy sight no man living is righteous.

Septuagint (LXX) hoti ou dikaiothesetai (3SFPI) enopion sou pas zon (PAPMSN)

English of the LXX: "for in thy sight shall no man living be justified."

Spurgeon commenting on Psalm 143:2b says

"None can stand before God upon the footing of the law. In this verse David told out the doctrine of universal condemnation by the law long before Paul had taken his pen to write the same truth. To this day it stands true: no man living may dare to present himself for trial before the throne of the great King on the footing of the law. This foolish age has produced specimens of a pride so rank that people have dared to claim perfection in the flesh; but these boasters are no exception to the rule here laid down: they are but human, and poor specimens of humanity. When their lives are examined they are frequently found to be more faulty than the humble penitents before whom they vaunt their superiority." (Treasury of David).

Because (1360) (dióti) is a conjunction used to indicate why something just stated can be reasonably considered valid. Paul is explaining why the Law silences everyone and makes everyone accountable to God rather than liberating us. His explanation crushes any argument that perhaps a few exceptionally zealous people might live up to the perfect standard of God's Law. The fact is that doing perfectly what God’s moral law requires is impossible.

As John MacArthur writes

"There is no salvation through the keeping of God’s law, because sinful man is utterly incapable of doing so. He has neither the ability nor the inclination within himself to obey God perfectly." (MacArthur, J: Romans 1-8. Chicago: Moody Press)

"WORKS OF THE LAW"
AND
JUSTIFICATION

Works (2041) (ergon) means a deed or action in contrast to inactivity. It speaks of toil or effort in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something. Works are the result of and never the means of salvation.

"No flesh"  (pasa sarx) in the Greek text is literally "all flesh".  A literal rendering of this verse is therefore "not justified all flesh". And so to make the translation less cumbersome, most versions translate it as "no flesh", "no person", "no man", etc.

It is interesting to note that the identical Greek phrase, pasa sarx,  is used 17 times in the Septuagint (LXX) (the Greek translation of the Hebrew OT), the first use somewhat paralleling Paul's portrait of all mankind in Romans 3. In Genesis Moses writes that

"God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh (pasa sarx) had corrupted their way upon the earth." (Ge 6:12)

The point is that Paul's Jewish readers (whose "Bible" at the time of Jesus was primarily the Septuagint Translation) would have been very familiar with Paul's choice of phrases.

To avoid confusion, please remember that Scripture uses "justify" with a different meaning than the use in our modern culture. For example, we've all "justified" inappropriate behavior by producing any number of reasons to demonstrate and explain that we were right in how we acted. This is not the way "justify" is used in the NT. Fallen man can never do anything in order to pay or atone for his sinfulness (to justify himself) and be set free from the sentence of guilt and condemnation that is upon him. No man, however virtuous, can be justified by law keeping ("works of the law").

Also it should be understood that in the New Testament the verb dikaioo never means to make anyone righteous or to do away with his violation of the law, by himself bearing the condemnation and the imposed sentence. In the NT, man in his fallen condition can never do anything in order to pay for his sinfulness and thus be liberated from the sentence of guilt that is upon him as it happens in the world. For example when a guilty person has paid the a fine or other penalty for a crime, by doing thus he is freed from condemnation. Man cannot pay a fine for his sin debt.

In theory perfect fulfillment of the Law of God could provide the basis of justification in the sight of God. However, as Paul has already demonstrated there is no man who has fulfilled this strict requirement. James adds that even if a man

"keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." (Ja 2:10)

So first let's study the meaning of this important Greek verb dikaioo.

Justified (1344) (dikaioo from dike = expected behavior or conformity, not according to one’s own standard, but according to an imposed standard with prescribed punishment for nonconformity) means to show or declare the rightness of something or someone. As used in this passage dikaioo means to be declared righteous before God or to be justified, the process being referred to as justification.

Note: Click here for the main discussion of dikaioo. There is some repetition in an attempt to be certain to convey the meaning of this important verb dikaioo.  However, this discussion is not intended to be an exhaustive treatment of the verb dikaioo or of the doctrine of justification. For a more exhaustive treatment I would highly recommended Dr Wayne Grudem's work, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (IVP; Zondervan, 1994) (or click here for Grudem's work in computer format). The following quote is taken from his book and emphasizes the crucial importance of an accurate understanding of dikaioo and the doctrine of justification. Grudem writes that...

