We'll continue our study today of Romans, in Romans chapter 7, beginning in verse 7, and we'll study today through verse 13.
! Please join me in reading that.
What then shall we say that the law of 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. But sin, seizing opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness.
For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive, and I died.
The very commandment that promised life proved to be death for me. For sin, seizing opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.
So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, and righteous, and good. That which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means.
It was sin producing death in me, through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment, might become sinful.
God measure. Let's pray together.
Father God, we praise you for your great work amongst us.
I thank you, Father, that I can look out over this group of people who have just sang,
on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground shifting sand,
and that my heart can be moved to praise you for your redemptive work in the lives of so many here this morning.
I pray, Father, now as we study your word, we will take knowledge and combine it with understanding,
so that we might have wisdom.
That that wisdom will yield in our life appropriate fruit for your glory and our good.
We pray this in the precious name of Christ. Amen.
Well, Paul, to this point, is certainly being thematic in his writing,
and his theme throughout Romans has been the theme of Scripture.
That the salvation of man from the wrath of God,
justly due him because of his sin,
that salvation only comes by grace, through faith in Christ.
By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
And he's talked about the law quite a bit up until this point.
He's told us a lot about what the law cannot do.
The law cannot save us, he tells us in chapters 3 through 5.
The law can't sanctify or perfect us, he tells us in chapter 6.
And the law can no longer condemn those who have placed their faith in Christ,
he tells us in the first six verses of chapter 7.
And Paul then, coming to verse 7 of chapter 7,
anticipates a question from his readers.
And it is this.
If we have been delivered from the law to live by the Spirit,
was the law then evil?
If we've been delivered from it in order to live righteously,
was the law itself evil?
He says it this way.
What then shall we say?
That the law is sin?
And he answers it emphatically.
By no means.
And the remainder of our verses are the explanation of what he means by that.
By no means.
In Greek, meginoito.
It's the strongest negative phrase in the Greek language.
So I want you to think of the strongest negative phrase in the English language.
Get it in your mind.
We're going to go with, of course not.
Not really the strongest negative phrase in the English language.
But that's what he was using.
Absolutely.
No way is that what is true.
But then he goes on to explain that.
And this morning I want to show four things that the law does do.
The law is not sin.
Emphatically, no, the law is not sin.
What does the law then accomplish on our behalf?
And I want to show you four things from these next seven verses.
And they are the law exposes sin.
It arouses sin.
It ruins the sinner.
And it reveals the sinfulness of sin.
The magnitude of our sin.
Those are our four things.
And Paul tells us this from his own experience.
And in order to teach these universal truths,
he uses his own conversion experience in these next verses that are going to come.
And look at all the personal pronouns.
I'm not going to point them all out.
But look at all the I's and me's throughout these seven verses.
So he's speaking from his own personal experience,
which helps us understand a bit what he means as he's saying all this.
So number one, the law exposes sin.
We find that in the second half, second two-thirds of verse seven.
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.
Now, Paul is not saying that he was unaware of evil in his life apart from the law.
All right.
On the surface, it seems to be saying that.
But if you flip back and look at Romans chapter two, verse 12,
it says,
For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law.
And all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
And in chapter one, we learn that the law of God is written on men's hearts.
They know right from wrong.
So what does he mean then when he says,
If it hadn't been for the law, I wouldn't have known sin.
What he means is that he wouldn't have known the magnitude of his sin.
He wouldn't have really understood just how wretched and evil he was.
By New Testament times,
Jewish rabbis had summed up scriptural law in 613 commandments,
comprised of 248 mandates,
which related things such as worship,
the temple,
sacrifices,
vows,
social issues,
etc.
And 365 prohibitions,
things like idolatry and blasphemy,
the priesthood of diets,
loans,
business arrangements,
etc.
And they had become absolutely consumed with trying to keep the law.
The point of the law, though,
the major point of it was to show us
how incapable we are
of living up to the standard of God.
That's why it existed.
God said,
I desire for you to be holy.
