"The Holy, Righteous and Good Law" Romans 7:7–12

The New Testament reading will be Romans 7, verses 7-12.

Romans 7:7–12

I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.

The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.

For sin, seizing opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.

So the law is holy and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

So, Canadian common law, based on British law, British common law is designed to, in a big part, restrict vice, not necessarily compel virtue.

The purpose of our law is to maintain public order, to prevent harm and protect liberties.

It does not force the average citizen to be virtuous, but rather constrains vice.

So, for example, good and enforceable law would be to prohibit theft, not to compel generosity.

Or think of it like, well, we just did tax season a couple weeks ago.

A good law, maybe you disagree with me, a good law is that you have to pay your taxes.

A bad law would be that you have to like paying your taxes.

That wouldn't work as well.

So, the law works when it comes to communicating the reduction or the restraint of vice, but not the promotion of virtue.

And the underlying principle with all of this is that the individual is not a robot to be programmed,

but a person with a variety of motivations and hopes and preferences and loves and the like,

all of which cannot and should not be controlled.

So, we're in Romans chapter 7.

Romans 7 · chapter mention

We're continuing on.

We have two more weeks before the summer break.

And our text today affirms this underlying principle.

And that at the same time shows it to be completely inadequate for the true flourishing of both individual and societal life.

So, for the virtuous life to be realized requires, well, it requires virtue.

Not just an absence of vice.

And the law can't produce that.

So, again, looking at Paul's treatment of the law of God in his letter to the church in Rome.

And he will show that even the law of God can't produce virtue within us.

And yet, at the same time, godly virtue is impossible without God's law.

It's a bit of a paradox here.

How do we circle this square?

Well, we're going to jump right into the text.

Romans chapter 7, verses 7 to 12.

Romans 7:7–12

And we'll see that the law of God acts to reveal sin, to provoke sin, and then to ultimately condemn sin.

Reveal sin, provoke sin, condemn sin.

We'll jump right into it in verse 7.

We'll look at our first point.

The law of God reveals sin.

So, before we read the verse,

Given all that Paul has said about the grace of God thus far,

and God's law,

one could easily come away with the impression that the law of God is flawed.

It's served a purpose at best.

Its time is over.

There's something new at work.

Maybe even all of what Paul has said would lend to the very idea,

at the worst, that God's law is evil.

It is not right.

It is unrighteous.

To this, Paul will begin this short six verse,

addressing this objection.

And he opens it up like this, starting in verse 7.

What then shall we say?

That the law is sin?

By no means.

The original language in the Greek,

it's not just like,

hey, that's not true.

It's the most forceful way he could say no.

He could easily have just have said,

God forbid.

How dare you even bring that up?

By no means.

Let's continue on.

Yet if it had not been for the law,

I would not have known sin.

For I would not have known what it is to covet,

if the law had not said,

you shall not covet.

So what's really interesting here is that the Apostle Paul is talking about how the law itself

is the very thing that reveals what sin is.

And then he uses a very specific example out of the Ten Commandments.

The Tenth Commandment is not to covet.

And this is the example he uses to illustrate his point.

So why the Tenth Commandment?

Why the prohibition against coveting?

For two reasons.

At least two reasons.

The first reason is to communicate to us that sin is very, very pervasive.

It's not a surface level problem,

but it's a problem that goes all the way down,

all the way deep,

right into the human heart.

It is not merely a matter of external actions,

but internal motivations.

Prohibitions against murder,

theft,

making idols,

honoring parents,

or sorry,

prohibitions against dishonoring parents, rather.

All part of the Ten Commandments.

All prohibitions,

all laws that we could,

by and large,

keep.

I mean,

people still murder,

people still steal.

More people than they like to admit dishonor their parents,

even as adults.

Nevertheless,

they're external,

they can be seen as external actions.

Things we do,

behaviors that we have towards others,

they are external.

But coveting,

coveting concerns not the external,

but the internal.

The posture of the heart.

And this is something that cannot be faked or willed.

One can appear as a law-abiding citizen on the outside,

but still be a rebellious,

envious person on the inside.

The law of God,

unlike the law of the state,

actually commands our interior life,

not just to,

to prohibit vice,

but to promote virtue.

It's really interesting.

