Romans 5:20

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“Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”

Does this passage state that God gave His Law so that would-be Christians better understand how to sin as much as possible? Of course not! (Also see Romans 3:4-9 explanation.)

God gave His Law so that people could see that sin was “abounding” all around (and in) them. The purpose of the Ten Commandments and the rest of God’s Law is to make it possible for people to see sin for what it is—in other words, to know what to avoid, not to know what they should do.

Some in Rome were becoming confused by false teachers and were asking, “Does God want His people, and eventually all people, to abound in sin so that He can glorify Himself by forgiving them?” Apparently, some were actually teaching this, and various brethren were wondering about it. Obviously, while some had actually found a way to be confused by this, the question should be seen as ridiculous. This said, wherever sin is widespread, more of God’s mercy is certainly required to remove its penalty.

Rom 5:21 explains that after mercy is extended, then righteousness reigns in sin’s stead. As explained in Romans 3:4-9, righteousness does not “reign” by virtue of humans’ effort to do all in their physical power to keep the law!

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