Romans 5:20 (LSB)

Passage

Now the Law came in so that the transgression would increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

Nearby Context

Romans 5:18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

Romans 5:19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were appointed sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be appointed righteous.

Romans 5:20 Now the Law came in so that the transgression would increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

Romans 5:21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "grace", "came", "transgression", "increase", "where", "increased", and "abounded". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "grace" and "came", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "For as through the one man s..." into verse 21's "so that as sin reigned in death...", so "grace" and "came" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "grace" and "came" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.