Studies in Romans 7:7-12

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 known about coveting if the Law had not said, "You shall not covet."

** Paul sets up the next logical question. Initially it seems as though Paul's argument makes the case that the Law is bad.

** Rom. 3:20 says the through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

8- But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law, sin is dead.

** It is not the Law that is bad, but it is sin. Through verse 12, Paul explains how sin wrecks us - not the Law.

** "Apart from the Law, sin is dead" echoes the thoughts in Rom. 5:13.

9- And I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died;

** When was Paul alive apart from the Law? This speaks to Paul's life before knowledge of the law.

** Paul was living just fine until he realized what the Law said - and then the flesh was aroused from the Law and Paul sinned. Eventually Paul realized the fact that he was dead due to sin.

** This can not refer to Paul's physical life since the commandments existed from the days of Moses.

10- and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;

11- for sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.

** Our flesh is aroused by the Law to break the Law. Paul did not concern himself with coveting until he was aware that the Law said 'do not covet'. So sin uses the Law into arousing the flesh to break the Law.

** What is another way that sin deceives? Rom. 3:20 and Gal. 2:16 say that through the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified. But in our flesh, we try to keep the Law. But before we died with Christ, we were slaves to sin (a fact that we did not realize as an unbeliever). So we couldn't keep the Law even if we wanted to. And we figure out that we are guilty and deserving of death - so we try to keep the Law better - and we fail. It's a vicious circle of defeat.

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

** This answers Paul's question in verse 7. The Law is not sin. The Law is holy. Sin is responsible for the death that occurs through the Law.