The law of God is very unlike the law of the state in that regard.

And it's different because the law of God,

it pierces to the very heart of our being.

And it does this,

especially when it pertains to coveting.

We find that our motives and attitudes do not ultimately need a tweak or a tune-up,

but they need a complete renovation.

Because the moment we think we have it all,

we see somebody else and we realize we are lacking.

And seldom, if ever, are we happy for somebody else,

but rather instead are upset that we don't have what they have.

Our heart is rebellious.

The sin runs all the way down.

And so in this regard,

it's a brilliant example for Paul to use

of this,

the reality that sin is a problem

all the way down to our very souls,

to the depths of our interior lives.

For our interior lives,

they cannot be conformed to external standards.

We can't will ourselves to not be covetousness,

to engage in covetousness.

It's a problem.

Really what Paul is saying is,

is that the human heart is bent towards a selfish desire all the time.

Our drive is not just for the things we do not have,

but the life we believe we deserve.

And we engage in this pursuit all the time,

and it is never a pursuit that is satisfied,

because the issue is not with what we lack,

but ultimately,

who

we lack.

Okay, we are constantly,

if we're going to use this analogy of a desert,

we are constantly parched,

we are thirsty for the divine.

We want something that will satisfy us,

not just for a moment,

but forever.

So we look to things

that are temporal

and mortal,

and things that are here for a moment,

not for eternity,

to quench our eternal thirst.

And that is why money and experience

and people,

they cannot satisfy in an ultimate way.

For a moment, for sure.

I mean, just this week,

if you guys have followed the news,

the richest man in the world

became the richest,

richest man in the world.

Okay?

Elon Musk is now worth,

apparently,

over a trillion dollars.

But my guess is that,

give it a few years,

and a trillion dollars

will not be enough.

Not because Elon Musk is some monster,

but because he's a human being.

And temporal things,

even that kind of money,

which is almost impossible to grasp,

a trillion dollars.

It will never be enough.

It will never be enough.

The hunger will never be satisfied.

The thirst will never be quenched.

Because even a trillion dollars

could not last for eternity.

And this leads to the second brilliant way

that coveting is used by Paul.

Because it describes us,

not just as people who have sinned all the way down,

but people that are ultimately rebellious.

What do I mean?

To covet is to be discontent

with many of the things in our life

that we cannot change.

And to be envious about those

who have what we believe we deserve.

So,

sometimes this can result in different things.

It's not just,

you know,

envying the money that people have,

but how about the family

that they were born into

compared to the family

that I was born into?

The childhood that they had

that I should have had.

The financial decisions,

of course,

that I've made,

but maybe the financial decisions

that others have made

that affect me.

I should have that.

And all of a sudden,

envy starts to grow

and it touches on every aspect.

The children that they had,

whether it's because those children

are more well put together

or maybe because they had children

and we could not.

The careers,

or lack of them,

I mean,

the list can go on

and on

and on.

We are never content.

All of life

can be a source

to make our envious hearts

alive with even more envy

and growing in even more envy.

We covet the life

others have

that we do not have.

And it is this discontent

with our lot

which is ultimately

a discontent

for the sovereignty

of God

for he has created

and he has ordained

all things.

I mean,

we understand this one life

that we live

and we pine after

a possible alternate reality,

but maybe one or two.

God in his infinite wisdom

and knowledge,

he understands

the infinite possible realities

and yet has chosen

the one he has given to us.

And on one hand,

it seems potentially unfair,

but on the other hand,

we don't know

what those other lives

could have been.

Nevertheless,

God in his sovereign wisdom

has ordained the life

that we have.

So our discontent

ultimately

with the life

that we have

if we are discontented,

which I would

humbly suggest

that it is all of us

to one degree

or another,

it is ultimately

a problem with God.

And because

we have a problem

with God's sovereignty,

it is incumbent

upon us,

therefore,

to find another king,

to live

in another kingdom,

and often

we are the ones

that put on the crown

and build

a new castle

and a new throne

and we sit upon it.

And we fail to see

that God

isn't just

the king

of the universe,

but that there is

no other king

even remotely

greater than him.

If we put on the crown

and sit on the throne,

we will not do

a better job.

We will not get

what we want

because ultimately

what we want

is the king.

And the king

is God himself.

