Rm 3, 20 Through the law the consciousness of sin

(Rm 3, 20) Through the law the consciousness of sin

[20] since no human being will be justified in his sight by observing the law; for through the law comes consciousness of sin.

(CCC 708) This divine pedagogy appears especially in the gift of the Law (Cf. Ex 19- 20; Deut 1-11; 29-30). God gave the Law as a "pedagogue" to lead his people towards Christ (Gal 3:24). But the Law's powerlessness to save man deprived of the divine "likeness," along with the growing awareness of sin that it imparts (Cf. Rom 3:20), enkindles a desire for the Holy Spirit. The lamentations of the Psalms bear witness to this.