“The law came in so that the offense might increase.”

[Romans 5:12-21]

Let’s look at Romans 5:20-21:
“The law came in so that the offense might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Here, we want to reflect on the verse: "The law came in so that the offense might increase" (v. 20). Why did God give the law to Moses at Mount Sinai? The reason is to increase the offense. The phrase "to increase the offense" means that sin became very abundant, very full, or intense. It's like a balloon being inflated—when it gets too full, it’s about to burst. In this sense, sin is being made tense or full. But the purpose of the law wasn’t to cause more sin or to inflate it; rather, it was to make us aware of our sin.

For example, in darkness, nothing is visible. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing around. When light shines, large objects become visible first, and the brighter the light, the more we see—eventually even the smallest things, like dust, become visible. In the same way, the law came not because sin didn’t exist, but because people did not recognize their sin. The law reveals sin, making us realize what we could not see before.

Therefore, we must know the law. We must diligently seek to understand the Bible. We need to understand God’s Word to recognize our sins.

For example, let’s consider Matthew 5:21-22 (Modern Translation):
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you, anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court; and anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

As we learn these words, we begin to understand that while Moses' law says, "You shall not murder," Jesus teaches that anyone who is angry with their brother or sister will face judgment. This shows us that anger towards others is a serious sin—worthy of judgment. So, as we reflect on this, we realize that we must control our anger and be diligent in not allowing such feelings to take root in us.

Now, consider Matthew 5:27-28 (Modern Translation):
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

As we learn these words, we see that although Moses' law said, "Do not commit adultery," Jesus teaches that anyone who looks at someone with lust has already committed adultery in their heart. Reflecting on this, we recognize that looking at someone with lust is already a sin in God’s eyes, and we must not give in to such desires. Instead, we should view others as brothers and sisters in Christ, avoiding the sin of adultery in our hearts.

The Bible reveals sin to us, and as we study God's Word, we learn to recognize and avoid sin. Therefore, we must commit ourselves to not falling into sin. We must be filled with the Word so that we no longer sin out of ignorance.

Let’s look at the second half of Romans 5:20 and the first half of Romans 5:21:
“… but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death…”.
"Where sin abounded" means when sin had filled to the point that no more sin could be committed. At this point, this powerful sin reigned in death (it could not reign outside of death).
Let’s refer to Genesis 6:5:
“And the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”
[(The Bible for Modern Man) “And the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that all the thoughts of his heart were continually evil.”].
As a result, God judged the world with the flood, and all died because of sin (physical death). However, Noah did not die in the flood because he found grace in the eyes of the Lord (v. 8). In his case, he received physical salvation.
But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. In other words, when sin was so full that no more sin could be committed, grace overflowed abundantly and astonishingly.
[(John 1:16) “… grace upon grace.”]
What is this “grace”?
Let’s look at Romans 5:16:
“… and the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.”
[(The Bible for Modern Man) “… the free gift from God, through which many sinners are justified and declared righteous.”].
Here, “many offenses” refers to the original sin of all of us, our past sins, present sins, and future sins. Jesus took all of our sins, and not only did He bear the punishment for each one of those sins, but through His righteous act on the cross, many are declared righteous and come to life (v. 18).
How overflowing and abundant is God's grace! We cannot express the greatness of God's immense grace in words. Even if the heavens were the paper and the sea were the ink, we could not write about the endless grace of God (reference: New Hymnal, Hymn 304, "The Great Love of God").

Let’s look at the second half of Romans 5:21:
“… so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
In this verse, the grace reigning through righteousness refers to the eternal righteousness of Christ (Park Yun-sun). A believer who possesses eternal righteousness through faith is under the reign of grace and receives eternal life (Park Yun-sun).
Through the one act of Jesus Christ on the cross, we were declared righteous and are now able to enjoy eternal life (v. 18). How infinite is God’s grace!
In the New Hymnal, Hymn 302, "My Lord God, Wide and Great Is Your Grace," it expresses this beautifully:
Verse 1:
“My Lord God, Your grace is vast and great,
Deeper than the great sea,
If you draw your anchor and go deep,
You will find the center of it.”
Verse 2:
“Why do you, O soul, doubt this immeasurable greatness?
Look at the sea and consider its depth.”
Verse 3:
“Many people look for the great sea along the shallow shore,
And seeing the small waves, they become afraid and do not venture further.”
Verse 4:
“Come now, go forward, go now!
Head toward the vast sea of grace,
Row your boat into the deep waters,
Into the boundless sea.”
(Chorus)
“Leaving the shore, set sail in the waves,
Row toward the sea of grace of my Lord Jesus,
Row as much as you want.”

