Romans 7:7-12 – Sin is the Problem!

Bethel Baptist Church – David Rising

Romans 7:7-12; November 1, 2026 – Sunday AM

Sin is the Problem!

“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (3:28). “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law” (3:31). “For the promise that he (Abraham) would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression” (4:13-15). “for until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed where there is no law” (5:13). “…the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (5:20-21). “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey its lusts” (6:12). And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (6:12-14). “…shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” (6:15). “Or do you not know, brethren…that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?” (7:1). “…you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. for when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit (i.e. under grace) and not in the oldness of the letter (i.e., under law)” (7:4-6).

One could logically conclude after tracing the argument Paul has been presenting that the obstacle we face is the law. “The law is the problem.”

Ironically, this is the conclusion that so many people in our day embrace when they think of civil life and how to manage it. The law and its so-called unfair application causes all our problems, they say, and so we need to remove that law.

As we deal with sin in our lives, is the law the problem? Is that the conclusion we should draw from Paul’s argument so far?

In our study today we will begin with a verse that raises and answers the question. Pray.

Notice verse 7 where Paul raises the question:

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin?

1. The Law Is Not Sin (7:7a)

If we went back to verse 5, and some of the other verses also, we could conclude that the problem all along is this pesky law, the Mosaic law, that has caused all the problem.

Verse 5 says the law stirred up the desires of the flesh which bore fruit unto death. The law put us on the road to death.

Elsewhere, we see that the law ultimately condemns us. It issues forth our death sentence. It is devastating.

Law certainly sounds like the villain here.

And so Paul raises this question. Is the law sin?

Paul answers:

Certainly not!

God forbid! By no means! Absolutely not! This is the same strong “no” response that we saw to the questions of 6:1 and 6:15.

No, the law is not sin.

Why does Paul answer this way? Notice:

On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law.

2. The Law Identifies Sin (7:7b)

The law brings a consciousness of sin into our lives. The law tells us that we have done something wrong.

Now this does not take away the frustration of being labeled a sinner, but Paul says here the obvious about the function of law. The law tells us what is sin.

What would life be like if there were no laws? Would people self-govern themselves?

Based on my biblical theology of humanity, I say no. The majority of people would simply do whatever they want to do.

We live on the poor end of busy Riverside Drive in Johnson City. People come flying off the traffic circle and head east past our house. Some drive faster than others. If there was no speed limit, I know people would reach 60-70 miles an hour heading past our house. Some already do.

At some point in the past, the governing body that oversees that road determined that 35 miles an hour would be good, or whatever it is.

If I exceed the limit and drive 45 miles an hour on our road and yet do not cause any accident nor hit anyone, nor get pulled over, am I a law-breaker?

When we see speed limit signs and meditate upon them based on our behavior, what do we conclude?

That’s an example from our life. Notice Paul draws from life under the Mosaic Law:

For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”

Paul’s example here helps me understand what I think Paul has been meaning by references to “law” or “the law.” Paul is citing one of the ten commandments here.

In the Mosaic Law we have the ten commandments. Paul cites #10 as noted in Exodus 20:17:

You shall not cover your neighbor’s house…wife…male servant…female servant…ox…donkey…nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

To covet is to desire very strongly something we don’t have and wish we had. That desire can lead to a mindset and that pursues those things that are not ours. It is a desire that leads to no good if we entertain that desire.

The law told Israel not to covet. It tells us the same. If we covet, what is the result? We disobey God and are guilty of sin.

Paul is defending the law because it reveals God’s will. This is a good thing.

Lawmakers in our world at all levels pass laws meant to curb disaster, slow down evil, and incentivize good behavior, and quite often this does happen. Safety laws, building codes, all kinds of laws, do help prevent many disasters and help society live in some sense of order.

People in society who are sensitive to right and wrong and want to be good citizens usually follow the laws and that helps order society. That’s a good thing.

But of course, these laws hardly redeem a wicked culture.

Now if the law could also stop us from coveting in the first place, then it would be a wonderful thing – a complete package.

But the law does not stop us from coveting. Why we as believers in Jesus obey the laws, that motivation comes first from our relationship to God. We want to honor and obey our Lord, and so we obey the laws … even if we don’t like them.

The law does not give us the power to obey. That is the issue. The law threatens us with punishment, and we want to avoid that.

The next few verses help us understand why the problem is not the law itself:

8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead.

