The Law was given to Israel so that ALL the world (BOTH
Jew and Gentile) may be proven guilty before God (Romans 3:19 cf.Deuteronomy 31:26)
The nations were "given up" by God and "given
over" to a "reprobate mind" (Romans 1:24,26,28) at the time of the Tower of Babel incident (Genesis 11:5-9)
when God "looked down" from Heaven and "saw" that there was "none that doeth good"
(Psalms 14:2-3; Psalms 53:2-3)
The righteousness of God " revealed through the "faith
of Jesus Christ" is available to both Jew and Gentile, since both have "sinned" and "come short
of the glory of God" (Romans 3:22-23)
The price of the sinner's redemption is the "blood
of Christ", which "at this time" (time of Paul's writing) has been revealed to be the gracious provision
for the justification of sinners - both past and present (Romans 3:24-26 cf.Acts 20:26-28,36-37)
This is why Paul says God will judge " the secrets
of men", "according to MY gospel" (Romans 2:16 cf.Romans 1:1; Romans 16:25) - for it was Paul who FIRST proclaimed Christ as our "Passover
Sacrifice" (I Corinthians 5:7;I Corinthians 16:21)
and that through Christ is provided the COMPLETE forgiveness of sins and justification of the sinner, which was
NOT possible through the Law of Moses (Acts 13:38-39,45)
The Law was given to reveal the ugliness of indwelling
sin which end result is death (Romans 5:21 cf. Romans 7:22-24) after which grace was manifested to show the righteousness of Christ
which end result is eternal life (Romans 5:21 cf. Romans 7:25 - 8:2)
If grace much more abounds than sin (Romans 5:20)
then the question arises as to whether or not the believer should sin more in order to experience more grace (Romans 6:1)
The answer to this question is an emphatic NO (Romans 6:2),
because of the believer's identification with Christ in both His death (to sin) and resurrection (unto newness
of life), which is the very essence of the believer's sanctification (being set apart) to Him (Romans 6:3-4 cf. Ephesians 2:4-6; Colossians 2:10-12)
Paul sets out the all-important traffic sign pointing
to the believer's identification with Christ - the big "KNOW, RECKON, and YIELD" sign
"KNOW" that our "old man" (Adam) is
crucified with Christ, which frees the believer from being a servant (slave) to sin and allows the believer to
live with Christ (Romans 6:6-8)
"KNOW" that Christ died once to sin and, therefore,
death has no more power over Him and so now He lives unto God (Romans 6:9-10)
"RECKON" (count as true) that you also are dead
to sin and alive unto God through Christ and, therefore, no longer a slave to sin (Romans 6:11-12)
"YIELD" your body members NOT as instruments
(tools) of unrighteousness BUT as instruments (tools) of righteousness as one who is alive (unto grace) from the
dead (the Law), because you are NOT under the Law BUT under grace (Romans 6:13-14)
The believer who truly comprehends personal identification
with Christ is the believer who is truly motivated by the love of Christ (II Corinthians 5:14-15)