Romans 7:7-13, “Law Exposes Sin.”
Verses 7-8... Clearly, the “law” is not the problem, but instead, it is our response to the law that is the problem. When we do not do what the law requires, we are breaking the law, and therefore we are guilty of sin, failing to do what God requires.
Sin is our disobedience to what we are clearly supposed to do. If the law says don’t lie, or steal, or murder, or covet, and yet we do these things, we have broken the law and are to be punished.
Sin is our natural inclination or propensity to do what we want or choose to do, instead of what we should do.
Paul asks (v. 7), “is the law sin?” Paul answers, using the strongest Greek negative [me genotio "may ge-noi-taw] “certainly not,” which means “may it never be [said],” or “God forbid!”
God’s law is perfect and it therefore reveals our imperfection. Paul says he wouldn’t know what sin was except for the law. If there was no law, there would not be any lawbreakers, and therefore there would be no punishment (Romans 5:12-13).
Burt God has made known His law concerning righteous [right standing before God], and all humans fall short, we all fail to meet God’s standard for righteousness (see Romans 3:20; 4:15).
Think about that, apart from the law we have no way to judge our sinfulness. Any child seems complacent until they are confronted with a directive to do or not do a certain thing, only then do we see the sin nature in its active form.
God’s law reveals His standard or expectation for us, which in turn shows us not only how far we are from reaching it, but that we can never attain it by our own human efforts or abilities.
Needless to say, until a person admits they are a sinner in need of a savior, there is no hope for them. Paul says (v. 8), that the law basically exposes and inflames our sin.
Wet paint, don’t touch! Don’t pick the flowers! Fresh cement, keep off!
Why is it that we often have an impulse to do that which we are told not to do? That would be sin, living in you and me, for sin was living and active long before the law was given (5:13), “for before the law was given, sin was in the world.
So (v. 8), how is sin dead apart from the law? Before the law, sin was dormant, once the Law was given or made known, sin was activated, like a dreadful dragon sleeping at the mouth of a cave you go in and out of daily; it awakens as you are passing!
Verses 9-11... Paul says, he didn’t know he was a law breaker, he felt alive, good, even favored by God, for he was doing what he thought was right in his own eyes, or in accordance with the majority consensus or popular mindset (see Philippians 3:4b-6).
When Paul began to see himself from God’s perspective, as a sinner, a lawbreaker, he realized that sin lived in him and he was not acceptable to God, even with all his religious accomplishments and cultural/ancestral attributes; these amounted to nothing for he was dead in his sins (Philippians 3:7-8).
Paul says, by his own striving to keep God’s commandments he should have received life from God, but instead, these have only brought death to him; for no one can attain righteousness by the law, the law only brings death.
Notice (v. 11) he says, “sin deceived me, it actually killed me.” Paul was deceived into thinking he was good enough through his works and his ancestry, and his religious standing, that he did not need the forgiveness and salvation brought by Jesus Christ.
Religion will damn more people to hell then atheism and agnosticism; for religion makes a person think they are good enough for God by their good deeds and religious practice.
For anyone to think they are acceptable to the Holy and Righteous God of Creation, based upon something they do, are, or have, is the greatest deception of the devil; in fact, it is the greatest evil done to mankind (Genesis 3:1-7; 2:15-17).
Verses 12-13... Paul earlier asked, “Is the Law sin?” Here Paul makes it clear that the Law of God is “holy, righteous, and good.”
Psalm 19:7-11, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping
them there is great reward.”
Yes, the law exposes and then judges sin, bringing death to the sinner; but the law is not evil, only the sin it reveals. Breaking the law makes us a lawbreaker. We are all sinners (Romans 3:10-12, 23) and the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23); it would seem we are not able to keep or obey the law of God.
Spiritual death is the consequence of sin, when we break God’s law or disobey Him, as did Adam and Eve at the very beginning (Genesis 3:8-13). Adam and Eve made excuses for their sin, instead of admitting it and asking for God’s forgiveness.
Sin broke the relationship Adam and Eve had with God; they lived in wonderful garden, in peace, totally provided for by God, but God would no longer come and walk with them; in fact, they would have to leave the garden (Genesis 3:16-24).
You see (v. 13), sin is utterly sinful, it must be exposed so that we see our need for forgiveness. The purpose of the law is to show us our sinfulness, that we might look to the Savior. We must confess our sins and believe in God’s salvation through Christ.
Once we admit that we are sinners and ask for God’s forgiveness, we are saved through Christ, sealed by God’s Spirit living in us, and set apart for the work of God, as His very own children. We are then to continue looking into the Word of God, the mirror of Scripture, in order that when we sin against God we freely confess it to Him.
Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”
1John 1:5-9, “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1John 5:11-13, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
The Law of God exposes our sin - every one of us, at the very least, has lied and stolen something, not to mention most likely dishonoring our parents, i.e., God says we are liars, thieves, and disrespectful to our parents, we have failed to keep God’s Laws or Commandments. God is so Holy and Righteous, that our failing to keep even one of His commands, makes us guilty, bringing the penalty of death upon us from God.
But you see, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Lord and Savior, has removed the curse and the condemnation of sin, by taking our punishment Himself, on the Cross; and then, He raised us to new life by His own resurrection from the grave. Oh, what a Savior!
If you have never admitted that you are a sinner, why not do that right now? The truth is, we are all sinners; but only those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, will be granted forgiveness for their sins and eternal life.
Pastor Mike <‘(((><