“Sin’s Use of the Law to Bring Death” (Romans 7:7–12)

“Sin’s Use of the Law to Bring Death” (Romans 7:7–12)

Pastor Cameron Jungels

Eastside Baptist Church

Sunday AM, November 19, 2017

 

Romans 7:7–12 (NIV)

⁷ What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”  ⁸ But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. ⁹ Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. ¹⁰ I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. ¹¹ For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. ¹² So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

 

 

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  ²⁰ Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.  ²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. (Romans 3:19-21, NIV)

 

¹³ It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.  ¹⁴ For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,  ¹⁵ because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.  (Romans 4:13-15, NIV)

 

¹³ To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone's account where there is no law.  ¹⁴ Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.  (Romans 5:13-14, NIV)

 

²⁰ The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,  ²¹ so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  (Romans 5:20-21, NIV)

 

¹⁴ For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.  ¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!  (Romans 6:14-15, NIV)

 

⁴ So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.  ⁵ For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.  ⁶ But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. (Romans 7:4-6, NIV)

 

1. The Law of Moses is holy, just, and good.

 

2. Though the Law of Moses is holy, just, and good, it has had the effect of making the condition of sinful people even worse.

                       a.  The Law reveals our sin.

                     

                        b.The Law arouses sin and increases transgressions.

 

                       

                        c.The Law condemns the sinner to death.

 

3. Our only hope for deliverance is through the grace of Jesus Christ.