"Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. but where sin abounded grace did much more abound" Romans 5v20.
Paul continues and says there's more: if it's all down to two federal heads and what they did for good or bad, what about the law; where does that fit into the picture? The role of law has confused many, because it appears the law cannot save us, neither does it appear to condemn us, since we were condemned under Adam's sin. What is the function of law?
The law had a very important function, and still has in the matter of human salvation. He has already stated in chapter 3v20 that "by the law is the knowledge of sin"; so the law is our teacher, it instructs us about sin; indeed in Galatians 3 he says the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. It instructed us about sin, it defined sin, instead of every one having their own standards, leading to anarchy. It revealed the true nature of sin and how far short we were of the image of God in which we were made. It was a very useful tool in conviction of sin and still is; it acts like a mirror to shew us our true nature, and it' ultimate purpose was to bring us to Christ, that is to persuade us that He is our only hope: the law gave us the full knowledge of sin.
Another function of the law is to increase sin, to make it more, to make it worse. That is the meaning of the word "abound". He says "the law entered that the offence might abound", literally to make it more, to increase it. There is no sense in which God wants to increase sin, but He does want to increase it in our perception, He wants us to see sin AS HE SEES IT against the backdrop of His holy law. He says "the law entered": it means to draw alongside, to come in by the side of, and much as it seems improbable, it did so to enhance sin! How are we to understand this? The fact is God did not introduce a law to see if anyone could keep it, He introduced it to prove that no one ever could! Paul says something similar to the Galatians "The law was added because of transgressions". The purpose of the law then was to expose sin and to expose sinners. "SIN REIGNED", sin had become a dominating force, people had fallen asleep concerning sin, they had accepted as the normal, they became acclimatised to it so God introduces His law to awaken them to the full horror of sin. The law "aided" sin by bringing it to people's attention, but there's more.
Not only did the law instruct us about sin(chapter 3), and increase sin, in the sense of making it worse (chapter 5), but in chapter 7 Paul says it actually incited sin, it made me want to sin more!
"but sin, taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence(covetousness)". This is the "forbidden fruit" principle, the law brings out the rebel in us, we see a law and we want to oppose it. The notion that law acts as a deterrent is false, the very opposite is the case, not because there is anything wrong with law, but only that man at heart is a rebel.
The law therefore, which came some 2500 years after the fall was brought in not to save us, not as a moral code for us to keep(God knew we could not keep it), but to expose sin for what it was, and to reveal the need for a saviour. In the event the Saviour came, only He fulfilled the law, only He can save us. The purpose of the law is complete, it achieved, precisely, it's design, it has now been superseded as he explains later in chapter 8 where he speaks of the incapacity of the law "what the law could not do". He says in that triumphant chapter "the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death". We will look at that more when we come to it, in the meantime we should be clear as to the law.
Taking a sweep of the first eight chapters of Romans, we could say that we move from the deepest depths to the highest heights.
CONDEMNATION TO JUSTIFICATION TO
EMANCIPATION TO GLORIFICATION!!!
I'll leave you to sort out the section divisions, but this truly is the greatest news anyone could ever hear.
"From sinking sand He lifted me, with tender hand HE LIFTED ME, from shades of night to plains of light, oh praise His name, He lifted me"
Another function of the law is to increase sin, to make it more, to make it worse. That is the meaning of the word "abound". He says "the law entered that the offence might abound", literally to make it more, to increase it. There is no sense in which God wants to increase sin, but He does want to increase it in our perception, He wants us to see sin AS HE SEES IT against the backdrop of His holy law. He says "the law entered": it means to draw alongside, to come in by the side of, and much as it seems improbable, it did so to enhance sin! How are we to understand this? The fact is God did not introduce a law to see if anyone could keep it, He introduced it to prove that no one ever could! Paul says something similar to the Galatians "The law was added because of transgressions". The purpose of the law then was to expose sin and to expose sinners. "SIN REIGNED", sin had become a dominating force, people had fallen asleep concerning sin, they had accepted as the normal, they became acclimatised to it so God introduces His law to awaken them to the full horror of sin. The law "aided" sin by bringing it to people's attention, but there's more.
Not only did the law instruct us about sin(chapter 3), and increase sin, in the sense of making it worse (chapter 5), but in chapter 7 Paul says it actually incited sin, it made me want to sin more!
"but sin, taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence(covetousness)". This is the "forbidden fruit" principle, the law brings out the rebel in us, we see a law and we want to oppose it. The notion that law acts as a deterrent is false, the very opposite is the case, not because there is anything wrong with law, but only that man at heart is a rebel.
The law therefore, which came some 2500 years after the fall was brought in not to save us, not as a moral code for us to keep(God knew we could not keep it), but to expose sin for what it was, and to reveal the need for a saviour. In the event the Saviour came, only He fulfilled the law, only He can save us. The purpose of the law is complete, it achieved, precisely, it's design, it has now been superseded as he explains later in chapter 8 where he speaks of the incapacity of the law "what the law could not do". He says in that triumphant chapter "the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death". We will look at that more when we come to it, in the meantime we should be clear as to the law.
Taking a sweep of the first eight chapters of Romans, we could say that we move from the deepest depths to the highest heights.
CONDEMNATION TO JUSTIFICATION TO
EMANCIPATION TO GLORIFICATION!!!
I'll leave you to sort out the section divisions, but this truly is the greatest news anyone could ever hear.
"From sinking sand He lifted me, with tender hand HE LIFTED ME, from shades of night to plains of light, oh praise His name, He lifted me"
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