For us authentic Christians, whose inmost delight is in the Law of God (Romans 7:22) obeying the Law now does not atone for past sins voluntarily committed because of non-asked-for temptational duress, even though we must now (and always intend to) perfectly "keep" (retain and mind) that Law to get into Heaven (Matthew 5:48, Hebrews 12:14), although, again, obeying Law now does not atone for sins already committed. Perhaps it might have contextually helped for St Paul to have put Romans 3:23 before Romans 3:20 so as to logically convey the idea that since we have already sinned by disobeying… Read more