Let's open our Bibles to Romans 5:21-22

Through the Law, sin reigned in death, but through Christ super-abundant grace reigns in righteousness to eternal life

Outside of Christ, the Law causes sin to increase and to reign in death

The law does not restrain sin at the heart level

The law cannot bring my sinful heart into willing submission

The law actually increases sin

The law increases sin by turning our imputed sin in Adam into actual sins of deliberate disobedience

The law increases sin by imputing our guilt to our account

The law increases sin by exposing the utter sinfulness of sin and removing all excuses for disobedience

The law increases sin by stimulating our sinful flesh to disobey it

The law is necessary to expose our self-righteousness and to convict us of our sin

The increased sin reigns in death

Sin reigns as an evil tyrant in those who are not under Christ's lordship

Sin does not lead to a better, happier life, but to temporal, and ultimately, eternal death

Through Jesus Christ our Lord, super-abundant grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life

God's response to increased sin is super-abundant grace

Donald Gray Barnhouse: Where sin reached a highwater mark, grace completely flooded the world

God's grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life

God's grace takes us beyond where Adam was before the fall

He did not possess eternal life before the fall, but we do

He did not have permanent, perfect righteousness credited to his account, but we do

God's grace is mediated through our Lord Jesus Christ

All blessings come to us as believers through Jesus Christ our Lord