The Revelation of Sin
Romans 7:7-12
Turn to Romans 7. Today’s message will not come to a full conclusion as I wish to deal with the topic, The Revelation of Sin, this week and The Struggle with Sin next week. And it is important for us to realize this morning that Romans 7 has been a chapter with much disagreement. If you have studied Romans 7 in any detail, you know it addresses Paul’s struggle with sin. A verse such as verse 19:
“For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.”
Romans 7:19 (LSB)
And the disagreement between many Bible scholars is whether Paul is speaking about his experience before his conversion or whether he is speaking of his experience after his conversion to Christ. And whether you have studied this chapter with these questions in mind or not, I believe we can see that it would have some significant bearing on how we perceive the Christian life. In other words, if we understand this chapter as Paul referring to his experience before his conversion, we would understand a much different life after he comes to Christ, which some have taken to the degree of sinless perfection being attainable after salvation, though that would not be the belief of everyone who views the chapter this way. Yet if we see this as Paul lamenting his struggle with sin after his conversion, we see the Christian life as much more of a battle between doing what we know we should, but struggling at times. So, to simplify this, some would look at Romans 7 as Paul’s struggle before conversion, signifying a Christian walk before conversion as down here and their walk after conversion as up here. Whereas those who see this as Paul’s description of his struggle after conversion would view the transformation or change as being more gradual or at least with its remaining challenges along the way in the new believer’s life. Now, our experience might teach us that it is the latter, but if that is true, we must also see this in the Bible.
Now, what is always most important in any Bible study is the context of a passage. This is why, throughout, I have often said to you, don’t forget what we have already learned from last week’s message, or do not forget what Paul already taught us back in such-and-such a chapter. As some might say that once you have become this new man in Christ, you have eliminated the Law altogether, and therefore the question becomes, how then is this new man to live holy? And of course, the suggestion that the new man would continue in sin is out of the question. That is Romans 6, where Paul teaches that the design of the new man in Christ is to produce sanctification and holiness. But now (Rom 7), he considers the Law, where Paul will address the Christian and the Law. And what Paul will teach us is that justification by the Law is impossible. He will also teach that sanctification by the Law is also impossible. And as we said last week, Paul is the master debater. And he explained (vs 1-6) that because we died with Christ, we have been released from the Law. Remember he used the illustration of marriage, that we are no longer married to the Law, so that the relationship has been broken, and we are now married to the new Husband, Jesus Christ, so that we can now bear fruit or now be sanctified.
“So, my brothers, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”
Romans 7:4 (LSB)
Remember, we said that if Jesus had not died, we would still be bound to the Law. Think of that, either the written Law or the law written on our hearts. So, understand the seriousness of that. We would have been responsible for obeying every single letter of the Law or every single prodding of our conscience. And if one letter was disobeyed, ever, the result is spiritual death and hell. The teaching is not simply that we are no longer under the Law, the teaching is that we must be very glad that we are no longer under the Law, for being under the Law provides no hope for anyone.
“But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were constrained, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.”
Romans 7:6 (LSB)
If we could summarize the whole of (Rom 7:1-6), I could not say it any better than how Martyn-Lloyd Jones summarizes it by saying:
“We are no longer under the Law but under Christ. Therefore we can serve in newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”
Martyn-Lloyd Jones, The Purpose of the Law
And why I said that we must keep (Rom 7) in context is because what Paul will go on to say is a further explanation of Rom 7:1-6. So, look with me (vs 7), “What shall we say then? Is the Law sin?” Understand that this may have been a conclusion that some may have come to after reading Paul’s letter regarding his statements about the Law thus far: (2:12) he speaks about being judged by the Law; (2:23) through our transgression of the Law, we dishonour God; (3:19) he said that because of the Law, every mouth will be shut, and the world will be made accountable before God; (3:20) no man will be justified through the Law; (4:15) where there is no Law, there is no trespass; (7:4) you were made to die to the Law; and (7:5) our sinful passions were aroused by the Law. And not only does he state these things in disfavour of the Law, Paul will also state things in favour of being apart from the Law: (3:27) Paul introduces a new law of faith; (3:28) we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law; (6:14) for you are not under the Law, but under grace; (7:4)
Paul highlights that we must have died to the Law so that we could be joined to another, so that we would be able to bear fruit for God; and (7:6) having been released from the Law. So, Paul will now ask the obvious question (vs 7) is the Law sin? And he quickly answers, “May it never be.” And that is the context of the remainder of Romans 7 as Paul is answering this question about the Law, “Is the Law sin?” And now he will go on to prove why he says, “may it never be.” So, here is a statement I believe we could confirm from Paul’s teaching: The Law reveals sin in a much greater way than would our own conscience.
