Notice that Paul begins here to talk in the first person. He gives his own personal account of how trying to keep the law affected his life after he was saved. The issue in this chapter is how to serve God, or rather, how not to serve God. "We should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter" of the law. (Romans 7:6)
Vs 7.) What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Trying to keep the law is done with the sinful flesh nature and therefore results in more sin. So Paul asks, "Is the law sin?" Is there something wrong with the law? No! As you read the next 9 verses, you will see that the fault is not in the law, but from sin in our human nature. The law identifies sin, not just in actions, but in our inner attitudes. "Lust" and "covet" are used interchangeably. These words mean to strongly desire. God's law forbids a person to even desire someone else's things. (Deut 5:21) God sees heart attitudes, even though a person may never do anything to get his desire. (Heb 4:12,13; Mat 5:27,28)
Vs 8.) But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
Sin uses God's commandments to work all sorts of illegal desires in us. Sin in our flesh nature always wants what is forbidden. "Concupiscence" means lust or strong desire for what is forbidden.
"Without the law sin was dead." A person cannot be charged with a crime if there is no law against his action. (Rom 4:15; 5:13) Today under grace, a believer is not under the law (Rom 6:14; I Cor 6:12; 10:23) and sin is not put to our account. (Rom 8:33) So sin is dead, has no power over us, as we learned in chapter 6, as long as we stay free of the law. (Gal 5:1)
Notice how sin is almost personified throughout this passage. Sin is a force living in our flesh. See Rom 7:11,17,20,23. That is why it is essential to know from chapter 6 that our flesh nature is dead and buried with Christ, so that we can be freed from sin.
Vs.9)
Paul grew up under the law as a very religious Jew. (Phil 3:4-6; Gal 1:14) The first time he was ever "without the law" was when Christ revealed to him that faith (in His death as payment for sin) would completely justify him "without the deeds of the law". (Rom 3:28; Gal 1:11,12&2:16; Acts 13:38,39) Do you remember when you first realized this too? What relief and joy to know we are forever saved from hell, even though we break God's laws. How wonderful to know that nothing can ever change our position in Christ! (Rom 8:38,39; Eph 1:13,14) This joy is what Paul means by being "alive without the law".
But then after we are saved, if we seek to serve God by keeping the commandments, we find ourselves condemned by sin again, and our joy dies. Failure to keep the commandments brings guilt, self-condemnation and functional death. We are still totally forgiven by God, but because we are now focused on our own behavior (keeping the law) and not on Christ, sin revives and takes control again. Instead of stopping sin, the law tells the flesh to function, resulting in more sin.
Just like we cannot get saved by keeping the laws, we can not serve God by keeping the laws either. "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" (Gal 3:3) We are to walk in Christ Jesus the same way that we received Him - by faith, not by law. (Col 2:6)
Vs 10.) And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
The law condemns sin. (Rom 3:19,20; Deut 31:26) By doing so, the law can lead an unsaved person to life in Christ, (Gal 3:24; I Tim 1:8-10) but it leads a saved person to functional death – no joy, no fruit for God, and lots of guilt. We just can't function for God if we focus on rules and our failures, instead of Christ and His forgiveness.
In the Old Testament, the commandments gave Israel a chance to choose life. (Deut 30:15-20; Mat 19:17) But now under grace, trying to keep the law just brings self-condemnation and kills our joy and motivation.
Vs 11.) For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
How
Vs 12.) Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Laws are regulations, commandments are orders. Orders are a part of the system of regulations. God's laws and commandments are holy, just and good. (Ps 19:7-9)
Vs 13.) Was then that which is good (the law)
How can something so good bring me death? The law doesn't bring death, sin does! The commandment shows what sin is, how bad it is, and so makes us accountable for our sin. (Rom 3:19,20)
Vs 14.) For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Here is the problem with the law; it is perfect and good, but we are not. Man is "carnal", meaning flesh, whereas God is a Spirit. (John 4:24) The law is from God, from a different dimension than man lives in. (I Cor 2:11,14) The two don't fit together, (Rom 8:7) thereby showing that man cannot fit in with God. (Rom 3:23) Therefore we need Christ, the Mediator. (I Tim 2:5,6)
This is true for service as well as for salvation. We cannot serve God on our own. We must have and use "the mind of Christ". (I Cor 2:12-16) That is called walking in the Spirit (Gal 5:16-18) or, Christ living in me (Gal 2:20). Learn God's viewpoint from His word, then choose to see the circumstances in your life from His perspective and act accordingly.
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