March 3, 2002
“THE
LAW, SIN, AND YOU!”
Romans 7:6-12
A
plumb line can only prove that a crooked wall is crooked. No matter how you use it, a plumb line can’t
make a crooked wall straight! The law
was God’s plumb line, designed to show all people that they are crooked, or
sinful. It was never intended to make
us straight or righteous – and, indeed, it never could!
Fact: Believers have been released from the law through the death of Jesus Christ (verse 6a).
Result: We now serve in newness of the Spirit – not in the oldness of the letter of the law (verse 6b).
It seems that the law becomes the basis for sin’s operation in the believer’s life. This will become increasingly clear as we go along. We now move into the struggle that all believers experience to one degree or another.
Question: Is the law sin (v. 7a)?
Answer: No! On the contrary, we would not have come to know sin except through the law.
Explanation: We would not have known about coveting if the law had not said, “You shall not covet” (v. 7b)!
But sin (in me), taking the opportunity by the
commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind, for apart from the law sin
is dead (v. 8).
In other words – the law came to Paul and to us and aroused the sin in us. Coveting is seen to be what it is through the plumb line of the law.
I was alive apart from the law once, not
recognizing the sin in me. But sin
came. Sin became alive (revealed for
what it really is) and I died (v. 9).
In verse 10 we read that the commandment Paul was trusting for life proved, through its work in revealing sin, to result in death! Paul further states in verse 11, that sin used the law to deceive me and through it – killed me!
Explanation: Paul was deceived in expecting life through keeping the law but found, instead, death as the law reveals, arouses, and condemns sin.
The true nature of the law is holy, righteous and good (v. 12). The law is a perfect reflection of God’s character (see Psalm 19:7-11).
So beloved, trying to live the Christian life through self-effort brings about in us the same experience that Paul had. In our next Pen Pulpit we will go deeper into this mystery of the believer’s struggle. God bless.
Love
to you all,
Pastor Charles