3. Sin Is the Problem (7:8-11)

Notice the subject has shifted here. The subject is not law. Now it is sin.

Sin took advantage of the command – the command not to covet, for instance – and it wrought in me all manner of concupiscence (KJV), it produced in me all manner of evil desire (NKJV), it produced in me coveting of every kind (NASB).

No, the law is not sin. Sin itself is the problem.

This verse shows us the snake-like characteristics of sin. Sin takes advantage of a situation. God said in His Word that coveting was wrong, but sin saw this as an opportunity to stir up evil desires in our heart to break that law, to spit in God’s face as it were, to flex our independent muscles.

We see this in our culture when lawmakers miss the deeper truth.

For example: do weapons kill people? I say that’s the wrong question. Do people use weapons to kill people? Yes. What’s the problem? It is the people.

What is the knee-jerk response when tragedy strikes? Pass another law banning weapons. Will that new law stop the people from committing crimes? Of course not. It just makes it a little harder, I suppose, but it never stops the problem.

I’m not soapboxing about weapons, but it is a lively example that we have all heard frequently when issues arise.

As Christians, we must have deeper thinking.

Sin tells us:

“Hey, is God going to stop you from doing something you want to do? Go ahead and do it. Why should coveting be wrong? After all, don’t the brash and bold and highly energetic people of this life get places with strong initiatives, taking risks? Who says you have to live with little and not have the best that others have? Why would that be wrong? How is coveting a bad thing? You are worth it!”

And on and on. This is how sin works. It is sinister. It whispers in our ears. It promises paradise but delivers hell.

The LORD told Cain in Genesis 4:7 (NASB) that sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you…. Sin lurks around the corner waiting to grab hold of us and toss us to the ground.

Sin is a cruel master.

Sin is and has always been the problem, which is why this book of Romans is so crucial. Paul’s letter to the Romans gives us the answer we need to deal properly with sin in our lives.

When the law says “do not do this” our sinful self immediately has to decide: do I obey or do I disobey?

Schreiner notes:

“Forbidden fruits are often the sweetest (cf. Prov. 9:17). The perverse pleasure to carry out what is forbidden is part and parcel of rebellion. One may experience the intense pleasure of doing what is forbidden, thereby manifesting one’s independence and right to direct one’s life. We see once again, therefore, that the root of sin is idolatry and self-worship (Rom. 1:18–25). Commandments from the law alone cannot stem the desire to worship self above every other god.” [1]

[1] Schreiner, T. R. (1998). Vol. 6: Romans. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (367). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

We sometimes joke about using reverse psychology to get people to do what they should do. It may work once or twice, but these are just tricks and bypass the real issue which is our sinful self.

Notice the next phrase in verse 8:

For apart from the law sin was dead.

I think Paul is speaking in a very practical manner. Sin, in a sense, does not seem to exist apart from law. The law points out the fact that there is sin. Before God’s law confronted our actions, we did not see sin; it seemed to be dead.

It’s like when we break a law in ignorance. When someone points out the law, now things change.

Look at verse 9 where he continues his point:

9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.

This is saying what he said before: when the law entered my life, it ruined my life. I am now not free to do as I please.

Here’s a law that will make some of you feel guilty: did you know that in NY there is a law about finding money? According to personal property law #252, if you find lost money or property worth $20 or more and fail to return it or turn it over to a police station within 10 days, you could be liable for up to a year in prison or a $1,000 fine (https://gothamist.com/news/how-many-of-these-strange-obscure-nyc-laws-have-you-broken).

Ignorance was bliss, right?

Before the commandment came, we were alive – and free to keep that $40 you found in the parking lot!

But when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. No way I am turning over that money. Result: guilty.

Verse 9 is a sad verse as Paul puts it into the first person. He details how his perspective changed.

At one point, he thought he was alive, apart from God’s righteousness, but when the law came it revealed to him what he could not keep and sin reared its ugly head and the result was ultimately death. Sin revived and I died.

And so, Paul is explaining the result of law in his life and the revival of sin that brought about his spiritual death. Notice verses 10-11 which take us a step further in the discussion:

10 And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.

Yes, God’s law told Israel of the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. There was a blessing for keeping God’s law, but the fact is inescapable: they didn’t do it.

