The Deadly Team of Sin and Law

Resource by John Piper
Scripture: Romans 7:7–13

Topic: The Power & Effects of Sin


What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET." 8 But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; 11 for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. 13 Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

Some They Will Kill, and Some They Will Persecute

It is a sobering thing that the bearers of good news can be treated with contempt and rejection. For example, Jesus said, "I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute" (Luke 11:49). And in another place he said, "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name" (Matthew 24:9). And maybe most shocking of all: "An hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God" (John 16:2).

"Gospel" means good news. It means "good news" in Old English, "god spel," and it means "good news" in Greek, "euanggelion." The Christian gospel is good news. And the sad fact is that you can bring good news – the best news in the world, the best news that ever was, the best news that ever will be – and cause people to rage and swear and seethe with anger and scoff at you and even kill you.

But our greatest danger in this situation of misunderstanding or distortion or rejection or persecution is that we ourselves would stop believing that our message is good news, and start treating it as a provocation or a disputation or a legal summons to appear in court. Oh, how easy it is to lose the sense of wonder at the preciousness of the gospel – the good news of Romans 1-5 – that God justifies the ungodly by grace alone, through faith alone, apart from works, on the basis of Christ's work alone, not ours, for the glory of God alone – that "while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly" – that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

These truths are not mainly for provocation or disputation or a legal summons to appear in court. They are mainly for proclamation and celebration and liberation and jubilation. And so it should jar us – even though Jesus said it would happen – it should jar us when the best news in all the world is scorned and ridiculed and distorted and perverted and rejected.

The reason I start this way is because in Romans 6 and 7 I don't want us to lose sight of what it is really all about. It's about the gospel of justification of the ungodly [!] by grace alone, through faith alone, on the basis of Christ's work alone, for the glory of God alone. It's all about the good news that sinners can have hope that God will save us from his own wrath on the basis of what Christ did for us, not on the basis of what we do for him.

Distortion of the Good News
And yet when Paul announces and unfolds this glorious good news in Romans 1-5, he has to deal immediately with distortion and rejection of the message. When Paul says in Romans 3:28, "We maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law," and when he says, in Romans 5:20-21, "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord," there were people who said, "Paul you are making grace into license and you are making Law into sin."

And so Paul writes Romans 6 to defend grace. And he writes Romans 7 to defend Law. That is where we are now. Romans 7:7: "Is the Law sin?" he asks. Answer: "May it never be!" But the objector goes on: "Paul, look what you say in verses 9 and 10. You say, 'I was once alive apart from the Law [that is, he once had little or no consciousness of sin or condemnation or slavery; he just did what he felt like doing; it seemed like freedom and felt like being alive]; but when the commandment came [perhaps as a child or an adolescent waking up from the obliviousness and freedom of self-centeredness; or perhaps at his conversion seeing for the first time the true nature of his spiritual deadness], sin became alive [that is, he experienced sin as sin and the rebellion it really was] and I died [he experienced subjectively the objective reality of his true hopeless condition of slavery to sin, spiritual death]; and this commandment, which was to result in life [the commandments pointed to life, offered life, and couldn't give life – too weak and too powerless], proved to result in death for me.'

"There, you see, Paul, you said it again. You said that God's commandment killed you. You make a murderer out of the Law. You make the Law sin." So Paul continues to explain his meaning in verse 11. "No," he says in essence, "what I mean is this. When I say that the commandment became death for me, I mean, 'Sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.' Sin killed me. Sin brought about my deadly condemnation. Sin brought about my experience of spiritual doom. Sin used the commandment of God as the weapon, but sin is the killer." So he concludes in verse 12: "So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good."

And in verse 13 he repeats in the strongest language possible that sin, not the commandment, killed him. "Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful." This is verse 11 all over again: "Sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me."

That's not What the Law Is for
Picture the Law as a surgeon's scalpel. It is meant for life and healing. And here comes sin and takes the scalpel of God's commandments and slashes people's throats with it. It reminds me of the line in one of Michael Card's songs – the words to Judas: "That's not what a kiss is for." The commandment – holy, just, good – was to be life to me, and it became death for me, because sin took the scalpel out of the surgeon's hand and with it slashed my throat and killed me (verse 10). That is not what a scalpel is for.

