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. 8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. (Romans 7:7-12)
Paul can only be posing the rhetorical question "Is the law sin?" because he believes his readers would be likely to react that way to his previous paragraph. In that paragraph he explained that trying to keep laws is the wrong focus. But "no way!" the law is not sin. The law is not the problem, the law is like the mirror (James 1:23-25). A mirror is very useful when I am washing my face, I can see what part I need to focus on cleaning, and without the mirror I cannot see it. But I would be a madman if I tried to clean my face by rubbing it on a mirror. Mirrors were designed to help me clean my face and they are useful for that, but it is not the mirror that cleans my face, it is the water. In the same way the law shows me what I need to change and the blood of Jesus washes my sins away. Simple.
I really don't know what Paul is talking about when he talks about himself having been alive but then died when the law came. Since I don't know I think it's best not to comment. I do get the idea that Satan can use the law for his own purposes, so we need to be careful, but the law is intrinsically (in itself) useful and right.
Do you compare yourself to God's law, or do you compare yourself to other people?
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