Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd. P.O. Box #3762 Gillette, WY 82717 (307) 686-1516

“Preaching the Living Word through the Written Word (2Tim 4:2)”

CONVICTION FROM THE LAW

(Rom 7:7-12) 11/4/07

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

I. THE LAW REVEALS SIN (7)

A. Paul asks the next logical anticipated question, “If believers were bound to the Law and had to die to it in Christ, then is the Law sin?”

B. His response is the ever familiar emphatic negative, “May it never be.” (mē génoito - not even the slightest degree of possibility that such a statement could be true; Rom. 3:4, 6, 31; 6:2, 15; 7:7, 13; 9:14; 11:1, 11; 1Co 6:15; Gal. 2:17; 3:21; 6:14)

C. Emphatically, the Law is not sin, rather (allá - on the contrary, i.e. contrast), it was through the Law that Paul came to be intimately acquainted and experientially aware (égnōn - 2Aor. of ginóskō ) of his sin.

D. It was the Law that gave him his perception (eídein - Pluperf. of oida oida) about his own sin of coveting when faced with the Tenth Commandment (Exo 20:17).

E. Covetousness is an intense “internal” desire to possess something (or someone) that belongs to another person. Covetousness springs from greedy self-centeredness and an arrogant disregard for God’s law. One can sin by coveting in one’s own heart without acting it out externally.

F. Paul’s earlier perception may have considered himself “blameless” in regard to the Law, but it was from the viewpoint of man-made tradition. It was merely external until confronted with the Law’s intention of righteousness of the heart. The Holy Spirit convicted Paul of his internal sinfulness through the sin of coveting (Phil 3:4-9).

II. THE LAW AROUSES SIN (8)

A. Paul makes an interesting statement that sin was not only revealed by the Law (7:7), but also that sin was aroused by the Law (7:5).

B. Sin, when confronted with the commandment, used it as an opportunity (aphormḗ - lit. a starting point or base of operations) to launch its rebellious nature in opposition to the commandment.

C. The warning "No!" to a small child may turn out to be a call for opposing action that had not even been contemplated by the child. A sure way to lose flowers from a garden is to post a sign that says, "Don't pick the flowers."

D. In Paul’s case, it was “Don’t covet!” that caused him not only to realize his internal sinful coveting, but it unleashed internal coveting of every kind. Sin is never static (Rom 1:22-32).

E. When Paul states that sin apart from the Law is dead, he does not mean it in the sense of being non-existent, but it is less revealed and less aroused.

III. THE LAW BRINGS DEATH BECAUSE OF SIN (9-11)

A. Paul Shares His Pre-Conversion Experience (9).

1. Paul uses the personal pronoun “I” (egṓ) to speak of his own pre-conversion experience. It was quite possibly a short while before he was converted, although some have suggested that this refers to Paul’s childhood while others suggest that it was not speaking of Paul at all but of the time of Moses and the Law.

2. According to his own perspective, at one time, he was alive (Imperf. Act. of záō - remain alive) apart from the Law.

3. But when he came under the conviction of the Law, it was sin that came alive (Aor. Act. of avnaza,w anazaō - come to life).

4. At the same time, Paul’s internal sinfulness was brought to light and he then realized he was condemned (“died” - Aor. Act. of avpoqnh,|skw apothneskō) under the Law.

B. Paul’s Relative View Of The Law Changed (10).

1. Paul had known the Law to be designed for life and blessing, which it was (Lev 18:5: Deu 8:3; 28:1-2ff).

2. But then he found out (eu`ri,skw heuriskō - to find or dicover; Eng. “eureka!”) that the Law which was supposed to give him life, was now resulting in death and cursing (Deu 28:15ff).

C. Paul Was Deceived by Sin Concerning the Law (11)

1. Again, sin used the commandment as a base of operations (avformh, aphormē) from which to not only arouse more sin (7:8), but also to deceive and ultimately condemn. Deception (evxapata,w exapataō - to seduce wholly cp. 2Co 11:3) is one of sin’s most diabolical and disastrous evils.

2. In fact, Paul describes that the Law did not just make him die, but it emphatically “killed” him(Aor. Act of avpoktei,nw apokteinō - “killed me off,” made a clean job of it. - Robertson).

3. It is man’s sinfulness that causes the Law to exercise it’s judicial authority and bring the verdict of death.

IV. THE LAW IS HOLY, RIGHTEOUS, AND GOOD (12)

1. Paul concludes (w[ste hoste) his original presupposition (7:7) that the Law is not sin. Indeed, he describes the Law in irreproachable terms.

2. The Law is described as:

a) “holy” (a[gioj hagios - set apart from sin) because God is holy and therefore commands that men be holy (Lev 11:45 cp. 1Pe 1:16).

b) “righteous” (di,kaioj dikaios) because it is God’s moral standard by which mankind is accountable (Rom 1:18).

c) “good” (avgaqo,j agathos) because if man could keep it he would have life, but because he cannot it points him to salvation in Christ.

d) Later in the chapter he also refers to the Law as: spiritual (v. 14), good (v. 16), and joyfully concurred in his “inner man” with its divine truth and standards (v. 22).

3. Therefore, it is not the Law that is evil or even influences man to evil. Rather, it exposes man for what he is; sinful and miserably short from God’s righteous standard. Man’s response is hostile to God and His law for he is unable to subject to it (Rom 8:7).

V. APPLICATION

A. Since the Law is holy, righteous, and good and was given to reveal man’s sin and death in order to point him to Christ, the believer ought to:

1. Use the Word of God (even the Law) in evangelism when possible.

2. Through the Word, bring the unbeliever to a consciousness of his sinful nature, not just of his sins.

3. Use the Word of God daily in his own life for spiritual growth (Psa 19:7-11).

B. Through the Word, bring himself to a deeper consciousness of his own rebellious sinfulness and be conformed to the character of Christ (Psa 19:12-14).