So therefore,

to be discontent

with our lot

in life,

to be truly envious,

to covet somebody else,

is to say

to the sovereign God,

to hell with you

and your kingdom

and your kingly rule,

I'm going to be king.

And it fails to see

that what he truly

gives to us

to satisfy us

is him.

That God's

the ultimate prize.

that everything

we have in this life,

as good as it is,

and it's good,

it's wonderful

to have finances

and material things

and to have rich relationships.

I don't want to

downplay that,

but ultimately

these things

will not follow us

into the life to come.

But God wants

to give us himself

who is the eternal one.

And he knows

that we long

to be deeply satisfied

and to have true joy

and ultimate rest.

Rest not just

for our bodies

but for our souls.

And he wants

to give us himself.

He knows

that it's only

he that can

satiate our hungers,

only he that

can quench our thirst,

only he that can

provide for all

of our needs.

He is the source

of life

and the wellspring

of our flourishing.

So the law shows us

that sin is

a pervasive

and rebellious state

that affects

everyone,

all of us.

But it does

more than simply

reveal what sin is.

The law,

it also provokes sin.

And this can be

a bit of a

controversial thing,

potentially,

a potentially damning

indictment of the law.

So let's continue on.

Verse 8,

and this brings us

to our second point,

how the law

provokes sin.

Actually,

it'll be verses

8 and 9.

Let's read.

But sin,

seizing an opportunity

through the commandment

produced in me

all kinds of covetousness.

For apart from the law,

sin lies dead.

I was once alive

apart from the law.

But when the commandment

came,

sin came alive

and I died.

my kids

know and love

the fact that

I don't like

banana bread.

I might be the only

person in this room.

I don't like it.

Never have.

They try to trick me.

It's a big fun game.

And if they could

have a poker face,

maybe they'd trick me.

But they say,

we have a chocolate chip

muffin for you,

dad,

with a big grin.

And then I smell

the vile

cooked fruit.

and I am repelled

immediately.

And if I was

the tyrant

of the democratically,

the democratic

republic of Avatan,

I would outlaw

this terrible thing.

And anybody

who mashed

a banana

into a batter,

I don't know,

they would be punished.

But what I would do

if I did that

stupid,

silly

analogy,

I would be taking

something that's

morally neutral

and somehow

making it morally

reprehensible.

There's nothing

wrong with bananas.

In fact,

I like eating a banana

if you just peel it.

If you do anything

else to it,

it's a problem.

Anyways,

I digress.

But,

you know,

reading verses

8 and 9

potentially,

potentially,

seems like the law

makes good actions

or maybe morally

neutral actions

bad actions.

Is that what's

happening here?

Is God a tyrant,

not of the

democratic

republic

of Avatah,

but of the

entire world?

And is he a

ruinous,

terrible tyrant?

Sometimes we can

understand God

as that,

that God's law

is the same

as my silly

illustration.

But there's a

serious problem

with this kind

of thinking

as it assumes

two very

problematic

things.

The first,

that we are

more morally

sound than we

think we are.

And the second

is that God

is morally

compromised

or that he

is morally

compromised

full stop.

So,

if we return

to verses

8 and 9,

those two

assumptions

are deeply

challenged by

Paul.

And we're

going to just

take some time

to go through

these two

assumptions.

The first,

of course,

that we are

more morally

compromised

than we'd like

to think,

and that,

or sorry,

we're not as

morally sound

as we'd like

to think,

and that God

is morally

compromised.

So,

the first

assumption.

Paul is saying

that the law

does not make

us sin,

but rather

provokes sin

that's inherently

in us.

To be a man

or woman

is to be born

with a propensity

to sin.

So,

sin may lie

dormant,

but it is

certainly not

non-existent.

Given the

opportunity,

we will seek

to transgress

God's law

because we are

self-serving

creatures.

That is why

selfishness is

always easier

than sacrifice.

Indulgence is

always easier

than denial.

But it's more

than just

selfishness.

It's a self-elevation,

and I alluded

to this in the

last point of

us elevating

ourselves to

this new

cosmic throne,

but it's a

self-elevation

that causes

us to sin.

We are

rebellious at

heart.

We desire

to sin

for its own

sake.

There's a

wonderful

illustration

in St.

