“Is the Law sin?” (1) (Romans 7:7-13)

“Is the Law sin?” (1)

 

 

 

[Romans 7:7-13]

 

Last Wednesday during our Wednesday service, we meditated on Romans 7:5-6.  This passage is challenging but very important.  In Romans 7:5, the apostle Paul says, "For when we were in the realm of the flesh," referring to the sinful nature of the flesh.  In other words, "when we were in the realm of the flesh" denotes the time before believing in Jesus, when we were slaves to sin as sinners, and every part of us was bearing fruit for death because of sin.  Here, "the flesh" (v. 5) stands in contrast to the "flesh" mentioned in Romans 1:3, where it says that Jesus Christ, God's Son, "was descended from David according to the flesh."  Therefore, in Romans 1:3, "the flesh" refers to the flesh of Jesus Christ that has no relation to sin and signifies that Jesus Christ is a righteous one without sin.

 

In Romans 7:6, the verse begins with the word "But now," which conveys a strong sense of contrast.  Additionally, the original Greek word for "but now," "νυνὶ", also emphasizes this contrast.  Looking at the original Greek, we see that the word "δὲ" (however) precedes the word "but now," contrasting with the statement in verse 5, "For when we were in the realm of the flesh."  Therefore, verse 6 presents a contrast to verse 5.  While verse 5 describes how "when we were in the realm of the flesh," "the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death," verse 6 now declares, "But now," indicating that "we have been released from the law that bound us and have died to what was holding us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code" (v. 6).

 

Today, we are meditating on Romans chapter 7, verses 7-9, and next Wednesday during our worship service, we plan to meditate on Romans chapter 7, verses 10-13.

 

Romans 7:7 says: "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.'"  Here, the word "then” (οὖν) connects with the latter part of verse 6, "not being dead in respect to the law of commandments," which might suggest the question, 'Is the Law sin?'  However, the apostle Paul states, "What then shall we say?  That the law is sin?  By no means!"  The reason for this is threefold:

 

(1)    The Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good, given by the holy, righteous, and good God; therefore, the Law is by no means sin.

 

So, the Law given by the holy, righteous, and good God is "holy and righteous and good" (Rom. 7:12).

 

(2)    The Law was given to the Israelite people whom God saved from Egypt through Moses, who abstained from food and drink for 40 days and endeavored for holiness.  Therefore, the Law is by no means sin (Ref.: Exod. 24).

 

Given by the holy, righteous, and good God to the Israelite people saved from Egypt, the Law is holy, righteous, and good, and is certainly not sin.

 

(3)    The Law reveals sin, so it is certainly not sin (Rom. 7:7).

 

Romans 3:20 says, " because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin."

 

Therefore, the apostle Paul said in Romans 7:7, "I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the Law.  For I would not have known what coveting really was if the Law had not said, 'You shall not covet'."  Here, when Paul refers to "the Law said, 'You shall not covet'," he is pointing to the tenth commandment that God gave to the Israelites through Moses.  This commandment is found in Exodus 20:17: "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.  You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."  Paul, when he was "in the realm of the flesh" (Rom. 7:5), meaning before believing in Jesus Christ, would have intellectually known this part of the Law that said, "You shall not covet" (v. 7).  In other words, he was familiar with Moses' Law and therefore would have known the tenth commandment well (Phil. 3:6: "As for righteousness based on the Law, faultless.").  Thus, he would have known what coveting (greed) was (Rom. 7:7).  However, what he did not understand was the purpose for which God gave that Law.  One of the purposes of the Law is to simply make us aware that we are sinners (3:20).  However, Saul (the apostle Paul) did not realize that he was a sinner and instead sought to obtain righteousness by keeping the Law.  Additionally, Saul (Paul) did not understand that the Law serves as a guardian to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith (Gal. 3:24).

 

                Romans 7:8-9 says: "But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the Law, sin was dead.  Once I was alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died."  The apostle Paul understood what coveting (or greed) was because the Law said, "You shall not covet."  He said that sin took the opportunity provided by the commandment to produce in him all kinds of coveting (v. 8).  For example, a person who has a desire for money and becomes wealthy through various means, without satisfaction, becomes blinded by greed and covets even more.  Paul says, "I was once alive apart from the Law" (v. 9), meaning when he was in the flesh (v. 5), he did not understand the Law that reveals sin (v. 9).  Therefore, because he did not understand that the Law only brings about knowledge of sin (3:20), he did not realize that he was a sinner.  Consequently, because he did not understand that the purpose of the Law is to serve as a tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith (Gal. 3:24), he sought to be recognized as righteous by obeying the Law and lived a blameless life according to the righteousness that comes from the Law (Phil. 3:6).  In other words, Saul, before believing in Jesus Christ (before receiving righteousness from God), allowed the sinful passions prompted by the Law to work in his body, bearing fruit for death (Rom.7:5).  After he believed in Jesus Christ, he made this confession: "This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst" (1 Tim. 1:15).  He, who was blameless according to the righteousness of the law, confessed, "I am the worst of sinners" among sinners.

 

                "Is the Law sin?  Certainly not!" (Rom. 7:7).  Why is the Law certainly not sin?  First, because the Law is holy, righteous, and good, given by the gracious and righteous God, it is never sin.  Secondly, because the Law was given through Moses to the Israelites, whom God rescued from Egypt, as they strived for holiness by abstaining from food and drink for forty days, the Law is not sin (Ref.: Exod. 24).  Thirdly, because the Law reveals sin, it is certainly not sin (Rom. 7:7).  The apostle Paul deeply realized his sinfulness through the Law and confessed, "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst" (1 Tim. 1:15), acknowledging that "by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10).  After believing in Jesus Christ, Paul grew even more aware of sin through the law and experienced even greater abundance of God's grace.  Therefore, he said in Romans 5:20, "The Law was brought in so that the trespass might increase.  But where sin increased, grace increased all the more."  So, he declared, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.  No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me" (1 Cor. 15:10).  We too, serving the Lord by His abundant grace, should not serve God in the old way of the written code but in the new way of the Spirit (Rom. 7:6).