A right understanding of justification is absolutely crucial to the whole Christian faith. Once Martin Luther realized the truth of justification by faith alone, he became a Christian and overflowed with the new-found joy of the gospel. The primary issue in the Protestant Reformation was a dispute with the Roman Catholic Church over justification. If we are to safeguard the truth of the gospel for future generations, we must understand the truth of justification. Even today, a true view of justification is the dividing line between the biblical gospel of salvation by faith alone and all false gospels of salvation based on good works. (Systematic Theology) (Bolding added)

MacArthur explains that...

Justification is God’s declaration that all the demands of the law are fulfilled on behalf of the believing sinner through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Justification is a wholly forensic, or legal, transaction. It changes the judicial standing of the sinner before God. In justification, God imputes (credits) the perfect righteousness of Christ to the believer’s account, then declares the redeemed one fully righteous. Justification must be distinguished from sanctification, in which God actually imparts Christ’s righteousness to the sinner. While the two must be distinguished, justification and sanctification can never be separated. God does not justify whom He does not sanctify. (MacArthur, J: Romans 1-8. Chicago: Moody Press)

Dikaioo is found 39 times in the NAS, most often in Romans (Matthew 2x; Luke 5x; Acts; Romans 14x; 1 Corinthians 2x; Galatians 6x; 1 Timothy; Titus; James 3x) and is translated: acknowledged...justice, 1; acquitted, 1; freed, 3; justified, 24; justifier, 1; justifies, 2; justify, 4; vindicated, 3;

Dikaioo is found 28 times in the Septuagint (LXX) (Gen 38:26; 44:16; Ex 23:7; Deut 25:1; 2Sa 15:4; 1Ki 8:32; 2Chr 6:23; Esther 10:3; Job 33:32; Ps 19:9; 51:4; 73:13; 82:3; 143:2; Isa 1:17; 5:23; 42:21; 43:9, 26; 45:25; 50:8; 53:11; Jer 3:11; Ezek 16:51f; 21:13; 44:24; Mic 6:11; 7:9)

Dikaioo was a legal term in the Greek culture and was used to describe a judge declaring an accused person not guilty and therefore innocent before the law.

In Scripture dikaioo refers to God as Judge declaring a sinner not guilty and fully righteous before Him by imputing (reckoning, placing on one's account) to him the divine righteousness of Christ and imputing man’s sin upon the sinless Lamb of God Who bore the punishment of death that all mankind deserved.

Justification changes the judicial standing of the sinner before God. The one justified is free from all ground of condemnation and is pronounced "righteous". You need to understand that to be justified does not mean that God made us righteous, but that He declared us righteous. He put the righteousness of Christ on our record in the place of our own sinfulness. And nobody can change this record.

In summary as used in the present context dikaioo signifies to declare a person to be right before God and to treat him as in right standing.

Every believer should know what it means to be “justified.” This describes the gracious act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner righteous through the merits of Jesus Christ. Justification never changes. Once God has declared you righteous, your standing before Him is settled for eternity. However, your daily walk is quite another matter. This changes as we yield to the Spirit and obey His Word. (see study of Three Tenses of Salvation)

Wuest using simple, non-technical language explains that dikaioo

"refers to the act of God removing the guilt and penalty of sin from a sinner who places his faith in the Lord Jesus as Saviour and the bestowal of the positive righteousness of Jesus Christ, in Whom that believer stands a righteous person before God’s law for time and eternity, all this made possible by and based upon the satisfaction (propitiation) which Jesus Christ offered on the Cross as a complete payment of the penalty imposed by the law because of human infractions of that law, thus satisfying His justice, maintaining His government, and making possible the bestowal of mercy upon the basis of justice satisfied." All this is not possible by "works of the law"! (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Studies in the Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament: Grand Rapids: Eerdmans)

Constable notes that...

