The complexity of sin and its relationship with the law is a subject that has puzzled many believers. Paul’s letter to the Romans sheds light on this perplexing issue, particularly in Romans 7:7-11, where he discusses how the law, rather than diminishing sin’s power, actually gives it strength. This idea is further echoed in 1 Corinthians 15:56, stating, “The strength of sin is the law.” At first glance, this statement seems counterintuitive. Wasn’t the law given to guide us away from sin? Yet, Paul reveals a deeper truth: the law exposes sin but does not empower us to overcome it.

The essence of Paul’s message is that the law serves as a mirror, reflecting our sinful nature back to us. It delineates what is right and wrong, and by doing so, it makes us aware of sin’s existence within us. For instance, without a law explicitly stating that coveting is wrong, one might not recognize the sinfulness of such desires. The law, therefore, awakens sin, giving it an opportunity to exert its power over us. “For without the law sin was dead,” Paul explains, indicating that sin’s power is dormant until the law reveals it. The predicament is that the law’s presence and our inevitable failure to fully comply with it make sin’s grip on us even stronger. James 2:10 amplifies this dilemma by stating, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” This reveals the absolute nature of God’s standards, where failing in one aspect is as good as failing in all.

It’s a stark reminder of our inherent inability to attain righteousness through our own efforts, emphasizing that even minor transgressions render us guilty. Romans 6:14 offers a glimmer of hope, highlighting that we are not under the law but under grace, which means sin does not have to dominate us. The transition from law to grace signifies a shift from a system that emphasizes our failures to one that offers forgiveness and liberation from sin’s dominion. This underscores a profound truth: while the law exposes sin, grace provides the solution through faith in Jesus Christ.

The law’s role, therefore, is not to sanctify but to bring us to the end of ourselves, to demonstrate our absolute need for a Savior. It was given to make us realize the futility of trying to achieve righteousness on our own, leading us to the only One who can. “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,”

Romans 3:21 asserts, pointing us towards the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ, which is the true and only way to stand right before God. In essence, understanding the strength of sin through the law leads us to a place of humility and dependence on God’s grace. It’s a journey from realizing our incapability of fulfilling the law to embracing the grace that offers righteousness apart from it. This divine righteousness, obtained through faith in Christ, surpasses any righteousness we could attempt to achieve on our own, offering us freedom from the condemnation and power of sin.