What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
Romans 7:7-13
Romans 7:7-13
If the law can’t save us or sanctify us, what good is it? And it’s 4 aspects that I want to pull out here very quickly in this passage at the purpose of the Law. What good is the law.
First we see Paul saying, “Certainly Not!” or “May it never be!” What did we learn about that response a couple weeks ago? It’s Paul passionately rebuking an improper conclusion based on a proper premise.
The law is not sin. It wasn't the law that is sin, but the law that made sin apparent. In verses 7 through 13, we see that the law does the following:
First we see Paul saying, “Certainly Not!” or “May it never be!” What did we learn about that response a couple weeks ago? It’s Paul passionately rebuking an improper conclusion based on a proper premise.
The law is not sin. It wasn't the law that is sin, but the law that made sin apparent. In verses 7 through 13, we see that the law does the following:
- Reveals Sin
- Arouses Sin
- Devastates the Sinner
- Reflects the Sinfulness of Sin
The Law reveals sin – vs 7
- Romans 4:14
- Romans 5:13
Without law, you don’t have sin revealed.
The Law arouses sin – vs 8
Paul goes on to say that not only does the Law reveal sin, but the Law also arouses sin in man.
“seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire”
In this verse, who is identified as the culprit for man’s curse? The Law or Sin? Sin. The law simply provided an opportunity for sin. The law’s purpose is to show us our sin, so we can see our need for a Savior.
Our real problem is sin though, not the law. The law cannot save, because we cannot keep it. That’s how the law condemns. The law condemns because sin seized the opportunity to produce sinful desires.
Notice how Paul doesn't say, “produces a covetous desire” but he says it produced in him “every kind of covetous desire” it doesn't just arouse in us a sinful desire, it stimulates and increases our desire to do what’s wrong.
It’s human nature to want what we can’t have. That’s what the law provides for sin. It produces us to want what we “can’t” have. It’s like reverse psychology.
The law reveals, and arouses sin and devastates the sinner. Let’s look at verses 9 through 11.
“seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire”
In this verse, who is identified as the culprit for man’s curse? The Law or Sin? Sin. The law simply provided an opportunity for sin. The law’s purpose is to show us our sin, so we can see our need for a Savior.
Our real problem is sin though, not the law. The law cannot save, because we cannot keep it. That’s how the law condemns. The law condemns because sin seized the opportunity to produce sinful desires.
Notice how Paul doesn't say, “produces a covetous desire” but he says it produced in him “every kind of covetous desire” it doesn't just arouse in us a sinful desire, it stimulates and increases our desire to do what’s wrong.
It’s human nature to want what we can’t have. That’s what the law provides for sin. It produces us to want what we “can’t” have. It’s like reverse psychology.
The law reveals, and arouses sin and devastates the sinner. Let’s look at verses 9 through 11.
The Law Devastates the Sinner – vs 9-11
Paul is talking about ignorance being bliss. Ignorance is bliss, for a time being… but you can’t use that as an excuse in the end.
Paul is saying, before the covenant, he thought he was a good person. He was content with his own self-righteousness. But once he was exposed to the convicting power of the law, he died in the sense that everything he hoped for was shattered. He came to grips with just how sinful he was. He wasn't righteous at all in light of the law.
Here’s how John MacArthur Explains it:
Paul is saying, before the covenant, he thought he was a good person. He was content with his own self-righteousness. But once he was exposed to the convicting power of the law, he died in the sense that everything he hoped for was shattered. He came to grips with just how sinful he was. He wasn't righteous at all in light of the law.
Here’s how John MacArthur Explains it:
“How to evaluate the genuineness of your salvation, you evaluate your salvation not by your reaction to God’s love, but by your reaction to God’s law. It’s not a matter of feeling good about yourself, but of feeling bad about yourself. Do others a favor and tell them that. We demonstrate that we truly love others when we care enough to confront sin. That’s why we have to reaffirm the law of God. God wants the law to devastate the sinner by knocking him flat on his back in a helpless condition.”
We see in verse 10, that the law was actually intended to bring life. But because of the sinfulness of man, we see it actually brings death. The law in an unsaved person can do nothing but remind them of their own condemnation because an unsaved person doesn’t have the ability to follow the law perfectly.
But for us as Christians, the law produces fruit. We now have the ability, because the Holy Spirit dwells in us to fulfill the law through the death of Christ. The law needs to be satisfied. Someone has to pay. It’ll either be you, or a substitute. And for those who place their faith and trust in Christ, have satisfied the law and have the ability to do the law to produce fruit for God.
For Paul, the law of God revealed that what he once thought was valuable in life was only rubbish. (Phil 3:8)
Then we see sin going back the whole way to Genesis in verse 11 of Romans.
Sin deceived us. This isn’t new. This is exactly what happened in the Garden. And sin is at work in religion and people in general. People are pursuing a religion that promotes self-righteousness through various rules and rituals. Millions of people are deceived and think they’re on the right path because of how deceitful sin is.
The Law not only devastates the sinner, but it also shows just how sinful sin is.
But for us as Christians, the law produces fruit. We now have the ability, because the Holy Spirit dwells in us to fulfill the law through the death of Christ. The law needs to be satisfied. Someone has to pay. It’ll either be you, or a substitute. And for those who place their faith and trust in Christ, have satisfied the law and have the ability to do the law to produce fruit for God.
For Paul, the law of God revealed that what he once thought was valuable in life was only rubbish. (Phil 3:8)
Then we see sin going back the whole way to Genesis in verse 11 of Romans.
