Romans 5:20
"Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:"
In Paul's letter to the Romans, he describes the relationship between the law, sin, and grace. The apostle Paul emphasizes that the law was never given as a means of salvation but rather to reveal the sinfulness of sin more clearly and highlight the sinner's inability to obey God's commands perfectly, as required by God's law and justice. However, despite the increase of sin through the law, Paul introduces the overriding truth that God's grace surpasses sin in abundance. Where sin advanced and manifested itself increasingly in fallen sinners, God's grace was made all the more evident in the saving of those God had appointed to salvation by His grace in Christ.
An example of this is found in the fall of Adam and Eve, where sin abounded in the imputation of his sin to all of his descendants. Yet God's grace reigned, for at that moment, God declared the coming of the LORD Jesus at the fullness of the time to pay the sin debt for those of Adam's race whom the Father had given to the LORD Jesus even before the fall. Because the LORD Jesus was already appointed as the Savior to bear the sin of each one of God's chosen people, He promised redemption and salvation through His coming, living, dying and rising again.
This verse highlights the amazing depth of God's grace and His purpose to redeem grievously fallen sinners, no matter how vast their sin. The evidence of this was made plain even in the garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve clothed themselves with fig leaves to cover their nakedness. God, however, slew innocent animals and clothed them with the skins of those animals, a type of the death of the LORD Jesus, Who would come and lay down His life as their Substitute (Genesis 3:21). This profound contrast between sin and grace demonstrates the overwhelming power of God's love and the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice for all whom He purposed to save.
There are two clear lessons that we may draw from what Paul declared concerning the law of God and the grace of God:
The Law and Its Purpose
“The law entered that the offense might abound.” The law was not given to make men more sinful, but to expose the sinfulness of sin already present in the hearts of sinners. As the apostle Paul declared in Romans 7:7, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” The law uncovers to us the utter sinfulness of our sin, lest we ever imagine that any part of our being is without sin. The law shows people their inability to meet God's perfect standard and increases the awareness of sin. As Romans 3:20 states, "By the law is the knowledge of sin."
The entrance of the law (primarily referring to the Mosaic Law) serves to reveal the depth of sinfulness in all of Adam's descendants—everyone born into this world is utterly sinful and depraved. There are no innocent babies. Psalm 58:3 says, "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." The law declares, “From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores…” (Isaiah 1:6).
The law serves as the revelation of the holiness of God, revealing the total depravity of sinners and their incapacity to do any good or choose God apart from God's sovereign grace, which reveals Christ in them as the only Sacrifice and Substitute.
Abundant Grace
“That grace might much more abound”—Against the backdrop of the sinfulness of sin and the terrors of the law, the Light of God's grace shines forth. The darker the sin, the brighter God's grace shines, making the comforts of the Gospel sweeter as we see how the one sacrifice of the LORD Jesus Christ satisfied God’s law and justice for the guiltiest of sinners. "…Where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound" because of the LORD Jesus' work of substitution for His people (Romans 5:8-11). Grace reigns to life—eternal life—through righteousness, righteousness imputed to those God-ordained sinners for justification upon the completion of Christ’s work at the cross.
In this abundant grace of God, there are two matters to underscore:
It is God's Grace in Christ:
It is not intended for all of Adam's race, but for those whom God the Father has given to Christ, for whom He would die on the cross (John 17:1-3, 9). Christ’s sacrifice obtained salvation for the elect, and this grace is not extended universally to all sinners, but only to those whom God has sovereignly chosen (Ephesians 1:3-7).
The Grace of God in Christ Reflects the Glory of God's Sovereignty:
Romans 5:20 points to God's supreme sovereignty in dealing with sin and grace. This verse highlights the contrast between human total inability (sin’s abundance) and God’s sovereign ability (grace’s greater abundance). The grace given is not merely a reaction to sin but a demonstration of God’s foreordained, sovereign will to save an elect people from all of fallen humanity (Revelation 5:9). It underscores the truth that salvation is entirely the work of God, from beginning to end.
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