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The Bible
says that sin was in the world before the
Law was given to Israel.
Romans 5:12-14 says, “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.’”
According
to Romans 5:13, no one was charged with sin
in the sense of breaking a commandment
before God gave Israel his laws on Mount
Sinai. Since people still died, they were
guilty as a consequence of Adam’s sin
(Rom. 5:12). Before God gave the Mosaic
law to Israel, mankind was held accountable
for the consequences of having transgressed
the universal moral principles written on
their hearts and in their consciences.
The Law was added to reveal
mankind’s sinfulness and our need for a
Savior.
Galatians 3:19 says,
“Why then the law? It was added because of
transgressions, until the offspring should
come to whom the promise had been made, and
it was put in place through angels by an
intermediary.”
Romans 3:20 says, “For
by works of the law no human being will be
justified in his sight, since through the
law comes knowledge of sin.”
Everyone
stands condemned before God, whether they
are Jews or not, whether they have the Law
of God or not. Why? Because Romans 3:23
says, “we have all sinned and fallen short of
the glory of God.”
Romans 2:12-16
says, “For all who have sinned without the
law will also perish without the law, and
all who have sinned under the law will be
judged by the law. 13 For it is not the
hearers of the law who are righteous before
God, but the doers of the law who will be
justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not
have the law, by nature do what the law
requires, they are a law to themselves, even
though they do not have the law. 15 They
show that the work of the law is written on
their hearts, while their conscience also
bears witness, and their conflicting
thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on
that day when, according to my gospel, God
judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”
In Romans 2:12-16,
Paul's attention was focused on the Gentiles
who were not under the Law. Some people
claimed that since the Gentiles did not
benefit from the knowledge of the covenants,
especially the moral and ceremonial laws of
the Mosaic covenant (Eph. 2:11-19),
they should not have to suffer condemnation
in the same way that the Jews had to suffer
because they had been given God's greater
revelation, but Paul was essentially saying
that the Gentiles already have the essence
of God’s legal requirements written on their
hearts and they are therefore, just as much
guilty and without excuse as Israel was.
Romans 2:17-24 says, “But if you call
yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast
in God 18 and know his will and approve what
is excellent, because you are instructed
from the law; 19 and if you are sure that
you yourself are a guide to the blind, a
light to those who are in darkness, 20 an
instructor of the foolish, a teacher of
children, having in the law the embodiment
of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who
teach others, do you not teach yourself?
While you preach against stealing, do you
steal? 22 You who say that one must not
commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You
who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You
who boast in the law dishonor God by
breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written,
“The name of God is blasphemed among the
Gentiles because of you.’”
Paul’s point in Romans 2:17-24 was, that
since we have all sinned, we are all under
God’s condemnation. Paul went on to tell the
Jews that keeping circumcision was a
meaningless act unless that person's conduct
reflected the true meaning of the ceremony
(Rom. 2:25-29). An uncircumcised person
with a pure heart is more acceptable to God
than a circumcised person is who doesn’t
live in accordance with his beliefs (Rom. 2:25-27). God’s true people are not the ones
who have received circumcision, but they are
those people who have pure hearts and have
received the regenerating work of the Holy
Spirit in their lives (Rom. 2:28-29).
Paul continued to discuss everyone’s
guilt before God in Romans 3. Romans 3:19-20
says, “Now we know that whatever the law
says it speaks to those who are under the
law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and
the whole world may be held accountable to
God. 20 For by works of the law no human
being will be justified in his sight, since
through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
When Paul uses the term, “the law" in
the book of Romans, he is usually referring
to the Mosaic law, so why then does Paul say
that every mouth is left without excuse and
condemned before God if the law is addressed
only to the Jews? Paul was arguing that if
the Jews can't keep the law, even though
they are God’s special covenant people, it
follows that the Gentiles, who have much of
the law written on their consciences will
face God's judgment as well.
The Law
was the issue that had to be dealt with in
order for God to redeem us and restore our
broken relationship with Him. The Law was
God’s greatest revelation to mankind up
until Christ came to redeem those who put
their faith in Him alone for their
salvation. The main purpose for the Law was
to show Israel their need for a Savior, and
bring justification and redemption through
faith in Jesus Christ alone to the whole
human race (Gal. 3:19-26; Rom. 3:24-26).
Galatians 3:22 says, “But
the Scripture imprisoned everything under
sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus
Christ might be given to those who believe.”
So when Paul says we are all guilty
under the law, he is saying we are all
guilty under the universal, moral principles
of the law that apply to everyone, Jews and
Gentiles alike. There is only one way for a
person to be saved, and that is through the
sacrifice Jesus Christ made to redeem a
people for Himself.
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