A Study of Romans 5:20-21
See the original post for all the questions that we will look at regarding this passage...
“20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:20–21, ESV)
Today I looked at the first two questions.
1. In what way does the law "increase the trespass"?
Looking at Romans chapter 7 it appears that the law increases the trespass in a few ways. First, it makes us know what sin is. It shows us that we have the capacity to sin and it can even arouse in us greater desire to chase it in rebellion. Second it makes sin clearly wrong and evil. When sin is made known to be in opposition to the living God of all creation we know that it is not something minor but it is a gigantic problem and it is infinitely evil. Thirdly it empowered the enemy with a weapon of condemnation and a point of departure to tempt us with. The law brought a conscious ability to break the law and this was exploited by Satan.
“5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.” (Romans 7:5, ESV)
“8 ... For apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.” (Romans 7:8b–11, ESV)
“13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.” (Romans 7:13, ESV)
2. What kind of "increase" of sin is this?
So this increase in sin is not ultimately something coming at me from the outside but it is sin within me being realized and activated. External influences, such as the law, play a role in the increase but sin was a powerless capacity lying in wait within Adam even before the law was delivered.
This passage in Romans 5 shows that Israel's sin existed before the law was given by Moses and points out how our sin is different than Adam's. Adam had the choice to not sin because he was spiritually alive and good. Adam was also a representative of all mankind and his sin was granted to us by inheritance. Today we are born without an ability to not sin (you bust be born again) since death reigns over all. So the law that Moses delivered pointed to something that was already there and really brought condemnation and warning. Our sin has power over us even when we don't recognize it as sin!
“12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.” (Romans 5:12–14, ESV)Yes this seems like a downer message about sin and its reign in our lives but there is great benefit here. Paul is establishing one side of a comparison that will blow us away in the rest of the study. Even so, we can honestly reflect on the sinfulness of sin and own up to the fact that it is in us and that we are responsible for it. We need confession and repentance. Praise God for his grace that we will see reigns in us who are in Christ Jesus! A starting point of acknowledging our need is a good place. The Lord looks upon those and takes residence with those who are humble and contrite and who tremble at his Word (cf. Isaiah 66:1-2).
Soli Deo Gloria!