The law does not give us the power to overcome sin. Listen to one comment (again Schreiner) about this as it would have been understood by Jewish readers in particular:

Paul turns the tables on Jewish opponents here (and in Rom. 7:14–25) by arguing that the law itself contains no power to overcome sin (contra 2 Bar. 85.3–4). Precisely the opposite! The law actually becomes an abettor to sin, and sin as an alien power employs the law to accomplish its own ends. Those who believe that the answer to human evil is to teach the Torah are deeply mistaken, according to Paul. Sin subverts the Torah to advance its purposes and actually stimulates and provokes the desire to sin through the Torah! This is not to deny that the law promises life to those who keep it (cf. Lev. 18:5), nor does it lead to the conclusion that the law is evil. The law and the commandments are good and a revelation of God’s will. But Paul’s point flies in the face of the defender of the Torah who teaches that the law is the antidote to human evil. The law itself does not supply any power to human beings; those who have the law but lack the Spirit cannot keep it and are destined for death.[2]

[1] Schreiner, T. R. (1998). Vol. 6: Romans. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (367). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Sin is kindled in the face of the law, especially for the unbeliever.

The answer for your unsaved friends is not to preach to them the law as the answer. Yes, we argue for the right views on moral issues, yes, we give answers to questions that we might be asked and we speak truthfully.

But we also must recognize that what is lacking in their broken lives is not the law but God’s grace.

Only God’s Spirit can enable an unregenerate heart to turn from sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

And only God the Spirit can produce in believers the power to obey God’s commands and produce the fruit of the Spirit.

This is why we see back in Jeremiah the promise of a new covenant. This discussion in some ways is not the discovery of the NT apostles.

Listen to

Jeremiah 31:31–34 (NKJV) 31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Our Reformed friends apply this fully to the church as the fulfillment. We apply it somewhat to the church and await the full application for Israel.

It certainly has some application to the church because Jesus did tell us in

Luke 22:20 (NKJV) 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

We still expect a Jewish fulfillment of that promise in the day to come.

Either way, the answer is Jesus, His blood and righteousness.

Here in Romans 7:11 we see sin as a deceiver and a killer. Sin takes the occasion of God’s law to stir up in us all kinds of evil desires.

Sin is perfectly depicted by the serpent in the garden who went after God’s law and trashed it, drawing Adam and Eve into the Fall which has affected everyone of us.

Paul concludes in verse 12 his thought from verse 7:

12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

4. God’s Law is holy, just, and good (7:12)

God’s law, the Mosaic law, and illustrated by God’s law in general, is holy. The law reflects God’s perfect character.

One of the refrains we see over and over in Leviticus is ‘I am the LORD’ or ‘I am the LORD your God.’ God would issue an ordinance, a command, a ritual, and it would end with one of these phrases.

I think it was repeated to remind Israel constantly that each command, each statute, was based in the character of the LORD.

The Law reflects the perfect and holy character of God.

Romans 3:21 states: “But now the righteousness of God apart from the Law is revealed” and that is a reference to the results of God through justification by faith alone. But notice the next phrase: “being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets” and this underscores the fact that though the Law does not save, it does reveal God’s righteousness.

God’s law is holy, and the commandment – each imperative – is also holy, just (right), and good. Paul is answering those who might charge Paul with having a very negative view of God’s law. Even some in our time, as we emphasize this period of the church, can at times sound as though we are anti-law.

We are not anti-law. We are trying to understand and express best Romans 6:15 – “you are not under law but under grace.”

Thus, Romans 7:7-23 tell us that the law is not the problem. The problem is sin. And that sin is still attached to me.

This leads us to the next section that we’ll cover next time.

Application

1. Remember the purpose and limits of the law. The purpose of the law is to identify sin. The purpose of the law is to curb evil (1 Timothy 1:8-10). From the time of Adam to the time of Moses, humanity sinned but it was not imputed as such. And yet they sinned. Think of the flood. God judged humanity because of the wickedness of man was great. When the law arrived, it now had a name and it brought a curse. The law is limited in that way. It does not rescue. It does not redeem. It does not forgive. It instructs and the end result because of our sin is condemnation and death.

2. Look to Jesus. This will be our main point when we come to verse 25, but I wanted to repeat it here again. The only solution for our sin and the curse is the One who took on flesh, became sin for us, suffered and died in our place, and was raised again. Jesus endured the curse for us:

Galatians 3:13 (NKJV) 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),

Why did Jesus do this for us?

Galatians 3:14 (NKJV) 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Next week we’ll work through the struggle session that we see in verses 13-25.