Study session scripture: Romans 7:7-12

What then shall we say? That the law is 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 an 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 to me. For sin, seizing an 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.

Study session topics:

• The Law and Sin

  • The Legalist's Objections

  • Objection 1: If the law can neither save nor sanctify, what is its value? Should it not be thrown out?

  • Objection 2: If our sin is aroused by the law, isn't the law sinful since it leads to evil?

  • Why these objections matter: Since the law came from God, who does not do or make anything evil

  • Paul will show in this passage that the law is good and holy, and that it does accomplish good things

• The law reveals sin as sin

• No one naturally thinks of themselves as wicked, but God's law reveals that fact to us

• Genesis 6:5 -Romans 3:10-12

• Even if we can see our wicked state with clear eyes, we cannot know what is "sin" without the law

• Paul touches on this earlier in 4:15 and 5:14

• Paul relates this truth to himself

• Philippians 3:2-6 -- Paul once thought very highly of himself and needed the law to see himself as a sinner

• The law provokes sin

• This sounds counterintuitive, but it draws out the realization of how bad sin is

• Sin, through the knowledge of the commandment, creates a surge of rebellion in our hearts

• The law brings out sinful desires we never knew existed

• Our sinful nature reveals itself (and its power over us) by taking provocation from the law

• The Law Brings Us to the End of Ourselves

• v. 9 in context talks about Paul's obliviousness to his own wickedness, becoming aware of that wickedness due to the law, and feeling hopeless -- dying -- due to his realization that he cannot keep the law

• This hopelessness in oneself is a good thing because it drives us to see our need for a savior

• Jesus used the law this way when talking to the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-22)

• Paul summarizes this idea earlier in 3:19-20

Study session audio: