Sin's Advantage in the Law
Romans 7:7-12
Is the law still condemning you or have you found the grace of God in Christ?
#inChrist
#law
#covetousness
Published March 26th, 2017
Main point summary
Arc
Notes
Gal 2:19-20
Look-up
notes
Main point summary
The law is not sin. The law brings knowledge of sin as for example to know covetousness. (Knowledge/Conviction of sin opens the door to receive the grace of God in Jesus Christ)
Arc
editing
NT
Romans 7:7-12
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mine
na28
What shall we say then? Is the law sin?
(Since death came by the law) Is it right to say that the law is sin?
Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; ὁ νόμος ἁμαρτία;
Certainly not!
No, it is certainly not right!
μὴ γένοιτο•
On the contrary,
On the contrary,
ἀλλὰ
ideaexplanation
I would not have known sin
Let me explain: I would not have known sin
τὴν ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔγνων
except through the law.
if the law had not shown it to me.
εἰ μὴ διὰ νόμου•
conditional
For I would not have known covetousness
For example, I would not have known covetousness,
τήν τε γὰρ ἐπιθυμίαν οὐκ ᾔδειν
unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
if the law hadn't said: "You shall not covet."
εἰ μὴ ὁ νόμος ἔλεγεν• οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις.
But sin,
Now sin,
ἀφορμὴν δὲ λαβοῦσα ἡ ἁμαρτία
taking opportunity by the commandment,
taking opportunity by the commandment,
διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς
produced in me all manner of evil desire.
produced in me all kind of covetousness.
κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐμοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν•
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progression
For apart from the law sin was dead.
In other words, sin was dead apart from the law,
χωρὶς γὰρ νόμου ἁμαρτία νεκρά.
I was alive once without the law,
and I was alive once without the law,
ἐγὼ δὲ ἔζων χωρὶς νόμου ποτέ,
but when the commandment came,
but when the commandment came
ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς ἐντολῆς
sin revived
sin revived
ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀνέζησεν,
and I died.
and I died.
temporal
And the commandment,
And the commandment,
ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπέθανον καὶ εὑρέθη μοι ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ
which was to bring life,
which was to bring life,
εἰς ζωήν,
I found to bring death.
I found to bring death.
αὕτη εἰς θάνατον•
For sin,
This happened because sin,
ἡ γὰρ ἁμαρτία
taking occasion by the commandment,
taking oppertunity by the commandment,
ἀφορμὴν λαβοῦσα διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς
deceived me,
deceived me,
ἐξηπάτησέν με
and by it killed me.
and by it killed me.
καὶ διʼ αὐτῆς ἀπέκτεινεν.
ground
Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, just and good.
ὥστε ὁ μὲν νόμος ἅγιος καὶ ἡ ἐντολὴ ἁγία καὶ δικαία καὶ ἀγαθή.
inference
questionanswer
How is sin dead apart form the law? Was sin dead before the law was given?
How was Paul alive without the law? The law was in place already for hundreds of years.
Sin revived in what way? Sin as selfishness, or self-righteousness? Both, because when I covet, then instead of being happy about what God has given other people, I'm upset that I didn't get it. I'm also self-righteous because I think to know better than God. So God must have done a mistake because He didn't give me what I wanted.
Sin wants what is forbidden.
Knowledge of sin through the law.
discourse
Notes
Paul argues now that though the law brought knowledge of sin, the law itself is holy, just, and good. The Law and Sin There is something deeply wrong in human beings. The law shows what is right, sin in us rebels to do wrong. The stricter my parents forbid me something, the more I wanted to do it. It became desirable just because it was forbidden. This longing goes back as far as to the garden of Eden to the lie of Satan: "You will be like God". Man doesn't like to be under authority. We want to be sovereign and under no law or restriction. The Law and Covetousness The Pharisees looked at the commandants to be obeyed as outward performance. It seems easy with "You shall not murder" but when it comes to the last commandment of "coveting" it hit Paul the former Pharisee. Coveting is a matter of the heart. He used to be "alive" in ignorance of the meaning of coveting but then the knowledge of the law killed him in the sense of coming unter conviction of sin. Guilt and condemnation overwhelmed him. He realized that he couldn't save himself from coveting. He realized his need of God. Coveting is wanting something desperately which God didn't give. It can be a desire for something good, but in an in-ordinary excessive way. Coveting makes itself known in despair, self-pity, bitterness and anger. It is not satisfied with God, His provision, protection and guidance.
Gal 2:19-20
Galatians 2:19-20
na28
For I
ἐγὼ γὰρ διὰ νόμου νόμῳ ἀπέθανον, ἵνα θεῷ ζήσω. Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι•
through the law
died to the law
that I might live to God.
actionpurpose
I have been crucified with Christ;
ζῶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγώ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός• ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, ἐν πίστει ζῶ τῇ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ.
it is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me;
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me.
negativepositive
Look-up
Romans 3:20
esv
20 For y by works of the law no human being 1 will be justified in his sight, since z through the law comes knowledge of sin .
Romans 5:20
20 Now i the law came in to increase the trespass , but where sin increased, j grace abounded all the more,
1 Corinthians 15:56
56 The sting of death is sin, and z the power of sin is the law .
Romans 13:9
9 For the commandments, y “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet ,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: z “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 3:10
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith 10 For all who rely on works of the law are m under a curse ; for it is written, n “Cursed be everyone who does not o abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”
Romans 10:5
The Message of Salvation to All 5 For f Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that g the person who does the commandments shall live by them .
OT
Leviticus 18:5
5 t You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; u if a person does them, he shall live by them : I am the Lord .
Ezekiel 20:11
11 p I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, q by which, if a person does them, he shall live .
Isaiah 44:20
20 v He feeds on w ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray , and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not x a lie in my right hand?”
Jeremiah 17:9
9 The heart is deceitful above all things , and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Obadiah 3
3 c The pride of your heart has deceived you , you who live in the clefts of the rock, 1 in your lofty dwelling, d who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?”
Ezekiel 33:13
13 Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet m if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die .
1 Corinthians 15:56
56 The sting of death is sin , and z the power of sin is the law .
Deuteronomy 4:8
8 And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so e righteous as all this law that I set before you today?
Nehemiah 9:13
13 x You came down on Mount Sinai y and spoke with them from heaven and gave them z right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments ,
Psalms 19:8
8 u the precepts of the Lord are right , rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is v pure , w enlightening the eyes;
1 Timothy 1:8
8 Now we know that r the law is good , if one uses it lawfully,
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