“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.” Paul, Galatians 2:21 CSB

If you could earn it, why did He die? Righteousness comes either through the law (human performance) or by God’s grace through faith in the crucified and risen Christ. It is binary and exclusive. There is no third option of “faith plus law-works” or “grace that merely assists our law-keeping.” If the law could produce righteousness, the cross would be superfluous. Sola fide.