Why would God allow this? Paul answers at the end of verse 13: "so that through the commandment sin would become utterly [=exceedingly, immeasurably] sinful." It is sinful to murder; it is doubly sinful to force innocent people to help you murder. It is sinful to poison a child; it is doubly sinful to trick a mother into giving the poison to her own child. You don't boil a baby goat in its mother's milk. That is not what a mother's milk is for. It is for life, not death. It is sinful to break God's Law; it is doubly sinful to use God's Law to break God's Law.

So the bottom line so far in Romans 7 is that the reason we need to die to the Law is not because the Law is sin, but because the Law is weak and vulnerable, and we are utterly sinful. Therefore, the Law cannot be the first and decisive means of our justification or our sanctification, because "when the commandment comes" our sin rises up, comes alive, and uses the commandment to kill us, not save us.

Sin Lies
How does sin do that? Verse 11 gives the key word to explain how sin does this killing work through the commandments. "Sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me." Sin uses the commandments to deceive us. Sin is fundamentally a liar. Sin kills by deceit and superficial logic. It says things like: "You're tired. You need a good night's rest. But you are tense and can't sleep. A sleeping pill might help. The instructions hold out hope for pretty good rest if you take a pill. Wouldn't you really like one really wonderful night's sleep, a hundred times better than average? Yes? Well then, take a hundred pills." Sin is a murderer, and it murders by making promises it cannot keep.

If you are perishing under the guilt and power of sin, it is because you are being deceived. Sin is lying to you, and you are believing it. Sin is making promises to you that it cannot keep and you are trusting in these promises.

But, you say, how does sin do that with the Law? What deception does sin use when the commandment comes? Verse 11 says, "Sin, taking opportunity through the commandment deceived me." What lie – what tricky half-truth – does sin speak, when it meets the commandment of God? I think the deception of sin when it meets God's commandments can be boiled down into two basic lies. They sound almost like opposites; but they are, at the root, the same.

On the one hand, sin might say when it meets the commandments of God: "You can't keep these commandments, and you wouldn't want to if you could. And so there is no hope for you if there is a holy God, and you may as well put all that out of your head and get as much pleasure in this life as you can."

Or, on the other hand, sin might say when it meets the commandments: "You can keep these. So muster all your willpower and show yourself as good as the next guy to get ready for the judgment."

In other words, sin takes the Law in hand and kills us with one of two kinds of deception about our future. It either offers hopelessness relieved by self-indulgence, or it offers hopefulness supported by self-righteousness. One by telling you that you can't keep the commandments and so you should be hopeless. The other by telling you that you can and so you should be hopeful. They are both lies. And to believe either of them is suicide.

What Is the Remedy?
What is the remedy? Die to the Law and live to God through the crucified and risen Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the remedy. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). It is the only message in the world that gives hope to both the ungodly self-indulgent and the ungodly self-righteous.

It says to the hopeless self-indulgent, there is hope for you, because, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, because God will forgive you for Christ's sake, if you will receive him as a treasured gift and trust him.

And the gospel says to the hopeful self-righteous, there is true hope for you, because, though your righteousness be as filthy rags, the perfect obedience of Jesus will be credited to your account, if you will receive him as a treasured gift and trust him.

So I bring you good news today, whether you are hopeless and self-indulgent or you are hopeful and self-righteous. Jesus lived and died for both kinds of sinners. Believe in him today. Trust him as God's provision for your salvation. Receive him as the treasure of your life.

Well english language class again. You realise there is a baseball team called Newyork yankee?


Dude, get some life

So english language class is still in session

Let me ask you then, did mose and joshua qualify for heaven? If qualify then why you think they pratice the law perfectly?

So you said law is hard to keep? Which is which?

So. That means mose and joshua is justified by law? And according to your above opinion, king david isnt qualified to enter heaven? So, you actually mean there are people who can be justified by law and enter heaven.