“What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! Rather, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law. For I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’”
Romans 7:7 LSB)
The Law gave us the knowledge of sin. And not that we would have needed a Law to make us feel guilty about sin, as our conscience in many ways does that. But the Bible also teaches that the conscience can become seared and therefore less reliable. And therefore, there may be various understandings according to our conscience pertaining to right and wrong. I think that we can see that today, in certain matters such as abortion or marriage, that without a firm law that is stated in society regarding such matters, people can be far apart in what they may perceive as right and wrong. Yet God’s Law clarifies those things, as the Law clarifies to us the nature of sin, or we could say the seriousness of sin. True, as humans, we may do something and feel bad about it, but it is different to know that God says that something is wrong, and that mankind is destined for death because of that particular sin. And without that knowledge, there would be no desperation for a Saviour or to be forgiven for that sin, as we may only feel bad about it, but not in relation to God. As much of our culture today basically lives without much thought of God, the line between right and wrong gets more and more blurred. And man, for the most part, will be pretty quick to forgive himself or make statements such as well, we are not perfect.
But the Law eliminates that great misconception, for the Law shows that there is great wrong in sinning, that this wrong or that wrong is a transgression against God’s holy Law. This is apparent when speaking to someone about the gospel. People will often first prove to someone that they are a sinner, by just using a few of the Ten Commandments. And this is why Paul says that if it were not for the Law, I would not have truly known the great seriousness of sin. Therefore, the Law reveals sin in a much greater way than would our own conscience. And Paul will help here by giving us an example of the clarity of the Law, end of verse 7, “For I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’” This, of course, comes from the 10th Commandment”
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male slave or his female slave or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Exodus 20:17 (LSB)
Not sure if our conscience would have taken us that far, as our conscience may help us understand that we would not steal from our neighbour or try to take away his wife. But of course, the command is that we would not even desire what he has, that we do not become angry that he has something that we want, as this includes not merely the actual act of sinning outwardly, but now includes even the thoughts of our imaginations, and it is the Law that makes this clear. This goes along with Jesus’ teaching that being angry with a brother or looking at a woman with lust are all included in this command to not covet or desire. As in the Sermon on the Mount, the Pharisees, who even with the Law, failed to understand its full application, let alone those who never had God’s Law. And I believe we actually see this in the heart of Paul when he says (vs 7), “I would not have come to know sin except through the Law. For I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’” See, he understands much more of the depth of God’s Law than did the Pharisees. As I notice Paul’s words, I would not have come to know, and his words, I would not have known coveting, as the Law drills down into the heart of man, not only the seriousness of sinning against God, but it also reveals to Paul the great sinfulness of his own heart.
Have you ever had an experience where you may have said something, and you knew that maybe you should not have said it, but you did not think it to be all that bad? And then someone comes along, a parent, a friend, who says, do you not realize how hurtful your comment was? This is what the Law does: it intensifies the sin, as the Law indicates to us just how sinful we are and how bad the sin was that we just committed. So, the Law does reveal sin in a much greater way than would our own conscience, as it teaches us the seriousness of sinning against God, and it teaches us the struggle of our own sinful heart. So, though the Law cannot save us, as our salvation must come through grace and not works, it certainly has a massive role in teaching us the truth about our hearts and the seriousness of sinning against God.
So, what we must consider at this point is that, however we interpret Romans 7, it must fit within the context that sin involves the heart of the person, not just the outward acts of the person. And I would suggest that this would eliminate any thinking that (Rom 7) is speaking about a perfectionist view in this chapter. In other words, if Paul is teaching that sinful thoughts, evil desires, and selfishness are sin as much as stealing from someone, killing someone, or lying about something, then I believe we would agree that a perfect life is beyond the Christian until eternity. In other words, I may be able to keep from killing my neighbour, or lying to him, or stealing from him, but far more difficult to never have a wrong thought about him, or wanting something that he owns.
Lloyd-Jones goes on to say that the consequences of sin, such as murder and theft, may be greater in society, but sinning in our thoughts and imaginations is just as sinful in the sight of God. Though some might say, well, it is not as bad as the act, yet this is not true according to God. For Jesus said, I say to you that everyone angry with his brother has murdered him in his heart. He also said, I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Here, we see that Jesus makes no distinction between the actual sin and the thought itself, emphasizing that sin from God’s perspective, not ours and certainly not from society’s perspective, is a massive heart problem, not just an action problem for the human. Therefore, the problem is not the Law, the problem is the sin condition of our hearts.
