Romans 7:5-8 "The Law Causes Sin?"

For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! 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.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.

Video Notes:

This question is asked because some of the things said about the Law previously in Romans could cause someone to ask the question (7:5, 3:19-20, 5:20, etc.)
The Law is not sin or sinful, but there is a connection between the Law and sin.
I did not know sin except by the Law denotes both an knowledge of and an experience (to “know” a thing) of that sin.
This use of the Law is command, not the Torah.
The passage uses the last command of the Pentateuch (10 Commandments), the command against sinful desire. This command is directly related to the First Commandment to have no other Gods. It’s the idea that when we desire things outside of what God allows or what God has given, this is sin. This use of the last commandment is a representative of all God’s commands.
The Law causes or is used by the sinful nature to cause a few things related to sin, but God is careful to keep the Law and sin separate.
- The sinful nature is enflamed by the Law to do what is contrary to the Law (desire and experience)
- The Law reveals to the person both their sinful inclination and their sinful actions.
The Law doesn’t cause the sin per se, but the sinful nature uses the Law to cause sin.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 7:5-8 "The Law Causes Sin?"

Video Notes:

Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL serving Lutz, Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes, and New Tampa, FL