Augustine's

Confessions

where he

describes

just this.

It's an

instance as

a young

lad with

a bunch

of other

young boys,

and they

steal from

a pear

tree.

I'll read

the quote

verbatim,

and hopefully

you can pick

up what

Augustine is

saying and

see how

it rings

true.

This is

what he

says,

quote,

there was

a pear

tree close

to our

vineyard,

heavily

laden

with fruit,

which was

tempting

neither for

its color

nor its

flavor.

To shake

and rob

this,

some of

us wanton

young fellows

went late

one night

and carried

away great

loads,

not to eat

ourselves,

but the

fling to

the very

swine,

having only

eaten some

of them,

and to do

this pleased

us all the

more because

it was not

permitted.

Those pears

truly were

pleasant to

the sight,

but it was

not for them

that my

miserable soul

lusted,

for I had

abundance of

better,

but those I

plucked simply

that I might

steal,

for having

plucked them

I threw

them away,

my sole

gratification

in them

being my

own sin,

which I was

pleased to

enjoy.

See,

what St.

Augustine is

describing here

is that the

sinful human

heart is so

perverse and

so rebellious

towards God

that it

commits

lawlessness

simply because

it is forbidden.

There's a joy

in wrongdoing,

the excitement,

the thrill,

the adrenaline

of engaging

in something

that you know

is wrong

for the first

time,

and maybe

you could get

caught,

but I'm

going to get

away with

this.

God help

me.

It is an

excitement in

the forbidden,

a curiosity

that is not

the type of

curiosity that

leads to

virtue,

but a

curiosity that

is excited

to explore

vice.

It's the

very thing

that enlivens

the sin

that lives

and resides

within us.

So you see,

it is not the

law that plants

sin in our

hearts by

giving us a

command and

taking something

morally neutral

or even

something morally

good and

making it bad.

Rather,

it awakens the

sin that was

until then

dormant within

us.

This is

ultimately an

act of God's

kindness,

though,

and love,

which helps

us push

back against

the second

assumption that

God is

morally

compromised.

And to

that point,

we'll say

this,

the law is

not some

kind of

arbitrary

thing that

God has

just deemed

to be so,

as if God

made up a

long list of

do's and

don'ts just

to mess

with us.

He's some

mean kid

with the

magnifying

glass just

zapping

ants on

a sidewalk.

The law

is God's

will revealed.

It is an

expression of

his goodness

and love.

It is given

to us for

our benefit,

and not

just our

benefit,

but our

ultimate joy.

It helps

us to see

who he is.

It helps

restrain

evil.

It helps

lead us

to him.

And therefore,

if sin

takes the

law and

seeks to

contradict it

for no other

reason than

to be in

contravention

of God's

law,

then the

law does

precisely one

of its

functions.

Namely,

it provokes

sin so that

it can be

seen for

what it

truly is.

Now,

consider this,

okay?

Christine and

I, we

moved to

Stitzville

six years

ago this

summer,

I think.

Six years

ago this

summer.

But we

began the

house search

seven years

ago.

It took

us a year

to find

the place.

There's

like a

little break

in between.

But one

of the

houses we

saw initially,

it looked

really nice

on the

outside.

It worked.

It was a

great lot.

We wanted

to go through

with it.

This is

before things

were crazy

and you put

a bid on

something you

saw for five

minutes and

no home

inspection.

So we

wanted to

get a home

inspection.

The house

looked great.

The home

inspector came

in.

We paid,

I don't

know,

three,

four hundred

bucks,

something like

that.

And he

came with

a long

list of

stuff.

Listen,

you don't

want to

buy this

house.

You're

going to

have to

sink in

tens of

thousands

of dollars

that's not

worth it.

And even

then,

you don't

know what

you're going

to find

if you

open up

this.

And there

might be

mold here.

And the list

went on

and on

and on.

The law

acts

kind of like

a home

inspector.

What it

does is it

reveals,

it provokes

what is lying

underneath the

surface so that

we can see

it for what

it is.

the home

inspector is

not the

one who

somehow

created mold

in joists

or underneath

floorboards.

It's not

like the

inspector,

he pulled

up some

pipe and

looked around

and changed

it to lead

just to

bother us.

He just

simply revealed

what was

already there.

This is what

the law does.

It's one of

the functions

of the law.

It's actually

a huge,

wonderful

blessing for

it provokes

what is already

there.

So that we

can see it

for what

it is.

This rebellion,

this sin

in our

hearts,

it goes all

the way

down.

It is a

complete affront

to God's

law and

God's ways

and who

he is.

So then

ultimately

this provocation

of the law

or provocation

of sin

by the law

rather,

to what end

is it?

So that we

might see sin

for what it

is and that

sin will be

condemned

in us.

And this

leads us to

our third

and final point

verses 10

and 11.

read with me

verses 10

and 11.

The very

commandment

that promised

life proved

to be

death to

me.

For sin

seizing an

opportunity

through the

commandment

deceived me

and through

it killed

me.

It seems

actually like

Paul was

living a

great life

and then

the law

came and

it did

exactly

what some

of these

detractors

of Paul

insinuated.

That sin

is actually

the cause

of death.

Sin is the

cause of

sin.

The law

is the

cause of

sin.

The law

is the

cause

of death.

But not

so.

See,

sin is

revealed

and provoked

by the law

so that it

can ultimately

be condemned.

Sin is shown

to be utterly

deceptive.

Sin always

promises the

very thing

we desire

even more

than we

could hope

yet it

never gives

what it

promises.

It promises

life.

It promises

a deep

heart

satisfaction

and contentment

if only we

have, if only

we achieve,

if only we

enjoy.

But instead

it encourages

us to pursue

selfish aims,

to hold on

to bitterness,

to envy,

to give

into fear

and to

anger

and discontent.

I mean,

the very idea

that we can

live our

way and to

hell with

anybody else

that pushes

back against

us,

this is a

recipe not

for a

flourishing

life,

but a

life that

is going

to be

riddled,

riddled

with broken

relationships

and hard

heartedness,

an inability

to reconcile.

I met up

with somebody,

a parishioner

this week,

and just

briefly talked

about how

Christians have

a superpower

and we don't

use it too

often,

but it is

to apologize

without reservation.

A very

powerful thing.

We don't often

do it.

Oftentimes if we

apologize,

I'll speak for

myself,

oftentimes when I

apologize,

it's because I'm

tired or it's

because I was

stressed out or I

got kind of high

strung with this

or that,

there's always a

reason behind it

kind of excusing,

but you know,

something about

knowing the

forgiveness of

God allows us

to say I'm

sorry,

but also on the

flip side,

to receive an

apology and to

extend forgiveness.

Okay?

Sin promises

that we don't have

to deal with any

of that,

we can live our

own life,

and it seems

very wonderful,

and it seems

like there's

something so

satisfying about

holding on to

bitterness.

Okay?

And what that

does is it

does not make

us happy people.

It doesn't make

us joyful people

or kind people.

It twists us

up inside.

Sin promises,

no,

no,

no,

no,

no,

no,

no,

no,

put up

boundaries against

everybody who

bothers you.

And listen,

boundaries are

important in

specific situations,

okay?

So I don't want

to be misunderstood,

but oftentimes

we just say,

no,

no,

no,

no,

I'm boundaries.

Okay?

But really it's

just saying,

I don't want

to deal with you.

You end up

isolating yourself.

You end up

becoming a bitter

person,

and the promise

of sin

falls utterly

short.

It's not a recipe

for the good life,

a life that

flourishes with joy

and is free

from internal

strife.

It's the opposite.

Okay?

It's the opposite.

So what does

the law do?

The law condemns

sin in us,

okay?

It reveals sin,

it provokes sin,

but then it

condemns sin.

How?

By calling

sin's bluff.

If selfish

and self-serving

living is the

recipe for success,

let's see it.

Let's see the

fruit of the way

you're going to

live sin,

right?

If you're going

to engage in

sinful behavior,

let's see the

fruit of it.

And sin,

what it'll do,

it'll always take

what is good

and holy

and twist

and malign it,

failing to embrace

goodness,

life,

and light,

but rather

living in evil

and death

and darkness.

I mean,

consider what

Paul is saying

here.

The very commandment

that promised life

proved to be death

to me,

for sin's seizing

opportunity,

through the commandment

deceived me,

and through it

killed me.