Genesis 5:24 tells us, "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Second Kings 2:11 tells us, "Suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind." Enoch is described as a man who "walked with God for 300 years" (Genesis 5:23). Elijah was perhaps the most powerful of God’s prophets in the Old Testament. There are also prophecies of Elijah’s return (Malachi 4:5-6).

So Enoch and Elijah both justified by law?


Let me tell you this, no human can be justified by law

Explain below scripture then

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy— wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Hebrews 11:32‭-‬40 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.11.32-40.ESV


The truth since genesis till now remain the same, god never changed, for without faith it is impossible to please Him.

This post has been edited by desmond2020: May 1 2020, 09:00 AM

Yoi just need to continue to next chapter and you will get the answer

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

And also

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7)


So, you havent answer any of the question of previous post.

Are they justified by law?

I asked a very simple question

Are mose, Joshua, david and elijah justified by law?

Which is a straight forward question can be answer by yes or no.

About thw sacrifice, can you explain the below verse?

The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord ; he turns it wherever he will. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
Proverbs 21:1‭-‬3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.21.1-3.ESV

“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
Habakkuk 2:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/hab.2.4.ESV

This post has been edited by desmond2020: May 1 2020, 11:32 AM

The question is, are they justified by law?

Answer the question and dont beat around the bush,

Are they justified by law?

In Romans chapter four the apostle Paul gives two examples of how God saved people before the coming of Jesus Christ to die on the cross.

Genesis 15:6 tells us Abraham “believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” This reckoning by faith Paul tells us was fourteen years before God commanded Abraham to be circumcised and over four hundred years before God gave the law to Moses. Therefore, he was not justified by works or Law keeping.

“Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). The word “reckoned” is an accounting term. God credits in the ledger of life what is actually true of the individual. God removed the list of Abraham’s sins and transgressions from the ledger book of his life because He first transferred it to the ledger book of Jesus Christ. Jesus took those transgressions on Himself and in time when He became incarnate paid the full price by dying for them on the cross (2 Cor.5:21; Rom. 6:11). “The wages of sin is death.” All of Abraham’s sins were not reckoned or charged against him because they were reckoned to Jesus Christ instead. Abraham believed “in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness” (Rom. 4:5).

Abraham did know Christ and looked forward to His coming. “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; and he saw it, and was glad,” Jesus said in John 8:56-58. By faith Abraham saw that day of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Galatians 3:16 tells us the promises spoken to Abraham refer to one person, Christ. One person, Jesus Christ, would achieve the blessing. Abraham looked forward to His coming and believed what God had revealed concerning Christ and the righteousness of Christ was credited to Abraham as if it were his own.

Moreover, in Romans 4:6-8, Paul gives King David as an illustration using the same accounting term. “David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD will not take into account.’” Paul is quoting David in Psalm 32:1-2 after David’s great sins of adultery and murder.

Paul uses the same accounting principle in David’s life saying, “Blessed is the man whose sins the LORD will not count [reckon, credit] against him.”

David looked forward to the day when the death of Jesus Christ would cover all his sins by His blood (Rom. 4:7). God placed all his sins on Jesus Christ and punished Him (Heb. 9:26-28; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Jn. 1:6-9; Zech. 3:8-9; Isa. 38:17; Jer. 31:34; Ps. 103:12). This is also the way God forgives us.

Not only does God remove all the sins from the ledger of Abraham and David, but He also reckoned the righteousness of Jesus Christ to them. God took the pure, perfect, true righteousness of Jesus Christ and wrote it in the ledger of all who believe. The righteousness of Jesus Christ was credited to Abraham, David and all who believed in His coming in the Old Testament.

That is exactly what He does for you and me. The only way anyone can be saved, both in the Old and New Testaments is by the imputation of the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ to our account.

Abraham had the promise of Christ’s coming, but we have the Good News of His arrival. Abraham looked forward to what God said He would do, and we look back on what He has already done in the completed work of salvation.

Abraham believed “in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” The God whom Christians believe in is the same the God Abraham believed in. Old Testament saints looked forward to the coming of the Savior. We look upon the same Savior and are saved by faith in His finished work of atonement. They were saved by believing on Christ, and we are too.