"Salvation by works rests on keeping the Mosaic Law. This does not mean that the Mosaic Law required works for salvation but that those who hope to earn salvation by their works look to the Mosaic Law as what God requires. God’s gift of salvation, however, rests on a different law (principle) that God has also ordained and revealed. This “law” is that salvation becomes ours by faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is what God requires, not works." (Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible)

Paul, explaining why there is no place for human boasting in the plan of salvation, reiterates

"that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law." (see note Romans 3:28)

Mounce comments that

"One would think that the sinner would love to be forgiven at no cost. Unfortunately that is not the case. After all, sinners have their pride. They desperately want to claim some role in their own redemption. Unacceptable, says God." (Mounce, R. H. Vol. 27: Romans. The New American Commentary. page 38. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers)

Luke writes that through Christ

"everyone who believes is freed (dikaioo) from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses." (Acts 13:39)

This verse might suggest that the Law could justify "SOME" things but through Christ come justification from all things. That is not what he is teaching. What Paul is saying here is that through faith in Christ a man can be justified from every charge of guilt that might be brought against him—a clearance that could never be obtained under the law of Moses.

Paul addressing Peter who was not practicing the gospel of grace (because he was apparently fearful of the Judaizers - those who advocated for example faith plus circumcision) clearly states that

"a man is not justified (reckoned righteous and in right standing with God) by the works of the Law but (only) through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified." (Gal 2:16)

Keeping the law is a totally unacceptable means of salvation because the root of sinfulness is in the fallenness of man’s heart, not his actions. The law served as a mirror to reveal sin, not a cure for it. The law condemned to death those who failed to obey it perfectly. This brought the curse on all, because all have broken its holy precepts.

Writing again to the Galatians Paul asked

"You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (Gal 3:1-3)

The actions of the Galatian saints exhibited a lack of understanding and reason. It is folly to mix works of the Law and grace, the work of God. To turn to law from grace is to be bewitched and to behave as if under some kind of spell and unable to use one's rational mind. One question should be sufficient to settle the whole matter. Let them go back to the time of their conversion—the time when the Holy Spirit came to dwell in their bodies. How did they receive the Spirit? By doing, or by believing? Obviously it was by believing. No one ever received the Spirit by keeping the law. Thus Paul appealed to the Galatians’ own salvation to refute the Judaizers’ false teaching that keeping the law ("works of the Law") is necessary for salvation.

Paul asked the Galatians again

"Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?" (Gal 3:5)

The answer is clear that God did not perform them because the Galatians did something special ("works of the Law") to earn them. He gave them freely in response to their believing the gospel.

Appealing to the testimony of the OT Scriptures Paul shows that even in the OT God clearly stated that the works of the Law could not justify a man. Only faith can justify. He writes that

"as many as are of the works of the Law [who are seeking to be justified by obedience to the Law] are under a curse (and doomed to disappointment and destruction); for it is written (and stands written in Deut 27:26), “Cursed (accursed, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment) is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them (total and perfect obedience is demanded by the law and required by God and is thus impossible). Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man (the justified man) shall live by faith." (Gal 3:10-11).

And again Paul says

"And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." (Gal 5:3-4)

John MacArthur states that

"The word for “fallen” means “to lose one’s grasp on something.” Paul’s clear meaning is that any attempt to be justified by the law is to reject salvation by grace alone through faith alone. Those once exposed to the gracious truth of the gospel, who then turn their backs on Christ and seek to be justified by the law are separated from Christ and lose all prospects of God’s gracious salvation. Their desertion of Christ and the gospel only proves that their faith was never genuine" (MacArthur, J: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word Pub)

In Romans 4 Paul reiterates this truth stating that

"the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith." (see note Romans 4:13)

God gave His promise to bless the Gentiles through Abraham long before He gave the Mosaic Law. Consequently it was wrong for the Jews to think that the blessing of the Gentiles depended on their obedience to the Law.

In Romans 9 Paul states that

"Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness (right standing with God), did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works  [they did not depend on faith but on what they could do]. They stumbled over the stumbling stone." (see note Romans 9:31-32).

FOR THROUGH THE LAW COMES THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN: dia gar nomou epignosis hamartias: (Ro 7:7-9; Gal 2:19)

IF BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW NO ONE IS JUSTIFIED,
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW?

For (gar) is a causative particle standing always after one or more words in a clause and expressing the reason for what has been before, whether it is affirmed or implied. Whenever you see a "for" stop and ask why is it there for? Here Paul explains that although the Law cannot save, it nevertheless does have a purpose and specifically the Law makes sin known for exactly what it is...SIN! 

Through (1223) (dia) conveys the sense of instrumentality, so that "through the instrument of the Law" is the sense.