“But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, worked out in me coveting of every kind. For apart from the Law sin is dead.”
Romans 7:8 (LSB)
In this verse, we learn the strength of sin. That phrase, that sin is taking opportunity literally means that it could not be held back. We know this to be true, as we have in opposition to sin, God’s holy Law, yet in the face of God’s holy Law, man still sins. Think of (5:21) Paul says that sin reigned in death, the reign of sin, that assumes a great deal of power; (6:6) men and women are slaves to sin, in bondage to sin; (6:12) do not let sin reign in your mortal body; and (6:14) sin is the master. No question, there is this massive power of sin. And the fact that its final destination is death and hell leaves mankind in such a desperate condition. There is such a need for us to understand all the ramifications of sin, the power of sin. Without this understanding, we will never fully get the gospel or the need for the rescue us from sin.
And this is a great hindrance for our culture, as the understanding of the power of sin is essential to bring someone to the gospel. Yet our society’s lack of thought regarding sin and its consequences leaves our culture without any perceived need for the gospel or for forgiveness. Now what does Paul mean when he says (end of vs 8) for apart from the law sin was dead. It would seem that there has always been some kind of law for mankind. Even in the Garden, God gave Adam and Eve a law, do not eat of this tree. So, what does he mean when he says, apart from the Law. Well, before we address this thought.
“Now I was once alive apart from the Law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.”
Romans 7:9 (LSB)
I would suggest that Paul does not mean that at one time there was no law of God, as he has already stated, the Law given to Israel. We know that God gave Adam and Eve a law in the Garden, and he has also taught that those without the written Law on tablets have a law written on their hearts. So, man has always had a law. But I believe what Paul is referring to here is the understanding of the law we have just talked about, that yes, there was a law, but man had ignored that Law. Or yes, there was a law, but man was not fully aware of that Law. This, I believe, is experienced all the time in the Christian life, that we may come to a point where we might feel pretty good about ourselves, or believe that we are doing quite well as a Christian. But then in some way, whether that is through reading the Bible, or hearing something preached in a message, or even seeing godly obedience in the life of another believer. And our conscience is pricked as it may not have been in the past, and we may feel guilty because we now realize that in a certain area in our lives, we fall so far short. Causing Paul to teach here that when I was not fully aware of the law, sin was dead. In other words, there was no guilt or thought of wrong. But when I was further confronted with biblical truth, in other words, when the commandment came, sin revived.
We might refer to this as conviction, the realization that what I had done was wrong and sinful, and that I need to repent and change. Without this, a person can continue in a sin and feel quite good about it. They may rationalize it or feel that it is not as bad as what someone else is doing, so that the sting in his or her conscience lessens. This is true of mankind, as the Bible teaches that all men and women are sinners and that everyone falls short of the glory of God, but few would describe themselves that way. Nobody would go into a job interview, and the one hiring asks the question, tell me about yourself. No one would respond that I am the worst of sinners. Seriously, do we see here that the greater we understand the Law, the greater we see ourselves as a sinner. I mean if you are convicted of certain sins in your life, just close your Bible, or quit paying close attention at church; quit being challenged by other strong believers; just start to compare yourself with those who are very weak in the faith; or to the guy at work whose life is a bit of a mess, just compare yourself to him, and you will soon nestle down and feel fairly good about where you are spiritually. In other words, the less exposure to God’s Law, the less conviction you will experience, the less you consider the truths of Scripture, the less you will be motivated to change.
We may think of the Pharisee who prayed before God and said, I thank God that I am not like that sinner. Not sure why he is thanking God here in the story, for he seems to have no understanding that he needs God; he has no understanding of his desperate condition. Why would he thank God for something that he obviously believes that he has accomplished on his own? But then the commandment came. In other words, when he was made aware of what was right and that he was wrong, sin revived. In other words, sin was exposed and made clear. Think of the picture we get of many of the Pharisees in the New Testament; they gave tithes to God, they preached the truths of God, and they would have been very well thought of and respected by society. Until when? Until they came in contact with Jesus, and Christ’s greater explanation of God’s Law brought out in them hatred for Christ, they quickly became jealous of Christ, and so they began to tell lies about Christ.
And we need to realize that nothing has changed in these men, as these were the same men, no better, no worse. It was merely that their lives were now exposed in a greater way because of the holiness of Christ, and the comparison between their righteousness and His holiness was exposed, and therefore Christ became repulsive to them. Do you notice that? Nothing had changed in these men; they were still the same men who had gone to work the day before and were respected and felt good about themselves. Yet the depth of their sin was always there, but it was only revealed when confronted with Christ. So, what do we learn from all this? Let me leave you with some lessons.
