I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.
Video Notes:
Is this all about Adam?
Alive before the Law – Living apart from the heightened awareness of the nature of sin and its consequences. Sin was there and active, but not in the fullness of its rebellion against the Law.
Sin rose up, seizing on the opportunity of the Law (vs 8). Now working in its full rebellion.
I died – Rather, this is dying in the sense that the person now realizes both consequence of their sin and the utter futility of finding life through the Law. He thought he was living, and living a pretty good life, and that has been shattered.
The Law kills us in that sense, though ultimately it’s actually sin which leads to death, the Law is just revealing it, but none-the-less, there we are dead, without the Law to help. Leaving on the Gospel to raise us up again to new life. That’s why our salvation is had to be a gift. It had to come from God and only received passively by us. Thank the Lord He did just that. He gave us the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
