Romans 7:7-12

Romans 7:7–12 ESV

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Four roles God’s law has in the transformed life?

Do you remember the final biblical affirmation of a transformed person? The transformed person dispenses obvious fruit. I want us to see that we cannot be that person on our own, it’s impossible.

A few words of context for us. The greek word for law is nomos and it points to the Torah (Mosaic law). The greek word for sin is hamartia and it means our actions fell short.

God’s law reveals sin.

Romans 7:7 ESV

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

We can read these six verses as a personal testimony from Paul. We don’t have to stretch the text to get there because Paul uses personal pronouns, “I would not have known.” Look at Philippians 3:3-6 on your screen. Now compare Paul’s story to the rich, young ruler in Mark 10:17-20. It was common for the Jewish community to perceive they were good enough based on their actions. Then, Jesus told the rich, young ruler, “Sell all that you have and give to the poor.” The young man walked away. Oo, I have a lot of stuff. I don’t want to do that. I want to keep my status and have eternal life.

Go back to verse 7. Paul tells us the law pointed out that he had a craving and a desire to covet. To accumulate stuff that he didn’t need, wasn’t going to use, just so he could keep up with everybody else in his subdivision. He also tells us that if the law didn’t reveal covetousness, he would not know he was guilty of coveting. If he didn’t know he was guilty, he would not know he needed to be redeemed.

Charles Hodge (1797-1878) said this about verse 7, “Before the gospel can be embraced as a means of deliverance from sin, we must feel we are involved in corruption and misery.”

As transformed people, this role plays out a few different ways in our life.

First, the longer that we walk with Jesus the more we realize how often are actions fall short. Paul gave a personal testimony about this also. 1 Timothy 1:15b says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” In other versions, Paul claims to be the chief of sinners.

Second, at one time you maybe did certain things that you believed were not sinful actions. Now, as God’s law continues to transform your life, you have stopped doing them because you now have a personal conviction those things are sinful for you.

For example, I grew up in West Michigan, which has a heavy Dutch Reformed population. So heavy that downtown Zeeland is closed on Sunday. As a community, they believe doing business is sinful.

When I was a young youth pastor, I mowed my lawn on Sunday afternoon. We lived on a well-travelled road. Somebody saw me and told somebody “those baptists mow on Sunday, they’re going to hell.” On the following Tuesday, my senior pastor scolded me for mowing on a Sunday and told me if I did it again that I would lose my job.

If the Bible doesn’t speak directly to your personal conviction, be very aware there are other Christian brothers and sisters who might not agree that your conviction is sinful.

Be strong in the majors. Be gracious in the minors. Be loving at all times.

God’s law awakens the dormant sins of our life.

Romans 7:8–9 ESV

But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.

Look at verse 8. After Paul discovered “you shall not covet”, he noticed the frequency that covetousness is found in his life. It didn’t mysteriously appear after he read that law. The end of verse 8 says the sin was already there, laying around dormant. Sin has no reason to be anything other than dormant, as long as it doesn’t have any competition.

When we begin paying attention to God’s law and taking what He says seriously, we ought not be surprised that sin begins to reveal its ugly face.

God’s law prevents deception that leads to my death.

Romans 7:10–11 ESV

The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.

Look at verse 10. Paul is reminding his readers the original intent of the Mosaic Law was how to experience life inside the blessings of God. Exodus 6:7 says, “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 26:12 says, “I will walk among you and will be your god, and you shall be my people.” Isaiah 41:10 says, “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Gunther Bornkamm (1905-1990) said this about verse 11, “The deception of sin can only consist in the fact that it falsely promises life to me…Sin always stands in between and has fundamentally perverted my relationship to God’s commandment. This perversion is both deception and death.”

Sin looks for opportunities to convince us that we are most alive without God’s law. Sin tells us that being the best version of ourself is easier to accomplish outside God’s law.

I think sin looks to harvest specific fruit. For me, sin wants to pick the fruit that is the hardest to harvest and will do the most damage in the process.

Psalm 119:1–2 says, “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,”

When God’s law gets hold of our heart, it shows us that we are dead without the Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s law guides me toward holiness

Romans 7:12 ESV

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

John Murray (1898-1975) said this about verse 12, “As holy, righteous and good - the law reflects the character of God and is the transcript of his perfection. It bears the imprint of its author. As ‘holy’ the commandment reflects the transcendence and purity of God and demands of us the correspondent consecration and purity. As ‘righteous’ it reflects the equity of God and requires of us that which is equitable. As ‘good’ it promotes man’s highest well-being and thus expresses the goodness of God.”

Tremper Longman said this about verse 12, “The misuse of the law at the hands of sin has not altered its own intrinsic character.”

The character and integrity of God’s law remains constant. That statement is also true about sin. God’s law will always guide me toward holiness. Sin will always guide me toward death.

If you can hear my voice and you think making your own decision, your own rules, your own truth seems to be working and you’re not at a point that God’s law is applicable to your life - I want to remind the cost of decision. When God’s law isn’t applicable to your life — God’s grace cannot be applicable either.

Application

1. Do you need to know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? Make that decision today.

2. Are you in love with God’s law?

3. Are you dispensing obvious fruit that would agree with your answer to question 2?