This is what it looks like.
Watch yourselves fail.
Be aware of your need
of a Savior.
That was the purpose that the law came to serve.
The law shows us
our inability to live
to the standard of God.
Why does Paul use that commandment?
Exodus 20, 17
is where that's found.
Thou shalt not covet.
Why of all the laws he could have chosen
to show us our frailty,
show us how incapable we are
of living to the standard of God,
why that one?
The last of the Ten Commandments.
Both the Hebrew and the Greek word for covet
is the word,
could also be rendered desire.
Desire.
That which motivates us.
That which we love.
So,
thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house
gets to the root of who you are
and what you're satisfied in.
If you desire anything other than God,
it's evidence in your life
that you are not satisfied with Him.
It's a very piercing decision
that he made here.
Is it not?
Thou shalt not covet.
Thou shalt not desire things
other than your God.
It exposes then
our motivation.
It exposes our sin nature.
Not just that we sin,
but that we are utterly
sinful
apart from Christ.
Many illnesses
carry with them
symptoms.
I've never had appendicitis,
but I hear that appendicitis
is incredibly painful.
That your appendix
hurts.
And why does it hurt?
Your body is telling you
something is wrong.
You need a surgery desperately.
Before I burst.
As your appendix is telling you.
In the same way,
the law is the exposure.
It brings to light
how really ill we are.
Last night,
I was awoken
quite drastically
when Sam
elbowed me in the eye.
and I was asleep
when it happened,
but I imagine
it was like
this kind of
an elbow.
Because
I woke up like this
and my eye flashed
like bright
white flashes of light
and the first thought
that went through my head
was,
I'm not going to be able
to see out of my left eye
tomorrow.
There's no way.
I'm going to have to
preach like this
and I don't know
that I can do that
because I don't have
great vision in my right eye
either.
But the pain,
the pain wasn't
the evil was it?
It was the symptom
of some greater evil.
Not my wife,
but that my eye
had been struck.
Right?
But that my eye
had been hit
was the greater
evil there
and it was damaged
and that pain
that woke me up
was my eye.
Sam,
I love you
even when you
sucker punch me
when I'm sleeping.
I still love you
just the same.
So the law then
serves to expose
our sin
to show us
just how
sinful
we actually
are.
You are now
aware.
None of you
get out of this
this morning.
If you desire
anything more
than God,
shame on you.
Not only does it
expose our sin,
it also
arouses our sin.
So number two,
the law arouses
our sin.
Verse eight,
Paul writes,
but sin,
seizing an opportunity
through the commandment
produced in me
all kinds
of covetousness.
For apart from the law,
sin lies dead.
Let's deal with the
last part of that
first.
Sin lies dead.
That's an interesting
question in my mind.
Sin lies dead
apart from the law.
And I've just
already touched on this,
but it exists,
but it is in a
sense dormant.
We don't really
understand.
We don't really
get that we've
betrayed God
to the degree
that we have
apart from the law.
But we see in here
kind of an interesting
turn of phrase,
but sin,
seizing opportunity
through the commandment,
produced in me
all kinds of
covetousness,
which is sin,
right?
So he seems to be
saying,
sin produced
sin.
Yeah?
It kind of looks
that way,
doesn't it?
He seems to give
sin a personality,
right?
As if what he's
referring to is
another person,
right?
So this thing
called sin
produced something
called sin,
or we could say
sins,
produced in him
covetousness.
Again,
Paul is getting
to our nature.
We move on
through chapter 7,
Paul's going to
talk a lot about
the battle that
goes on within
him,
his new desires
and his old
desires,
his new self
and his old
self.
So his sin
nature
produced
sins within
him.
And it's so
important for us
to understand
that about
ourselves,
both pre-Christ,
pre-regeneration,
that we were
utterly
spoiled.
Absolutely.
We were created
in the image of
God,
but sin
destroyed that
evil
completely
before Christ.
Now that we're
found in Christ,
we still carry
around the baggage
of our old
selves.
