for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Romans 5:13
If you are familiar with the Old Testament, you already know sin existed before the Law. Sin entered the world when Adam disobeyed God’s direct commandment not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man [Adam], saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.”
In Romans 5:12, Paul acknowledges the Genesis account that “through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned–“
However, Paul goes on to say that even though people sinned before the Law, it wasn’t yet counted as sin because there was no law to break.
So, this leads to the question: Were people guilty of sin before the Law?
Let’s find out.
Table of Contents
Were People Guilty of Sin Before the Law?
Yes, people were guilty of sin before the Law, but not in the same way as they were after they received it. We know from Romans 2:14-15 that even Gentiles who didn’t have God’s written law showed that they had His law on their hearts when they instinctively obeyed it. Their conscience or thoughts told them what they were doing was either right or wrong. Additionally, the Bible repeatedly makes it clear that everyone is guilty of sin because we have all sinned and have a sinful nature.
The Law of Conscience
When Adam sinned, everything changed. Sin or lawlessness came into the world, and God’s answer to this lawlessness was to impose law.
God’s first informal law was the law of conscience. Paul defined conscience as the law of God–written universally in people’s hearts and revealing to them what is right and wrong; what God approves and what He disapproves.
Romans 2:14-15 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them.
Since God made Himself knowable through creation, but people suppressed the truth by their wickedness, He holds them responsible. He says people are without excuse.
Romans 1:18-20 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made, so they are without excuse.
Since we have a conscience and know God exists, it’s logical to conclude that everyone knows they are guilty of sinning even without the Mosaic Law.
You may not have broken a specific written law, but God’s law on your heart is enough to make you fully aware of your guilt.
Furthermore, everyone is born with a sin nature.
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The Sin Nature
Having a sin nature means you have a natural inclination to disobey God in favor of doing your own thing. We will always choose to do what we want rather than what God wants when what we prefer differs from what God desires.
The Bible teaches that everyone is born sinful because Adam disobeyed God and brought sin into the world. It’s also why we die.
So, our consciences let us know we sin, and Scripture reveals it’s our nature to do so. We are born this way.
Consider the following verses:
Isaiah 53:6a All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way…
Romans 7:14b …the trouble is with me [Paul], for I am all too human, a slave to sin.
Ecclesiastes 7:20 Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Psalm 51:5 Behold, I [David] was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin, my mother conceived me.
Psalm 58:3 These wicked people are born sinners; even from birth they have lied and gone their own way.
Romans 5:12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sin is Not Imputed When There is No Law
So, if we are all guilty of sin without the Law, why does Paul say in Romans 5:13, “sin is not imputed when there is no law?” Isn’t that another way of saying we aren’t guilty or held accountable for sin?
No, that’s not what Paul is saying.
“Not imputed” doesn’t mean not guilty; it means not counted or charged. And Paul is referring to the Mosaic Law, not sinful behavior.
The NASB Study Bible note on Romans 5:13 says, “Sin is not charged as a specific violation of a particular command when there is no law.”
In other words, you can’t be guilty of breaking the law if there is no law to break. However, Paul isn’t talking about the law of conscience here.
Neither is Paul saying that you’re not sinning unless there is a written law to break. Rather, he’s saying God won’t count your sin as breaking the law.
Paul is never making a case for there being a time when someone wasn’t guilty of sin. On the contrary, Paul is saying all have sinned and are guilty.
The NLT Study Bible note on Romans 5:13 says, “Paul continues his explanation of ‘everyone sinned’ (5:12) by stating that people who died between the times of Adam and Moses were not subject to specific commandments from God. Therefore, their condemnation was not only because of their own sin. It was because of their union with Adam, who sinned by violating an explicit commandment of God.”
Thus, their guilt is because they have a sin nature, and they sinned.
Those Who Sinned Without the Law Will Perish Without the Law
Final Thoughts
As you can see, people were guilty of sin before the Mosaic Law.
People are also guilty today, even though we’re on the other side of the law. Sin has separated people from God since Adam’s disobedience brought sin into the world.
And we are without excuse because God has written His law on our hearts, the law of conscience which reveals to us when we are doing something wrong.
In other words, we know we are sinners even without the Law.
We are sinners by nature and because we sin. And since our sin separates us from God, we need a Savior.
And we have one; His name is Jesus.
If you’d like to know more about what it means that Jesus is the Savior, feel free to read the following article. It will hopefully answer your questions and help you understand how you get right with God now and have eternal life later.