- We can never be set free by the Law.
In other words, if we remain under the Law—and all men and women are under the Law, but if we remain there—there is no hope for us, as we are destined only for death, hell, and punishment.
- Sin in our hearts is always present, but God’s truth exposes it.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones makes this great point about mankind:
“Our sinfulness is never only to be judged by our actions but always determined by our reactions to God’s holiness.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Sin Revealed by the Law
Sometimes it is hard to show men and women their sin based upon their outward actions, for the core problem of sin is always a problem of the heart. This is partly why the rejection of the cross, for if man does not understand the depth of his sinful heart and only looks upon his outward actions, the gruesomeness of the cross really makes little sense to him. In other words, why all the pain and why the death, if I am not really that bad? Yet we know from the Bible that there is sin within us. The Apostle John wrote:
“If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”
1 John 1:10 (LSB)
Notice that—His Word is not in us. Therefore, without truth, there is no understanding of the great depth of our sin. It seems to me that those who have the closest walk with God are those who have the greatest awareness of their sin. Why? Because they have a deeper understanding of truth, because the truth is in them. I would suggest that the greater we feel short of the glory of God, is a good indication of our closeness to God, for the closer we are, the greater the realization of our fallenness. And this leads to our next point:
“Now I was once alive apart from the Law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.”
Romans 7:9 (LSB)
It is true that God’s command convicts the heart, God’s Law exposes sin. But when Paul says here that when the commandment came, I died. What he is saying is that he now realizes that he cannot be saved by the law.
- The Law condemns, but it cannot save.
If we want to say it in another way, it would be that if God had never given a law, we would have never sinned and therefore we would have never died. In this way, the Law brings death, but it cannot bring life. This magnifies the blessing of the righteousness of Christ that is received by faith at salvation, as the whole function of the Law was to show us that we cannot obey it. Many would look at Christianity and believe that if I want to be saved, I need to obey the Law. But it was not the purpose of the Law to save us. No, the purpose of the Law was to show that we could not be saved under the Law, for we cannot fully obey it. Finally:
“[A]nd this commandment, which was to lead to life, was found to lead to death for me. For sin, taking 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.”
Romans 7:10-12 (LSB)
When we consider these verses and the discussion we’ve had regarding the Pharisees and their exposure to Jesus, considering as well that Christ said that He was the fulfillment of the Law, we can say this:
- The Law is holy, righteous, and good, as it is essential to the understanding of the gospel.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, you are spiritually alive when you realize your sin and your deadness because of it. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is [not death] but the kingdom of heaven. D. A. Carson wrote that:
“Poor in spirit is the personal acknowledgment of spiritual bankruptcy. It is the conscious confession of unworth before God … the deepest form of repentance … a general confession of man’s need for God.”
- A. Carson
I started by saying that Romans 7 is a chapter that is very much debated. That some would view Paul’s description of his struggle with sin as an experience before his conversion, whereas some view it as his continued struggle with sin after his conversion. What I want you to think about this week, as I wish to give you some homework, or maybe even talk about it over lunch today, are three questions. One, Why would someone as spiritually mature as Paul recognize his own sin more deeply than those who are less spiritually mature? Two, Do you think Paul is describing his Christian struggle in verses 13-25, or only his struggle before conversion? And this is something that we need to sort out, for I would suggest that even in our Christianity, we somewhat talk about this a little all over the map. For we will often hint that a Christian should be victorious, yet at other times we will talk about the struggles of self and sin within the Christian life. Which is it? Do we struggle or not? Finally, What sins may be present in my life that I have not recognized because I have not drawn closer to Christ? So, read Romans 7:13-25 and think about those questions before next Sunday.
Let’s pray. Lord, as we consider our own hearts this morning, as we are so prone to try to look into the hearts of others, while ignoring our own, but the Word of God does not allow us to do that, as the ways of a man are right in his own eyes. But it is You who weighs or judges the heart, as You see, not only our outward choices, but You see our intents, our thoughts, and our motives. So, Lord, create in us a clean heart, as can only be done through the washing of Your Word and by the work of the Holy Spirit. And forgive us of our sin, the times we intentionally sin against You. And the times we fail to look deeply into truth, and therefore miss, Your cleansing work. That the unworthiness of our very hearts becomes evident to us. So, help us to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Might You be Lord—as David said—the strength of our heart. And all God’s people said, amen.