I had no desire to do anything but walk on this San Diego Zoo artificial turf… until I saw the sign. Man it was hard to resist doing any of those forbidden things written on the sign. If there was no sign, I would have just walked on by with my family, minding my own business.
So, too, with the 10 Commandments. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. When I use the Moral Law in my Gospel presentation, it points out the need for redemption in the heart of a sinner. The law made sin even more sinful by revealing what sin is in stark contrast to God’s holiness.
And that’s why I allowed my two daughters to graze on the artificial turf instead.