Context when Paul's discussing works and grace

A few verses are often used to emphasize grace is all that is needed for someone to be saved. Here's a couple of these in Romans 3:

23 For all have ^asinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 ^aBeing ^bjustified freely by his ^cgrace through the ^dredemption that is in Christ Jesus:

However, it's very important to read more and consider he's talking principally about "the law" in this chapter. "The law" is what the Jews follow very strictly. Paul spends this chapter saying that "the law" isn't necessary to save someone, but that it's Jesus and faith in him.

At the end of the chapter, Paul says that the law is established by faith.

30 Seeing it is ^aone God, which shall justify the ^bcircumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

31 Do we then make void the law through faith? ^aGod forbid: ^byea, we establish the law.

It appears that faith is what makes the circumcised man acceptable to God as well as the uncircumcised man (in other words, the Jew and the Gentile). The law also is made worthwhile by a man with faith; that's the purpose of the law, to increase the faith. Notice it doesn't say that law is worthless now; the law is valuable when faith is the driving motivation behind the person performing the law.

Thus it is in life. Faith makes action worth doing. Action makes faith grow.

Have a great day.