Romans 7:7-12·~1 min

God’s Law Is Holy

Paul flatly denies that the law is sin. Without the commandment he would not have recognized coveting as coveting. Sin, seizing the commandment, produced every kind of covetous desire — because apart from the law, sin lies dormant.

W⁷hat then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” ⁸But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the law, sin is dead.

Paul personalizes the story: he was once alive apart from the law, then the commandment came, sin sprang to life, and he died. The commandment meant for life turned out to bring death — because sin deceived him and killed through what was good.

⁹Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. ¹⁰So I discovered that the very commandment that was meant to bring life actually brought death. ¹¹For sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through the commandment put me to death.

The law is holy; the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.

¹²So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.

Section summaryPaul guards the law from the accusation that it must be sinful if it stirs sin. The law exposes sin — the prohibition on coveting made coveting visible. Sin used the commandment as a launching point, producing in Paul what was once dormant. The law remains holy, righteous, and good.

Role in the chapterThis middle section defends the law’s character. The problem was never the law; the problem is sin, which uses even a good commandment for its own ends.