Is the Law Sin? Romans 7:7

Paul the apostle told the people in Rome,“when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death”, and he added, “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” In chapter seven and verse seven of Romans, Paul asked his readers, “is the law sin?” where we read:

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law:

for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet.

The verse begins, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law:” Paul began with the word, “what shall we say” which means “what should Paul, his companions and his believing readers utter, speak, proclaim or declare” “then” which means “therefore, wherefore, accordingly and consequently”, “Is the law” or “is the rule producing a state approved of God ” “sin” or “missing the mark, error and being mistaken?” “God forbid” which means “no, not in the least to come into existence, being to be, happen and come to pass”. “No” or “nevertheless, notwithstanding, moreover and rather” “I had not known sin” which means “Paul would not have learned, got knowledge of, perceived and understood missing the mark, erring and making mistakes” “but by” which means “except through and by means of” “the law” which is “the rule producing a state approved of God”. Paul wondered if his readers thought “God's law” was “missing the mark”, and he emphatically stated, “perish the thought”. His further explanation was he would never have “understood” what “sin” was if “God's law” did not exist.

The verse continues, “for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet.” Paul added the words, “for I” or “because and since Paul” “had not known” which means “would not have understood and perceived” “lust” or “desire, craving and longing for what is forbidden”, “except” which means “if not, saving and till” “the law” which means “the rule producing a state approved of God” “had said” or “proclaimed or declared”, “you shall not covet” which means “people are not to desire, crave and long for what is forbidden”. If there was no “law”, Paul would not have known that an illicit “desire and craving for what is forbidden” was against God's approval.

When we meditate upon these words of Paul, we see how the benefit to “God's law” was so Paul, his companions and readers would know “sin” or “missing the mark” of God. Paul would not have known “coveting” if there was not a “law” stating it should not be done. Jesus Christ came to “fulfill” every aspect of “God's law”, and this gave access for everyone to receive Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”. “The Law” is not “sin”, however, it teaches people about their “sin”, and “sin” and it's penalty shows the need for the “Savior Jesus Christ”.

Next time Paul tells his readers, “without the law sin was dead”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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