5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
Romans 3:5-8 ESV
Here is one metaphor to help us understand this argument that Paul puts forth as a question that some have asked concerning our unrighteousness demonstrating God’s righteousness:
Let’s pretend there is a lush, beautiful forest teeming with wildlife and a diverse ecosystem of natural wonders. One day, someone comes along and declares, “Water is fantastic! It nourishes plants and animals, and its properties are excellent and valuable. Sure, there’s some water here in ponds and streams, but if water is good, wouldn’t more water be great?” So he concocts a plan to get more water into the area by BURNING THE WHOLE FOREST DOWN because if everything is on fire, he surmises, people will bring trucks and trucks of water, even a flying aircraft of water to dump on the whole forest. Because the goal was that we want more water, right?
Does anyone think this plan is a good idea?? Sure, the amount of good water increases, but everything the water was supporting and nourishing is wholly destroyed. Fire is not a terrible analogy for sin because sin destroys life like an uncontrollable forest fire. Can God replant a forest? YES. Can He bring beauty from the ashes? YES. Does God (or do we) want us to be reduced to absolute poverty so that He can swoop in, save the day, and be the Savior after He’s already paid the ultimate price for our sins? NO. God’s desire (as made evident in all of Paul’s writings to the churches) is that we are to be conformed to the likeness of Christ and pursue holiness.
If we want to increase the amount of God’s righteousness, instead of creating a “righteousness vacuum” for God to fill because we’ve been unrighteous, how about we become purveyors of God’s righteousness through our attitudes, thoughts, and actions? We should be adding to the righteousness of God through our holy and righteous lives among men, thus increasing righteousness everywhere.