What Paul is saying

really briefly

is that

sin says,

listen,

you don't have to

follow the law.

You will live

a better life,

but the law

is there,

and we are

condemned,

and we see

that sin

is utterly

sinful.

It can give

us nothing

that we want,

and we are

seen to be

what we truly

are,

people that

are dead

in our

trespasses.

The very

commandment

that was given

to show God's

character and

lead us to

life instead

brought death

upon us

because our

sinful flesh

took advantage

of this

opportunity

to be

content

with God's

goodness

and instead

rebelled

against his

good and

loving rule.

We're

condemned.

The decision

is death

and it is

final.

But you see,

unlike our

common law

here in Canada,

the law of God

doesn't merely

seek to,

again,

limit vice,

but it compels

virtue,

and a virtue

we cannot achieve

yet we desperately

need for true

joy and deep

satisfaction.

So there's

this teaching

around the

Ten Commandments

that they're

just not

simply prohibitions

but whatever

they prohibit,

it's also the

opposite is

commanded.

So for instance,

Jesus,

he talks about

murder and

how murder

isn't just

not stabbing

somebody,

shooting somebody,

killing somebody,

but it's actually

working towards

their goodness,

their prosperity.

It's about

helping them to

live into

joy and

life as

much as

you are

able to.

In the

same way,

the prohibition

against stealing

isn't just

to not take

what is not

yours,

but is to

be generous

with what

you have.

And same

with coveting,

it is not

just to not

envy somebody,

but to

rejoice in

the victory

of other

people.

And yet

those virtues

are sorely,

sorely needed,

but almost

impossible,

if not

completely

impossible,

to achieve.

Jesus sums

up the law

with the

command to

love.

We read it

this morning,

to love God

with all our

heart, soul,

mind, and

strength,

to love our

neighbor as

ourselves.

So you see

that the law

of God is

far more than

just a

prohibition

against harm,

but a

command to

bless,

a command to

give,

a command to

share and

lay down our

lives for

the sake of

God and for

those around

us.

And yet

we have seen

that this is

an impossibility

okay?

It's like

we see

the prize,

but we can

never touch

it.

We can see

the finish

line,

we can

never get

there.

But what

if the law,

by revealing,

provoking,

and condemning

sin,

was also a

guide pointing

us to the

one who

has kept

the law

and fulfilled

the law

and all its

requirements,

the one who

lived without

vice,

the one who

lived perfectly

virtuously,

and who

didn't just

expose and

provoke and

condemn sin,

but actually

defeated sin

once and

for all?

And what if

that one offers

to pay our

just penalty

for the sins

we have

committed,

for the

bitterness that

we hold,

for the envy,

for the anger,

for the angst,

and not just

pay our penalty,

but give us a

new heart,

and give us

his Holy Spirit

so that we can

begin,

by his help,

walking in

this virtuous

life,

the life that

promises,

okay,

promises joy

and satisfaction,

but will deliver

it as well.

This is the

gospel.

This is the

gospel of

Christ.

This is the

good news

that the law,

although it

condemns us,

it points us

to the one

who fulfilled

the law,

the one that

gave us grace

because of

love.

So Christianity

ultimately is not

primarily a

faith of

ethics,

so that the

more we do,

the higher we

achieve,

the greater

place in

heaven we

will enjoy

in the

afterlife.

No,

it's rather

a faith

that knows

how dark

our souls

truly are

and doesn't

ultimately leave

us without

hope,

but rather

offers us

the only

way,

in fact,

the only

one that

can free

us from

our sinful

selves and

free us

for deep

loving

satisfaction,

knowing God's

love for

eternity.

In the

same

confession,

St.

Augustine

opens with

this,

you have

made us

for yourself,

O Lord,

and our

hearts are

restless until

they find

their rest

in you.

sin.

So,

the question

that the

apostle asks

in verse

7,

what then

shall we

say?

That the

law is

sin?

Well,

he answers

the question

by the time

we get to

verse 12,

and this is

what he

says.

So,

the law

is holy,

the commandment

is holy and

righteous and

good.

Why?

Because it

leads us to

the one that

gives us rest

for our

souls.

So,

friends,

let us find

our rest in

Christ,

not in the

things that

sin promises,

but in the

one who

conquered sin

itself.