The Knowledge of Sin

By the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3.20

The law cannot put our sins away, for its very nature is continually to remind us of our sin. The law does more than simply define what sin is or even show us that we are sinners: the law presses our sin upon our conscience to make us guilty and liable to punishment. Therefore, we come “to know sin.”

But there was One who, even under the law, “knew no sin.” (2 Corinthians 5.21) Even under the law He knew no sin, for he did no sin and in Him there is no sin; so the law had no sin to reveal or press upon His conscience. In such a state He was taken to the cross, there to have our sin put to His account by God Himself, and so the law began its awful ministry upon Him, and He was made to know sin.

The result is remarkable: We who have done much sin and in whom is much sin are made to “know no sin.” The law has no ministry in us anymore to reveal our sin and press its guilt upon us. We are yet aware that we sin, but the ministry of Christ (the gospel) works in our heart to make us ignorant of sin in the same way that the law once made us knowledgeable of our sin. The more we see Him made sin for us, the less will the law be able to press upon us “the knowledge of sin.”