It's important
that you get
this to its
extremity.
He says that
sin seized an
opportunity,
the Greek for
opportunity here
is a formé,
and it's
also used to
speak of a
base of
operations.
So it's as if
you say our
sin nature
uses the law
as a command
center from
which to
launch its
evil campaign
into the
world.
You see that?
So the law
then gives our
sinful nature
something to
pick at.
Your parents
say to you,
don't do
this thing.
What did you do
growing up?
The very thing
you weren't
supposed to
do.
Our house is
incredibly
childproof,
but there's
typically
something sitting
out that
Cade cannot
touch.
I'll leave my
laptop sitting
on the couch,
for example.
The one thing
in the entire
room I don't
want him to
touch, and I
tell him,
Cade, don't
touch the
computer.
What does he
go straight
to?
The computer.
The law
does the same
thing in
sinful man.
It says to
us, don't
do or do
do these
things, and
our nature
repels against
it.
He uses
it to
exacerbate
sin in
our life.
John Bunyan's
allegory,
Pilgrim's
Progress,
after the
main character
of Christian
becomes a
Christian, he
goes to a
man's house
called the
interpreter,
and one of
the rooms
the interpreter
takes him
to is a
dusty room.
It's got
furniture in
it covered
with cloths,
and there's
just this
thick layer
of dust
laid down
in the
room.
And the
interpreter
tells Christian
that this
is his
life.
And a
man comes
in with
a broom,
and it
looks like
he's coming
in to
clean up,
but he
begins to
just stir
the dust.
And soon
the room
is so
filled with
dust that
Christian can
barely breathe
any longer.
And in the
allegory,
the man with
the broom
is the law.
And he
stirs up,
he exacerbates
the level
of sin
in Christian's
life.
So Christian
is coming
to an
understanding
of what
it is
he's being
delivered
from.
I didn't
read it
in detail,
I don't
remember the
exact details,
but I
believe two
characters
come in
after that
with water
and they
sprinkle
down all
the dust
and they
clean it
all up.
And that's
the grace
of God
in our
lives.
So the
law exposes
our sin,
it arouses
our sin,
and the
law also
ruins
sinners.
Number three,
the law
ruins
sinners.
Read with
me verses
9-11.
Paul says,
I was once
alive apart
from the
law,
but when
the commandment
came,
sin came
alive and
I died.
The very
commandment
that promised
life proved
to be death
for me,
for sin
seizing an
opportunity
through the
commandment
deceived me
and through
it killed
me.
Now Paul
says,
I was once
alive apart
from the
law.
And this
is where
the fact
that this
is his
personal
story needs
to be taken
into account.
Paul was
a Pharisee,
an incredibly
zealous
Pharisee.
Paul was
trained up
in the
law.
So was
there ever
a time
in Paul's
life where
he didn't
know the
law?
No.
So what
in the
world does
he mean,
I was
alive apart
from the
law?
And then
he says,
when it
came,
sin came
alive and
I died.
It's
confusing
language,
isn't it?
What I
firmly believe
Paul is
saying is
that when
he came
to a
proper
understanding
of the
law,
when he
saw the
law for
what it
was meant
to accomplish,
not that
he could
keep the
law,
but when
he saw
that the
law was
a standard
he could
not live
to,
when the
law came
alive,
when he
understood
what it
was for,
he died.
All of
his religious
activity,
all the
things he
thought he
was doing
to earn
favor with
God,
were destroyed.
He absolutely
died.
Chris this
morning as we
were praying
downstairs,
thanked God
that there is
nothing we can
do to make
him love us
more.
There's also
nothing we can
do to make
him love us
less.
That's the
point, I
believe,
being made
here.
The very
commandment
that promised
this life
proved to
be death
for him.
All of his
activity,
all those
things he
had strained
forward for.
Some of us
are that way.
In our
Christianity,
now that we
have been
delivered from
the law,
we strive to
be found in
good favor with
God, and it
becomes our
idol.
That becomes
who we are.