Law (3551) (nomos) (see summary of the Purpose of the Law) is etymologically something parceled out, allotted, what one has in use and possession; hence, usage, custom. In context nomos is analogous to Hebrew torah or law which means teaching or direction.   (Click for an excellent discussion of the purpose of the Law by William Newell) (click for purpose of the Law illustrated)

As Godet says

"Far from having been given to sinful man to furnish him with a means of justification, the law was rather given to help him in discerning the sin which reigns over him... Judaism was living under a great illusion, which holds it to this very hour, to wit, that it is called to save the Gentile world by communicating to it the legal dispensation which it received through Moses. “Propagate the law,” says the apostle, “and you will have given to the world not the means of purifying itself, but the means of seeing better its real corruption." (Godet, F. Commentary on Romans).

It was Martin Luther who said that the function of Law is not to justify but to terrify.

Expositor's Bible Commentary concludes that...

"The practical result of working seriously with the law is to "become conscious of sin" (cf. Ro 5:20; 7:7-11). How startling it is to contemplate the fact that the best revelation man has apart from Christ only deepens his awareness of failure. The law loudly proclaims his need for the gospel." (Gaebelein, F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary 6-Volume New Testament. Zondervan Publishing)

In a later chapter Paul offers a further explanation of the purpose of the Law, writing

"What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”  But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. And I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died." (Romans 7:7-9)

Wayne Barber paraphrases Paul as saying in essence that upon reading the Law

"I found out that what I was doing was called coveting because the Law brings knowledge to sin. So I woke up the next day and I said, ‘I am not supposed to covet. I am going to please you, God. I am not going to covet.’" What did he do all day long? Covet, covet, covet. Why? Because no man by his sinful heart can measure up to that law. All men are under it and all men just need to shut up. If you have been guilty of breaking one of them, you are guilty of the whole law." (Notes on Romans)

Paul explains that the Law has another purpose in that

"before faith came, we were kept in custody (kept under lock and key - imperfect tense indicates the continued activity of the law as a jailer) under the law, being shut up to (with a view to the exercising of faith) the faith which was later to be revealed (the Law functioned as a jailer who held in custody those who were subjected to sin, in order that they should not escape the consciousness of their sins and their liability to punishment). Therefore the Law has become our tutor (literally "a child leader" or a guardian that kept watch over us until we came to Christ) to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor." (Gal 3:23-24)

In short, Paul personifies the Law as a jailer and as a tutor.

Thus the Law kept guilty, condemned sinners, on death row awaiting God’s judgment. They were fenced in by the law’s requirements, and since they could not fulfill these, they were restricted to the way of faith for salvation. The people under law were thus confined until the glorious news of deliverance from the bondage of the law was announced in the gospel. Secondly, the Law functioned as like a “tutor” who escorted children to and from school and watched over their behavior at home. Tutors were often strict disciplinarians, causing those under their care to yearn for the day when they would be free from their tutor’s custody. The law was our tutor which, by showing us our sins, was escorting us to Christ.

The law was never intended to save or sanctify. Knowledge of sin comes through the law. As discussed above, no one can ever be justified by keeping the law. Paul's statement is as clear as one could desire. One of the greatest enigmas of human experience is the continuing persuasion of most religious people that a man can somehow make himself acceptable to the holy God through the observance of law, ritual, and moral precept, whereas the great missionary-theologian goes to great length to refute that idea. And this same fallacy sneaks into the life of genuine believers who somehow think they need to "do" for God (in order to please Him and become acceptable to Him) rather than simply "being" (and obeying). We must continually recall to our minds the truth Paul expounded to the saints at Colossae -- we are complete in Christ. We cannot become more righteous than He is...by faith and obedience we now need to "work out" that truth in day to day experiences, trials, etc

Spurgeon commenting on "By the law is the knowledge of sin" writes that...

Some fancy that they have done a great many good works. In cherishing that delusion, they are like a Hindu of whom I once heard. He believed that he must not eat any animal substance, and that if he did he would perish. A missionary said to him, "That idea is ridiculous. Why, you cannot drink a glass of water without swallowing thousands of living creatures." He did not believe it, so the missionary took a drop of water and put it under a microscope. When the man saw the innumerable living creatures in the drop of water, he broke the microscope. That was his way of settling the question.