Sin deceived us. This isn’t new. This is exactly what happened in the Garden. And sin is at work in religion and people in general. People are pursuing a religion that promotes self-righteousness through various rules and rituals. Millions of people are deceived and think they’re on the right path because of how deceitful sin is.
The Law not only devastates the sinner, but it also shows just how sinful sin is.
The law reflects the sinfulness of sin – vs 12-13
How is the law holy, just and good if it arouses sin and devastates the sinner? Well, when I get into verses 14 and on, you'll see that in verse 14 & 16 that the law is actually spiritual and that it is good. In verse 22 you'll see that Paul actual delights in the law.
There is nothing wrong with the law, if it reveals sin, it isn’t the law that is at fault, it’s the sinner.
Verse 13.
We have another “By no means” phrase. Another improper conclusion that this antagonist that Paul has been bantering with the whole way through Romans has come to on a proper premise.
That which is good, did not become death to you. Sin produced death in us through what was good so that through the commandments, through God’s law, sin might be known as, and be brought to light as sin. And when we hold the flame of the law up to sin, we really get a true sense of how sinful sin really is.
When the law unmasks our sin, it brings about death by showing us how far short we fall short of God’s standards. Here is Paul’s argument:
There is nothing wrong with the law, if it reveals sin, it isn’t the law that is at fault, it’s the sinner.
Verse 13.
We have another “By no means” phrase. Another improper conclusion that this antagonist that Paul has been bantering with the whole way through Romans has come to on a proper premise.
That which is good, did not become death to you. Sin produced death in us through what was good so that through the commandments, through God’s law, sin might be known as, and be brought to light as sin. And when we hold the flame of the law up to sin, we really get a true sense of how sinful sin really is.
When the law unmasks our sin, it brings about death by showing us how far short we fall short of God’s standards. Here is Paul’s argument:
- The Law is holy, just, and good
- The Law reveals sin, aggravates sin, and uses it to devastate the sinner
- The Law shows just how sinful sin really is
- If sin can use God’s Law, which is holy, just and good, to produce death, then it really must be pretty horrible.
- But it’s not the law’s fault, it’s sins.
- Men are so evil that instead of realizing the holy purpose of God’s law, they oppose it, and hate it, and blame the Law instead of sin.
- Instead, it should drive us to despair leading us to salvation and show us how sinful sin is because it uses something as holy as God’s law to work death in us.
Conclusion
This isn’t the Gospel message we hear now a days. Instead we hear love love love. We hear you have to allow God into your life so you can be save. We tell people that think they’re pretty good people, that all they need to do is let Jesus into their lives to make them happy. We have a self-centered gospel. An absurd gospel.
The Law of God instead reveals that God is in fact the center of the universe and not themselves. The first step in salvation is bring the sinner face to face with the Law of God. Then the sinner, once convicted can move from conviction to faith in Christ.
But we don’t hear this Gospel today. Sin is still deceiving today. That’s why everything that you hear, please compare it to the Word of God to see if it’s actually true or not. Don’t just take what I tell you, or Pastor tells you for Gospel. Test it against God’s Word. It takes work… but it’s worth it. That’s why it’s so important to know what God’s Word says.
Thomas Scott in 1793 said this, and this is so prevalent today:
The Law of God instead reveals that God is in fact the center of the universe and not themselves. The first step in salvation is bring the sinner face to face with the Law of God. Then the sinner, once convicted can move from conviction to faith in Christ.
But we don’t hear this Gospel today. Sin is still deceiving today. That’s why everything that you hear, please compare it to the Word of God to see if it’s actually true or not. Don’t just take what I tell you, or Pastor tells you for Gospel. Test it against God’s Word. It takes work… but it’s worth it. That’s why it’s so important to know what God’s Word says.
Thomas Scott in 1793 said this, and this is so prevalent today:
"Leave out the holy character of God, the holy excellence of His Law, the holy condemnation to which transgressors are doomed, the holy loveliness of the Savior's character, the holy nature of redemption, the holy tendency of Christ's doctrine and the holy tempers and conduct of all true believers, then dress up a scheme of religion of this unholy sort. Represent mankind in a pitiable condition rather through misfortune than crime. Speak much of Christ's bleeding love to them, of His agonies in the Garden and on the cross without showing the need or the nature of satisfaction for sin. Speak of His present glory and of His compassion for poor sinners, of the freeness with which He dispenses pardons, of the privileges which believers enjoy here, and of the happiness and glory reserved for them hereafter. Clog this with nothing about regeneration or sanctification, or represent holiness as somewhat else than conformity to the holy character and Law of God and you have made a plausible gospel calculated to humor the pride, soothe the conscience, engage the heart and raise the affections of natural men who love not God, but themselves"
Sound familiar to the Gospel we hear today labeled as a “Christian” Gospel? This doesn’t sound like the Gospel Paul preached. And Charles Hodge said that “If our religious experience does not correspond with that, as detailed in the Scripture, we cannot be true Christians. Unless we have felt as Paul felt, we have not the religion of Paul and cannot expect to share his eternal reward.”
The good news for those of us who have come face to face with the Law and have seen our utter sinfulness, turned, and trust in Christ?
We can now fulfill the law, we are not joined with Christ in his resurrection, and we can now produce fruit for God.
The good news for those of us who have come face to face with the Law and have seen our utter sinfulness, turned, and trust in Christ?
We can now fulfill the law, we are not joined with Christ in his resurrection, and we can now produce fruit for God.