What is the “eternal life” mentioned in the second half of Romans 5:21?
Here, “eternal life” is the same eternal life mentioned in John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
The gift of grace that God has given to us through Jesus Christ is eternal life. This is not physical salvation, but refers to eternal life that leads to everlasting life.
This eternal life also means that we will be glorified (Romans 8:30).
In short, eternal life refers to salvation. It is a future reality that is 100% certain, without a doubt.
And this future reality means that those of us who have been justified by faith in Jesus will reach eternal life and enter the kingdom of heaven (5:18).
This is a future salvation, where, by God’s grace, we will enter heaven and enjoy eternal bliss.
However, eternal life also has a past aspect. In other words, we have already received eternal life through God's grace by believing in Jesus (John 3:16) (past salvation).
Eternal life begins with regeneration (being born again) and will continue to progress every day until it reaches its completion.
Believing in Jesus is the evidence of our being born again. Regeneration doesn’t refer to the body coming back to life, but rather the soul being renewed (becoming a new creation). Before regeneration, we were separated from God, but after being born again, we are connected to God and can commune with Him.

There is something we must keep in mind. It is this: when we say that we receive eternal life by believing in Jesus, we should not think of eternal life as simply the eternal life in the afterlife. The reason is that eternal life is something we already enjoy partially in the present, in Christ Jesus. The word “eternal life” appears most frequently in the Gospel of John. In Greek, "eternal life" is "zoe (life) aionios (eternal)." This term is a combination of "zoe" (life) and "aionios" (eternal). Therefore, the term “eternal life” has two literal meanings (according to internet sources). First, it refers to "life that lasts forever" in terms of time, and second, it refers to "a divine life that is different from human life" in terms of quality. Thus, the term "eternal life" includes both the meaning of eternal life in time and the divine life that is enjoyed in God.

Especially in the Gospel of John, the meaning of “eternal life” includes not only the eternal blessings that we will enjoy in the afterlife, as in the Synoptic Gospels, but also emphasizes the blessings we can enjoy in the present. The Gospel of John says that those who believe in the Lord already possess eternal life, and they can enjoy that blessing even in the present reality, in Christ.

So, what is the blessing of eternal life that we enjoy in the present? It is the future blessings that we receive by sharing an intimate personal communion with the eternal God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit (John 17:3; 1 John 1:3). A representative example of this is partaking in God's divine nature. In other words, the partial blessings of eternal life we enjoy on earth, as we live here, involve becoming more like Jesus through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. Another blessing of eternal life that we enjoy partially in the present is love. When we love God and our neighbors with the love of God poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, we taste a bit of the joy of heaven. Furthermore, the blessing of eternal life is peace. Even though we live in a world without peace, those who believe in Jesus can enjoy God's peace, a blessing of eternal life, even while living on earth.

The hymn 436 from the New Hymnal, "Now I Have the New Life of the Lord," expresses this beautifully:
(Verse 1)
Now I have the new life of the Lord, the old has passed, and I am a new person.
That life flows in my heart like a river, and that person shines in me like the sun.

(Verse 2)
Now I have the new life hidden in the Lord, and all the things I once cherished are now worthless.
Having tasted the grace and peace of heaven, I will live with Him in praise and prayer.

(Verse 3)
Mountains and trees have become new, sinners and enemies are transformed into friends.
The one who has received new life enjoys eternal life, and the heart that holds the Lord is a new heaven.

(Verse 4)
The road I follow with the Lord is rough and long, but I will continue to follow while singing praises.
I will live eternally with the Lord, serving Him forever and living with Him.

(Chorus)
Living the eternal life, I will live in the Lord. Today and tomorrow, I will live with Him.

By the grace of God, we have received eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ. No matter how many difficulties we face in this world, those of us who have been born again by God's grace can live while enjoying eternal life. Even more, God's abundant grace reigns through righteousness, and we should enjoy eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, let us give thanks, rejoice, praise, and pray that we may enjoy the life of heaven even partially here on earth.