Paul says in
Philippians 3,
7, and 8
that he counted
all of his
religious activity
upon encountering
Christ.
Everything,
all of his,
not thinking of
the right words,
all the credit
that was due
him for all
of his
religious activity.
He counted
it as
loss.
And he goes
so far as to
say he counted
it as
rubbish.
Another
great English
word would fit
in there,
but we're not
going to say it.
Counted it
as rubbish.
And he uses
this phrase again
in verse 11,
again,
seizing an
opportunity.
The law,
the sin in his
life,
seized an
opportunity
through the
law to
deceive him
and kill him.
And that is
the subtle
deception of
our sin
nature.
The subtle
deception of
our sin
nature is
that we
can,
in fact,
do good
on our
own.
That we
can,
in fact,
apart from
the grace
of God,
please God
at all.
Number
four.
The law
exposes sin,
it arouses sin,
it ruins
sinners.
Number
four,
the law
reveals the
sinfulness
of sin.
The magnitude
of sin.
So Paul
says,
so the law
is holy.
I'm now
establishing that
once again.
So the law
is holy,
and the
commandment
is holy,
and it's
righteous,
and it's
good.
Did that
which is
good then
bring death
to me?
By no
means.
It was
sin
producing
death in
me,
through that
which is
good,
in order
that sin
might be
shown to
be sin,
and through
the commandment
might become
sinful
beyond measure.
Turn with me
to Psalm
19.
Let's read
together what
David says
of the law
starting in
verse 7.
The law
of the Lord
is perfect,
reviving the
soul.
The testimony
of the Lord
is sure,
making wise
the simple.
The precepts
of the Lord
are right,
rejoicing the
heart.
The commandment
of the Lord
is pure,
enlightening
the eyes.
The fear
of the Lord
is clean,
enduring forever.
The rules
of the Lord
are true
and righteous
altogether.
More to be
desired are
they than
gold,
even much
fine gold,
sweeter also
than honey,
and drippings
of the honeycomb.
Moreover,
by them
is your servant
warned,
in keeping
them there
is great
reward.
The law
is good
and righteous
and holy.
It's not the
fault of the law.
It's the fault
of us.
It's the fault
of our sin,
birthing
through the law
more sin
to make sin
sinful
beyond measure.
Our sin
is infinitely
vile
in the eyes
of God.
Our sin
nature has
produced it
to that
measure.
So,
the law
exposes sin,
it arouses sin,
it ruins sinners,
and it reveals
the sinfulness
of sin.
But,
so what?
Why does this
matter?
Why did Paul
write this?
Why am I
spending this
time telling
you this
and possibly
having you
take notes
on it?
Right?
Three things.
Number one,
the law
brings us
the necessary
humility
for salvation.
salvation.
The law
brings to us
the necessary
humility
for salvation.
The law
serves as
a mirror.
Before we
know Christ,
we hold the
law up to us
as a mirror,
and we see
how ugly
our sin
is.
If you claim
to know Christ
this morning,
but you've never
been broken
over your
sinfulness,
if you've
never compared
yourself to
God's holy
perfect law
and found
yourself coming
so short
of it,
then in your
own mind,
you have no
need of God's
grace.
You don't
need Christ.
You don't
need His
sacrifice because
you're already
perfect.
But if,
as a Christian,
you've honestly
held your
life up to
the law,
filtered it
through it,
and seen
how wretched
and miserable
you are,
then great
is your
Savior.
Which brings
us to
number two.
It causes
us to
praise our
great Savior.
If your
sin is
great,
your Savior
will also
be great.
And if we
know God's
law,
if we
study it,
we'll know
our sin
is great.
Both before
I was saved
and even
now that
I am,
my sin
is great.
Which makes
my Savior
all the
much
greater.
God's
grace to
us is
immense.
Just as
our sin
is sinful
beyond measure,
God's
grace
goes beyond
measure.
It is
infinite
toward us
in the
person and
work
of Jesus
Christ.
