present tense. By using the past tense in verses 7–11, Paul considered the effects of the law somewhat dispassionately. Then in the last two verses (7:12–13), he again strenuously defended the law’s goodness. Paul’s intense desire to view the law with high esteem helped fuel his next thoughts. He was making every effort to clarify the tension between the “holy and just and good” (7:12) law and the sin that uses the law for its deadly purposes. The law comes from God, has his character, and tells