Romans 7:7-13 - The Law's Revelation of Sin

Romans 7:7-13

7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; 11 for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13 Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

Message: The Law's Revelation of Sin

Time: Paul wrote to Rome, a city he had never visited, from the Greek city of Corinth in AD 57. He writes to a church that he believes needed to hear basic gospel doctrine. The city was a hotbed of sexual immorality and idolatry. 

What the Lord is Saying:

Civil law is the law of the land for all people. Due to the threat of punishment, the Law restrains sin in people's lives. This law, either the one we read about in the Old Testament or the one on men's consciences (Romans 2:14-15), our actions are in check. However, the Law also shows us what is right and wrong and because we have a depraved human heart, we are ignited through the Law to sin or act in rebellion from it. 

What Paul speaks of, as is shown in today's passage, is the Law makes people more desirous of that which is sinful. He gives the perspective that all sin is coveting or wanting something that belongs to another - we want God's control so we try to take it and take matters into our hands. We want what our neighbor has or what another person has. Woman has been made for man and yet in pornography is this idea that a woman is made for any man. Women are not an object for anyone to take pleasure in -- when the commandment came, sin became alive..." 

What occurs in the law is the recognition that a person's sin is a lot more grievous than originally thought. People know they tell lies, but the law states, "Thou Shall Not Lie." It does not provide exceptions and yet within man is this feeling of justifiable lying but the Law gives the idea that all lies are wrong. Inside of man is this balancing act regarding sin and comparison regarding sin that makes everyone think their sin is not that big of a deal. Yet God's law exposes sin for always being wrong and that perfection or complete obedience is the standard. Here is a list of sins that amazes me. It exposes me. And I struggle looking at it. I'd much rather not look at it. I'd much rather go about my day exposing myself to it. I think this is where I struggle with the Bible and people struggle with the Bible is they do not want to be found out. They do not want to be exposed and told they are guilty. And so they don't read this book, they avoid church gatherings and yet I find even in church we tend to focus more on positive feelings than recognizing and speaking of sin. If we speak of sin, it is about other people. 

Promise: But the gospel must always be preached alongside the exposition of sin. Otherwise, despair will set in. In the gospel resides always the good news that God provides righteousness to make us always accepted and appear to be holy before Him. 

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for exposing me and showing me the seriousness of my sin. I admit Lord, I rebel against this. I would much rather stay focused on that which brings me pleasure than to look at the mirror and see where I have sinned. Forgive me for offending you daily and taking matters in my own hands. I do want control and want to always think my actions are not that bad. Help me to remember sin and your expectations. And than you Jesus for saving me and finishing off sin for me on the cross so that I can walk in new life. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ.