Romans 7:7-13

The ministry of the law

The law reveals sin (7)

Reiteration of Romans 3:20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Interesting how Paul uses the last of the 10 commandments here

He does not use murder, stealing, adultery; instead he uses coveting

Coveting is one of the only commandments that deals with an inward attitude and not an outward action

Covetousness leads to the breaking of the other commandments

It is an inward sin that most people never recognize on their own, but God’s law reveals it.

Consider the rich young ruler

Mark 10:17–27

This man was very moral outwardly, but he never faced the sins within

Jesus tells him about the law not because the law with save him, but because the young man had not realized his own sinfulness.

The law arouses sin (8-9)

There is a rebellious nature in all of us

From the time we can crawl and move around on our own we see this rebellious nature that is within us

Don’t touch, wet paint

Keep off the grass

Are you still watching

Have you read the terms and conditions

The law kills (10-11)

Galatians 3:21 “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.”

The law cannot give life, it can only show the sinner that he is guilty and condemned

It’s easy to start following a man and his moralistic law, that’s how many come to the faith.

But no man can take the place of Christ, no book can take the place of the Bible.

Men can give us information, but only the Holy Spirit can give us illumination and help us understand spiritual truths.

The Holy Spirit enlightens us and enables us to live this Christian life, no human leader can do that

The law shows the sinfulness of sin (12-13)

We have done a good job at watering down sin

We don’t have sin, we have struggles, issues, weaknesses, mistakes.

We do this because we don’t see sinfulness of sin, we don’t see how dangerous sin really is.

Sin is an apex predator

Until we realize how dangerous sin really is, we will never want to oppose it and live in victory

The problem is not with the law, the problem is with sin. We can blame the law because the law revealed it to us

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