Knowledge of sin is crucial because it exposes the old Adamic nature and proves that no one can be justified by works — only God's grace can save.
Romans 3:20 says 'by the law is the knowledge of sin.' Les Feldick teaches that people are not sinners because they do bad things; they do bad things because they are born with Adam's sinful nature. The law was given to bring this knowledge of sin, not to provide salvation, so that people see their guilt and their need for grace.
Romans 3:20 — Directly answers the question: the law brings the knowledge of sin, meaning no one can be justified by their own deeds.
Romans 7:13 — Shows that the commandment makes sin appear exceedingly sinful, demonstrating why the knowledge of sin exposes the depth of human corruption.
Romans 5:20 — Shows that the law entered to make the offense abound, which sets the stage for grace to abound even more.
In Romans 3:20 the Apostle Paul states, 'Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.' This is the clearest biblical statement of why the knowledge of sin matters: it exposes the reality that no person can be declared righteous before God on the basis of law-keeping, because the law's role is to bring the knowledge of sin. Romans 7:13 shows that this exposure is intentional. The commandment does not make sin acceptable; rather, 'sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.' The law magnifies sin, revealing its true character. Romans 5:20 connects the law's entrance with the abundance of sin: 'Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.' So Scripture uses the knowledge of sin as the backdrop for grace; the more sin is exposed, the more grace is shown to abound.
For Les Feldick, the knowledge of sin is essential because it gets to the real source of the human problem — 'old Adam.' Les defines 'sin' (singular) as the old Adamic nature inherited from Adam, and he teaches that every human being was in Adam when the fall happened. People often respond to the gospel by claiming, 'I'm doing the best I can. I think I'll make it,' but Les says they have not dealt with the core problem of old Adam. The law is 'the only way that God can come to that kind of a person and say, you're guilty.' No matter how good someone's record is, God still sees the corrupt inner realities — 'that throat like an open sepulcher,' 'a mouth that's full of cursing,' and thought processes that are immoral — all emerging from old Adam. Les's repeated point is that we are not sinners because we commit sins; we commit sins because we are born sinners in Adam. Even people who think they have not done anything immoral still have the same inherited problem. The law cannot save anyone or justify anyone; it was given only to show mankind how sinful it really is. As Les puts it, 'all it can do is show us our sin.' Yet the story does not end there: where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, and the cross has completed the remedy for those who believe.
Les teaches that the whole sin problem began with Adam and that every human being has inherited the same sinful nature. Human beings are not sinners because they do sinful things; they do sinful things because they are already sinners in Adam. Even a person with an excellent outward record still has the old Adam inside, which is why Les says the law must come and declare that person guilty. As he puts it, 'we're not sinners because we broke God's law. That isn't what made us a sinner. We broke His law because we're sinners, and that began with Adam.'
Romans 3:20 says no flesh is justified by the deeds of the law because the law brings the knowledge of sin. Les echoes this by saying the law has no saving power and no power of justification; all it can do is show people how sinful they are. The law was never intended to be a path to righteousness — it was the mirror that exposes the corruption of old Adam. Through the commandment, sin is shown to be 'exceeding sinful' (Romans 7:13), and the law entered 'that the offence might abound' (Romans 5:20).
Les gives the example of a 'good neighbor,' 'good friend,' or 'good customer' who says, 'I'm doing the best I can. I think I'll make it.' That person may be keeping commandments, going to church, and giving, but he has not dealt with the core problem of old Adam. God still sees the reality of what is inside: a throat like an open sepulcher, a mouth full of cursing, and immoral thought processes. Les says the law is the only way God can come to that person and declare him guilty.
Les teaches that when the law came in, it made the offense abound by showing how sinful men really were. But God is still greater than everything, and where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. The law did not create a hopeless situation; it set the stage for God's grace to be displayed even more. In Les's words, the cross has completed everything, and those who refuse the remedy are lost.
Self-Righteousness and Old Adam
Les shows that people who think they are good enough have not dealt with the real problem — old Adam — and the law is what exposes their guilt by revealing what God sees.
Inherited Sin and the Law's Purpose
Les teaches that the whole sin problem began with Adam and that the law entered only to show how sinful mankind really is; where sin abounded, grace abounded more.
Romans 3:20 — By the Law Is the Knowledge of Sin
Les directly connects Romans 7:13 with Romans 3:20 to show that the law's purpose is to give the knowledge of sin and that no flesh is justified by deeds.
What the Bible Says About Sodom, Lot, and Judgment (Romans 1)
I don't care what the psychologists say. The only thing that counts is the truth of the Word of God. And the truth of the Word of God is that God hates sin. And these things that people will simply explain away as an alternate lifestyle is not sin. But the Bible says it is. All right, so if you'll continue on down to verse 21.
Lost Because of Adam, Not Just Actions
Les explains that people are lost because they are born in sin as children of Adam and have refused the remedy of the cross, not merely because of particular acts.
Good People Still Sinners by Birth
Les shows that even people who consider themselves morally clean are sinners by birth because in Adam every human being became a sinner.
The Law Only Shows Our Sin
Les stresses that the law has no saving or justifying power; all it can do is show how sinful human beings really are.
In Adam the Whole Sin Problem Began
Les teaches that every one of us, as far as God is concerned, was in Adam, and that is the beginning of the whole sin problem even though sin has not changed.
Romans 3:20: Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
This is the foundational verse for why the knowledge of sin is necessary: the law reveals sin and proves that no one can be justified by their own deeds.
Romans 7:13: Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
This verse shows that the commandment deliberately exposes sin in all its exceeding sinfulness.
Romans 5:20: Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
The law's purpose of increasing awareness of sin makes God's grace even more remarkable.
It is the awareness produced by the law that every person is guilty before God because of the inherited old Adam nature. The law reveals this rather than providing salvation.
No — Les teaches the opposite: we sin because we are already sinners by birth in Adam. The old Adamic nature is the root, and the sinful actions are the fruit.
No. The law only brings knowledge of sin and has no saving power. Even a good moral record cannot remove the corruption of old Adam, which is why grace is essential.
Old Adam is the inherited sinful nature from Adam, the root of all sin, and the problem that must be dealt with. Les connects this to the singular word 'sin' in Romans 5-7.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Law Can't Save You — Romans 3:19-20 Explained