Sin the Slayer - Romans 7:7 -13

7  What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 8  But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9  For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10  And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11  For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12  Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13  Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

Sin, The Law and Defeat

Now Paul deals with the question that would naturally arise in the minds of the Roman Christians and also in ours as we hear this today. “What shall we say then? Is the law sin?” If I died to the law and in trying to keep the law after I’m saved is wrong, then doesn’t that mean the law is sinful?

In answer, Paul again uses the double negative, God forbid, by no means, absolutely not. Paul says the problem is not with the law but with their understanding of the purpose of the law. The law, Paul says, was created by God for a purpose. It is when we try and use the law incorrectly that we run into problems.

The Law was created by God and placed in every human heart for the purpose of convicting our hearts of sin and our guilt before God.

Romans 7:7. “I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.”

The Law has other purposes, but they are all related back to this overall purpose of guilt and sin. Look at them with me…

The law is to correct the lawless. 1 Timothy 1:8-10 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

To bring us to Christ. Galatians 3:24-25 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Once the law has accomplished its purpose in us, we are done with it. It no longer has a purpose in us as children of God. Its purpose in society, its purpose in sinners and its purpose in showing us the righteousness of God still remains but in us, if we now try to keep it, then sin will use keeping the law as bait to trap me.

Sin is dead without the law. Romans 7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. (lust, wrong desires) For without the law sin was dead.

Paul states that at conversion he was free from the law. “I was alive without the law once but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.”

When the commandment, the law or any commandment, came back into his life then sin revived and he died. He became a member of the walking dead, carting around his old dead body.

This then brings up the next question, why does God allow this? Romans 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me?

Once again, he answers in the strongest language, No, God forbid. This is allowed not so you will remain in a constant state of corruption and defeat, but, Paul goes on (here is the reason) but sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.”

He says no God allows this to happen, not so you will keep being defeated by sin but that we through that defeat, might see sin as powerful as it really is. It happens so that I will understand that I cannot keep the law, that I should not try to keep the law, for Christ already did that. And to use Paul’s phrase, God forbid that I would try and do what Christ has already done! That’s not faith, that’s faithless.

Quote: Watchman Nee, “The Normal Christian Life” – “God knows who I am; He knows that from head to foot I am full of sin; He knows that I am weakness incarnate; that I can do nothing. The trouble is that I do not know it. I admit that all men are sinners and that therefore I am a sinner; but I imagine that I am not such a hopeless sinner as some. God must bring us all to the place where we see that we are utterly weak and helpless. While we say so, we do not wholly believe it, and God has to do something to convince us of the fact.”

Surrender Brings Victory

Whether it is the Ten Commandments or my own set of laws like, pray, go to church, don't get angry, read the Bible. All these are laws that cause sin to revive and that is the trap. 1 Corinthians 15:56 says, “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

When I try to keep the law in my strength then I am making sin stronger in my life. That is the truth of 1 Corinthians 15:56, the strength of sin is the law.

When the commandment comes, that sin that I died to when I was saved, becomes stronger, it revives and now I die. Why does God allows such a thing? I truly am trying to be a good Christian. I am trying to do what Christians should do. I am trying to defeat the bad habits, sinful thoughts and fatal flaws that I might glorify God. The problem is in the “I am”. I have not yet learned how powerful sin is and how weak I am. I’m trying to so hard to live the Christian life by will power, discipline, and determination, that I forget it must be “Christ in me, the hope of glory” and nothing of myself. God allows sin to bring me to a place of defeat, that I might surrender, not to sin but all of myself to Him.