“Now the law entered in, that sin might abound. And where sin abounded, grace did more abound. That as sin hath reigned to death; so also grace might reign by justice unto life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say, then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. For we that are dead to sin, how shall we live any longer therein? Know you not that all we, who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in his death? For we are buried together with him by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life.”
The law, then, was given to point out what sin is, to show what is contrary to true love. St. Paul says that it was given “that sin might abound,” which would make it seem to be a bad thing, but “We know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully” (1 Timothy 1:8), and “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal” (Romans 7:14). It can be said that the “that” he uses does not indicate cause; it does not show that the purpose of the law was to increase sin, as it forbade sin: “Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that the dread of him might be in you, and you should not sin” (Exodus 20:20). Rather, in knowing what is forbidden and not being given the love and grace to avoid it, the desire to do what is sinful burned all the hotter in the hearts of those that had the law: “Stolen waters are sweeter, and hidden bread is more pleasant” (Proverbs 9:17). While there were some that had an authentic appreciation for human goodness: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that shall escape of the house of Jacob, shall lean no more upon him that striketh them: but they shall lean upon the Lord the Holy One of Israel, in truth” (Isaias 10:20). However, in those that were inflamed with hate or bad loves, the law was a dam against which the waters of desire pushed too strongly, eventually breaking through in a torrent of sin: “And she hath despised my judgments, so as to be more wicked than the Gentiles; and my commandments, more than the countries that are round about her: for they have cast off my judgments, and have not walked in my commandments” (Ezechiel 5:6). It shows that, while it is human nature to love and love well, without grace, the instruction to do so is only discarded in favor of what is contrary to pure, beautiful love: “My hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers were full of the choicest myrrh” (Canticle 5:5). “That sin might abound” may also refer to the weight of guilt, for in seeing what perfect love looks like, and realizing how one cannot attain it, there is increased guilt in sinning against the commandments of God, which were ordained to make people love one another: “For all the law is fulfilled in one word: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself’” (Galatians 5:14). Thus, what should have been a beautiful guide for life became a sentence of condemnation: “But if thou wilt not hear the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep and to do all his commandments and ceremonies, which I command thee this day, all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee” (Deuteronomy 28:15). Because “By the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20), the Israelites knew what was displeasing to God, and without grace, could not lift themselves up to follow His commandments to love. However, for those that live the life of grace, sin becomes a sort of medal, showing from what the love of God can pull a person, for the lives of Saints Mary Magdalene, Paul, or Mary of Egypt are great testimonies to the extraordinary power of love: “Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much” (Luke 7:47). Thus, sin reigned to the death of bodies as well as souls, as there was no divine love to animate them and be the life for which goodness could be their beauty, grace giving this life and justice giving this beauty restores the life that was lost, which is all a free gift from Christ. Now, there could be a misinterpretation that in sinning much, grace may abound more, and so to continue in sin gives Jesus’ death purpose, and potentially an increase of grace. However, sin is not the cause of grace, but the malady that is healed by the merciful love of God: “They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are ill” (Matthew 9:12). He then explains that in living for Love, one does not continue in sin, because sin closes in the sinner upon themselves, whereas love feeds the heart and turns the lover outward. St. John Chrysostom even calls the virtuous life of love easy, because to love is what man was made for, and so the life of grace fits the human person like a lovely garment better than sin ever could: “I counsel thee to buy of me gold fire tried, that thou mayest be made rich; and mayest be clothed in white garments, and that the shame of thy nakedness may not appear” (Apocalypse 3:18). When St. Paul says, “know you not,” he speaks as to something so obvious that it cannot be missed, because to sin against Christ should be as outlandish to the lover of God as committing adultery against one’s spouse. You bear Christ crucified in you: “Always bearing about in our body the mortification of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies” (2 Corinthians 4:10), that the greatest expression of love possible may be alive in you, while the members of sin are crucified: “With Christ I am nailed to the cross” (Galatians 2:19). Thus, in baptism you are buried in a sense, with someone new arising: “If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away, behold all things are made new” (1 Corinthians 5:17), for what was is buried, and a divine expression of love arises, that one may live to become, like Jesus, love incarnate. Therefore, in being put to death in a spiritual sense, the glory of God raises you up, that you may live a life of love, a life of goodness, which is glorious and beautiful, just as Jesus rose again in glory.