Romans 7:7–16

Sin’s Use of the Law

⁷What should we say then? ^uIs the law sin? Absolutely not! ^vOn the contrary, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. ^wFor example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet. ^xy8And sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, ^zproduced in me coveting of every kind. For apart from the law sin is dead. ^a9Once I was alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life ¹⁰and I died. The commandment that was meant for life ^bresulted in death for me. ¹¹For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, ^cand through it killed me. ¹²So then, the law is holy, ^dand the commandment is holy and just and good.

The Problem of Sin in Us

¹³Therefore, did what is good cause my death? ^eAbsolutely not! ^fOn the contrary, sin, in order to be recognized as sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment, sin might become sinful beyond measure. ¹⁴For we know that the law is spiritual, ^gbut I am made out of flesh, ^hsold ⁱinto sin’s power. ^j15For I do not understand what I am doing, ^kbecause I do not practice what I want to do, ^lbut I do what I hate. ¹⁶And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good.