The Ministry of the Law - Romans 7:7-13

Introduction

Christians have been (1-6)

United with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.

Released from the Law through death.

are to serve in the new way of the Spirit.

The Law reveals Sin (7)

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.”

Knowledge of Sin (7a)

Know - to arrive at a knowledge of someone or something, know, know about, make acquaintance of (BDAG)

to know (experientially) v. — to know or have knowledge about (someone or something); normally as acquired through observation or the senses. (Senses)

Example

Covet - a desire for something forbidden or simply inordinate, craving, lust (BDAG)

The Law arouses Sin (8-9)

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.

Sin Seizing the Opportunity (8a)

Romans 7:8 ESV

But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.

Seizing - to take (make use) v. — to make use of or accept for some purpose. (Sense)

Commandment - command n. — an authoritative direction or instruction to do something; through speech or writing. (Sense)

Produced - to accomplish v. — to put something into effect entirely or thoroughly. (Sense)

Covetousness - evil craving n. — an inordinate, self-indulgent craving (that displaces proper affections for God). (Sense)

Sin produces sin through the Law

Somebody says, “Do you see that Red Button over there, DO NOT TOUCH IT!” What happens?

1 Corinthians 15:56–57 ESV

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Apart from the Law (8b)

Romans 7:8 ESV

But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.

Law - law of God n. — any representative declaration of God’s legal requirements for His creatures; whether in Scripture or in the conscience. (Sense)

Sin - sin (personification) n. — sin personified as a destructive and depraved principle reigning over unbelievers and persisting in believers; especially as a slavemaster doling out payment with the currency of death and decay. (Sense)

Dead - inactive ⇔ dead adjs. — not exerting influence or change; conceived of as not being alive. (Sense)

When the Law was given (9)

Romans 7:9 ESV

I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. [ζάω]

I was once (truly) alive without law (this has been interpr. to mean when no law existed; Paul is then regarded as speaking fr. the viewpoint of humanity in paradise before the command Gen 2:16 f; 3:3. Another interpr. thinks of Paul as referring to the period in his life when he was not conscious of the existence and significance of the law.

Sin came alive

“to function after being dormant, spring into life“(BDAG)

to become active ⇔ revive v. — to be or become active from a depressed, inactive, or unused state; conceived of as becoming alive again. (Sense)

Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 38A: Romans 1–8 Comment

Whatever the divine intention behind the law, however, the reality for Paul was that it had brought death; “the law triggered off in man a death-bringing process” (Michel). Here in a nutshell is the sharpness of the human dilemma, and the depth of man’s tragedy: were it not for sin the law would promote life (lead to and prosper life) in relationship with God; but given the power of sin (origin unknown, but power too well known) the law in actuality provokes man’s self-assertion (but note Wilckens’s justified rebuttal of a too “Lutheran” interpretation, including Schlier, at this point) and so cuts him off from the life of God.

I Died - to die (supernaturally) v. — to be or become dead in a transcendent manner; especially as characteristic of life with sin. (Sense)

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Six: Christians and the Law (Romans 7)

Believers who try to live by rules and regulations discover that their legalistic system only arouses more sin and creates more problems.

The Law Kills (10-11)

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.

Promised life (10)

Leviticus 18:1–5 ESV

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the Lord your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.

to prove ⇔ be found v. — to prove, conceived as being discovered to be such (as if by thought, reflection, search, or inquiry). (Sense)

Sin Seized (11)

Same as (vs. 8)

to deceive thoroughly v. — to deceive in an exhaustive or pervasive manner. (Sense)

Kill - to kill spiritually v. — to cause the deprivation of supernatural or spiritual life by rendering one guilty of violating God’s law. (Sense)

The Law shows the sinfulness of Sin (12-13)

Romans 7:12–13 ESV

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

Law is Good (12)

Holy - holy (pure) adj. — having the characteristics of moral or ritual purity; context often emphasizes one over the other. (Sense)

Righteous - just adj. — being legally or ethically right, proper, or fitting; especially as free from favoritism, self-interest, bias, or deception. (Sense)

Good - good adj. — having desirable or positive qualities; especially those suitable for a thing specified. (Sense)

Question (13)

Romans 7:13 ESV

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

Sin Produces death (13b)

Through what is good -

Might be Shown - to be manifest v. — to be or become clearly revealed to the mind, the senses, or judgment. (Sense)

Through the commandments -

Sinful beyond measure - extraordinary overabundance n. — the state of having extremely (even superlatively) more than is necessary. (Sense)

Romans 7:13 NLT

But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Six: Christians and the Law (Romans 7)

Unsaved people know that there is such a thing as sin; but they do not realize the sinfulness of sin. Many Christians do not realize the true nature of sin. We excuse our sins with words like “mistakes” or “weaknesses”; but God condemns our sins and tries to get us to see that they are “exceedingly sinful.” Until we realize how wicked sin really is, we will never want to oppose it and live in victory.

Paul’s argument here is tremendous: (1) the Law is not sinful—it is holy, just, and good; (2) but the Law reveals sin, arouses sin, and then uses sin to slay us; if something as good as the Law accomplishes these results, then something is radically wrong somewhere; (3) conclusion: see how sinful sin is when it can use something good like the Law to produce such tragic results. Sin is indeed “exceedingly sinful.” The problem is not with the Law; the problem is with my sinful nature.

This is a lead into next week as we look into vs. 14-25.

Takeaways

The Law reveals sin (v. 7).

The Law arouses sin (vv. 8–9).

The Law kills (vv. 10–11).

The Law shows the sinfulness of sin (vv. 12–13). (Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary. Vol. 1. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996. Print.)