In
Deuteronomy
27-26,
Moses says,
Cursed be
anyone who
does not
confirm the
words of
this law
by doing
them.
And then in
the next
chapter,
he goes on
to talk about
what will
happen to
those people
who don't
keep God's
law.
Turn with
me to
Deuteronomy
chapter 28.
We won't
read all of
this, but I
just want you
to get the
point.
Deuteronomy
28, starting
in verse 15.
But if you
will not obey
the voice of
the Lord your
God, or be
careful to do
all his
commandments and
his statutes
that I command
you today,
then all
these curses
shall come upon
you and
overtake you.
Curse shall
you be in
the city, and
curse shall
you be in
the field.
Curse shall
you be your
basket and
your kneading
bowl.
Curse shall
be the fruit
of your
womb and
the fruit
of your
ground, the
increase of
your herd and
the young of
your flock.
Curse shall
you be when
you come in,
and curse shall
you be when
you go out.
The Lord
will send
on you
curses,
confusion,
and frustration,
and all
that you
undertake to
do, until
you are
destroyed and
perish quickly
on account of
the evil of
your deeds,
because you
have forsaken
me.
The Lord
will make
the pestilence
stick to
you until
he has
consumed you
off the
land, and
you are
entering to
take possession
of it.
The Lord
will strike
you with
wasting
disease, and
with fever,
inflammation, and
fiery heat, and
with drought, and
with blight, and
with mildew.
They shall
pursue you
until you
perish.
And the
heavens over
your head
shall be
bronze, and
the earth
under you
shall be
iron.
The Lord
will make
the rain
of your
land
powder.
From
heaven, dust
shall
come down
on you,
until you
are
destroyed.
You get
the weight
of God's
wrath
towards sin,
and we've
been delivered
from that,
not because
we kept
the law.
This curse
lies with
us, because
we've
transgressed
the law.
But because
of Christ,
we're seen
as righteous
in Him.
We are
delivered
because we
have the
righteousness
of Christ.
It's as
if we
kept the
law because
of our
faith in
the one
who did.
Isn't
our Savior
great?
Certainly
He is,
if our
sin is
great.
And it
is.
Number
three,
the law
is a
tool used
to bring
others to
Christ.
The law
is a
tool used
to bring
others to
Christ.
A great
example of
this, from
the ministry
of Jesus
in Matthew
chapter 19,
the rich
young ruler
comes to
Him and
says,
Teacher,
what must I
do to
have eternal
life?
Remember Jesus'
response to
him?
Keep the
commandments.
And the
new
ruler says,
which ones?
And he
lists off
some of
them for
him.
He
says,
all of
these I
have
kept.
I am
righteous.
I am
doing
well.
What does
Jesus then
do?
He gives
him a
command that
he knows
he cannot
keep.
He tells
the rich
young ruler
to take
all that
he has,
sell it,
and give
it to
the poor.
And what
does the
rich young
ruler do?
He goes
away sad
because his
riches,
his wealth
was great.
And what
the text
literally
means is
to him,
it was
great.
He valued
it.
He desired
it.
His
sin nature
worshipped
it over
God.
So the
law is
brought in
to humble
the sinner.
In other
cases in
scripture,
Jesus does
the same
thing,
and the
person
repents
and
believes.
The
person who
is not
humble
doesn't
need the
grace of
God.
They
need the
law to
bring to
them
humility.
So that
they can
receive the
grace of
God.
Use the
law in
your gospel
presentations.
Point out
to people
how sinful
they are
at their
very core.
And then
give them
the grace
of God.
Tell them
of what a
great Savior
we have.
Somebody
comes to
you already
humble,
don't beat
them up
with the
law.
Then it's
time for
grace.
Some people
get through
step one
on their
own and
don't need
your help.
They just
need step
two.
The law
was given
to us
as a tool
to expose
our sin.
It arouses
it.
It ruins
us when we
realize how
self-righteously
we have
tried to
live.
And it
reveals just
how sinful
we
actually
are.
Oh,
what a
Savior.