“For before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account where there is no law”(Romans 5:13).
“The law was added so that the trespass might increase” (Romans 5:20).
Many Christians wonder: If God’s Law had not yet been given, was there still sin in the world? Paul answers this question clearly in Romans 5.
Sin Existed Before the Law
The answer is yes—sin was present between Adam and Moses, long before the Ten Commandments were written. Human nature was already fallen. People were still rebelling against God, but their sin had not yet been named or defined in the way the Law would later make plain.
Think of it like a sickness. A person feels ill but has no diagnosis. They go to the doctor, and the physician names the condition: “Now I know why I’ve been feeling so poorly.” The symptoms were there all along; the diagnosis only made it clear.
What the Law Did
The Law of Moses did not create sin; it clarified sin. It exposed what was already wrong, shining a light on the problem. Paul says the Law was “added so that the trespass might increase” (Romans 5:20)—not that God wanted more sin, but that humanity would finally see how deep the problem ran.
By defining and identifying sin, the Law showed humanity’s desperate need for a Redeemer. As Paul says elsewhere, the Law became our “schoolmaster” (or “guardian”) to lead us to Christ (Galatians 3:24).
Why This Matters Today
Understanding this truth keeps us from two mistakes:
- Thinking sin only exists when a rule is written down. Sin is rebellion against God, even when it’s not codified.
- Thinking the Law was the solution to sin. The Law shows the problem but cannot cure it. Only Christ can.
The Law of Moses was a bright, necessary flashlight in a dark room, but Jesus Christ is the healer who deals with the sickness itself.
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