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Romans 7:9
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Sin’s Advantage in the Law

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, aI would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, b“You shall not covet.”  
8 But asin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For bapart from the law sin was dead.  
9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
10 And the commandment, awhich was to bring life, I found to bring death.  
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.
12 Therefore athe law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.  

Law Cannot Save from Sin

13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, asold under sin.  
15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. aFor what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.  
Commentaries:
Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?
<< Romans 7:8   Romans 7:10 >>

What Does Romans 7:9 Mean?

Paul once lived without knowledge of what the law meant, but when the commandment came, he understood. At that point, he recognized he was as good as dead because he had broken the law. It was not the law that killed him but sin; sin slew him. The law itself was ordained to life, being holy, just, good, and spiritual. Before conversion, Paul did not even understand what sin is, as he admitted he did not know until the Word came. Upon conversion, for the first time, he gained a clear and true understanding of what sin is. When he said "I died," it means he repented and was baptized in the water, buried.




Romans 7:9

What Paul means by "I was alive once without the law" is that, at one time, he without the knowledge of what the law meant. It was "when the commandment came" that he understood. At this point, Paul knew that he was as good as dead because he had broken the law (Romans 6:23).

John W. Ritenbaugh
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Seven)

Related Topics: Death as Wages of Sin | Death Penalty | Law as Spiritual Mirror | Law as Standard of Judgment | Law Defines Sin | Law Illuminating Sin | Sin Produces Death | Sin's Consequences | Sin's Effect | Sin, Consequences of | Sin, Deceitfulness of | Sin, Malignant Power of



Romans 7:9-14

Notice that it was not the law that killed him but sin! Plain, simple truth—sin slew him. By contrast, Paul says that the law was ordained to life. It is holy, just, good, and spiritual. That is very clear.

John W. Ritenbaugh
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Nine)

Related Topics: Death as Wages of Sin | Death Penalty | God's Law | Law as Spiritual Mirror | Law as Standard of Judgment | Law Defines Sin | Law Illuminating Sin | Law is Holy | Law is Spiritual | Sin Produces Death | Sin, Consequences of




Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Romans 7:9:

Hosea 7:1-4
Romans 6:4
Romans 6:14-15
Romans 10:1-3
2 Corinthians 3:6
Galatians 2:19


 
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