Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Romans 5:20-21: Questions and Answers

What is the function of the law according to Romans 5:20-21?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' exposition of Romans 5:20-21, the law entered not to save us but for several specific purposes. The law's function is to increase sin in three main ways: it increases our knowledge of sin, increases our conviction of sin, and actually incites us to sin because of our sinful nature. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes, "The law entered that the offense might abound," meaning it was brought in alongside sin to make us more aware of our sinfulness and ultimately drive us to Christ. The law was never intended as a means of salvation, but rather to show us our utter need for grace.

Why does Paul add a "postscript" at Romans 5:20-21?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul adds these verses as a kind of "postscript" because he felt he had left a "loose end" regarding the law that needed addressing. The apostle had already mentioned the law in verses 13-14, and now wanted to clarify its purpose in God's plan of salvation. Lloyd-Jones notes that Paul was "always a pastor" who wrote "not to write theological treatises, but in order to help simple people understand their faith." Many Jews, both believing and unbelieving, were troubled about the role of the law, wondering what its purpose was if it neither justified nor condemned them, so Paul addressed this important issue before moving on.

How does the law increase our knowledge of sin?

According to Lloyd-Jones, the law increases our knowledge of sin in four main ways: 1. It defines sin for us - codifying and pinpointing what is wrong 2. It helps us understand the real nature and depth of sin 3. It teaches us about the terrible grip sin has on the human heart 4. It reveals the awful deceitfulness of sin

Lloyd-Jones quotes Romans 3:20, "By the law is the knowledge of sin," and Romans 7:7, where Paul says, "I had not known sin, but by the law, for I had not known lust, except the law had said, thou shalt not covet." The law brings clarity about the exceeding sinfulness of sin that we would not understand otherwise.

What does Lloyd-Jones mean when he says the law convicts us of sin?

Lloyd-Jones teaches that the law not only gives us knowledge about sin but actually convicts us of our sinfulness in two main ways:

1. It makes our sin greater because now we know what we're doing: "With this knowledge that the law gives me I realize that when I do wrong, I'm not just committing a wrong action. I'm defying the majesty of God."

2. It convicts us of the extent of our sinfulness: The law shows us how deeply sin has permeated our nature, making us see that "in him that is in his flesh dwelleth no good thing," and that we are "wretched men without hope altogether."

This conviction is especially important for reaching "good moral people" who don't see themselves as sinners because they haven't committed obvious sins like drunkenness or adultery.

How does the law actually make people sin more according to Lloyd-Jones?

Lloyd-Jones explains that because of what sin has done to our nature, the law actually incites us to sin more. He cites Romans 7:5-11, where Paul states that "sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence" and "deceived me, and by it slew me." Because sin has perverted our nature, the very law that tells us not to do things creates within us a desire to do them all the more. Lloyd-Jones illustrates this with his skepticism about morality teaching in schools, saying, "Knowledge of sin has never prevented anybody from sinning. Indeed, the more one knows about it, the more one is subject to the temptation to do it."

What is the ultimate purpose of the law according to Galatians 3?

The ultimate purpose of the law, which Lloyd-Jones adds from Galatians 3:22-24, is to bring us to Christ. He states: "The law was our schoolmaster, our pedagogue, the one who takes us by the hand and takes us to the school where we can finally learn... The law is our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith." Far from being designed to save us, the law was meant to show us that nothing and nobody could save us but Jesus Christ by making us realize our "utter and complete hopelessness."

Why does Lloyd-Jones criticize modern preaching in this sermon?

Lloyd-Jones criticizes modern preaching for neglecting what earlier preachers called "the law work." He states, "Somehow or another, we have forgotten this law work in connection with our preaching. The great preachers of 300 years ago and 200 years ago spent a long time with what they called a law work." He argues that the church's contemporary weakness stems from superficial work that doesn't go deep enough in showing people their sin before offering grace. Lloyd-Jones also criticizes subjective preaching that starts with people's needs, weaknesses, and fears rather than with God, saying we should "hold mankind face to face with God" instead of making the gospel seem irrelevant to "good moral people."

How does understanding our sinfulness enhance our appreciation of grace?

Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that we cannot truly appreciate grace without first understanding the depth of our sin: "The man who really knows something about the grace of God is the man who knows most about his own sinfulness." When we see how deeply sin has affected us through the law's revealing work, we can then marvel at the wonder of God's grace: "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." He references a hymn by Samuel Davies: "Great God of wonders, all thy ways are God, much less godlike and divine... Who is a pardoning God like thee and who has grace so rich and free?" Lloyd-Jones concludes that "you can't appreciate the second half of the verse if you don't understand the first half of the verse" - meaning we can't grasp grace without first seeing our desperate need for it.