The only way for anyone to be saved, both before and after Jesus Christ died on the cross, is by faith in God’s work of atonement on the cross. Robert Haldane correctly said, “The apostle shows the way of justification was the same from the beginning, both under the old and the new dispensations.”

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). From the moment I believed on Christ I was clothed with God’s gift of righteousness of Jesus Christ. God provides His perfect righteousness for us because our self-righteousness is as filthy rags.

The prophet Isaiah saw this same truth when he wrote: "I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels" (61:10).

Since salvation is by the gift of God, apart from human effort, we can be saved right now. Salvation is based on what God has already done for us. The only ground of our being declared right with God is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. God saves everyone the same way—by grace through faith in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are saved by the gift of God’s righteousness and we receive it by faith or trusting in Christ.

Paul stresses two important applications in Romans chapter four. Because God has forgiven us of all our sins through the atonement of Christ, He will never, ever bring it up again in this life or in eternity. God does not remember any more because of the atonement of Christ. And when God looks at us He sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to us.

Genesis 15:6 tells us Abraham “believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” This reckoning by faith Paul tells us was fourteen years before God commanded Abraham to be circumcised and over four hundred years before God gave the law to Moses. Therefore, he was not justified by works or Law keeping.

“Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). The word “reckoned” is an accounting term. God credits in the ledger of life what is actually true of the individual. God removed the list of Abraham’s sins and transgressions from the ledger book of his life because He first transferred it to the ledger book of Jesus Christ. Jesus took those transgressions on Himself and in time when He became incarnate paid the full price by dying for them on the cross (2 Cor.5:21; Rom. 6:11). “The wages of sin is death.” All of Abraham’s sins were not reckoned or charged against him because they were reckoned to Jesus Christ instead. Abraham believed “in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness” (Rom. 4:5).

Abraham did know Christ and looked forward to His coming. “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; and he saw it, and was glad,” Jesus said in John 8:56-58. By faith Abraham saw that day of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Galatians 3:16 tells us the promises spoken to Abraham refer to one person, Christ. One person, Jesus Christ, would achieve the blessing. Abraham looked forward to His coming and believed what God had revealed concerning Christ and the righteousness of Christ was credited to Abraham as if it were his own.

If course they are under the law, the question is are they justified by law?

Oh well,

Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”
Genesis 26:1‭-‬5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.26.1-5.ESV

Have to underline it to make sure you see it

In Romans chapter four the apostle Paul gives two examples of how God saved people before the coming of Jesus Christ to die on the cross.

Genesis 15:6 tells us Abraham “believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” This reckoning by faith Paul tells us was fourteen years before God commanded Abraham to be circumcised and over four hundred years before God gave the law to Moses. Therefore, he was not justified by works or Law keeping.

“Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). The word “reckoned” is an accounting term. God credits in the ledger of life what is actually true of the individual. God removed the list of Abraham’s sins and transgressions from the ledger book of his life because He first transferred it to the ledger book of Jesus Christ. Jesus took those transgressions on Himself and in time when He became incarnate paid the full price by dying for them on the cross (2 Cor.5:21; Rom. 6:11). “The wages of sin is death.” All of Abraham’s sins were not reckoned or charged against him because they were reckoned to Jesus Christ instead. Abraham believed “in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness” (Rom. 4:5).

Abraham did know Christ and looked forward to His coming. “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; and he saw it, and was glad,” Jesus said in John 8:56-58. By faith Abraham saw that day of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Galatians 3:16 tells us the promises spoken to Abraham refer to one person, Christ. One person, Jesus Christ, would achieve the blessing. Abraham looked forward to His coming and believed what God had revealed concerning Christ and the righteousness of Christ was credited to Abraham as if it were his own.

Moreover, in Romans 4:6-8, Paul gives King David as an illustration using the same accounting term. “David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD will not take into account.’” Paul is quoting David in Psalm 32:1-2 after David’s great sins of adultery and murder.

Paul uses the same accounting principle in David’s life saying, “Blessed is the man whose sins the LORD will not count [reckon, credit] against him.”

David looked forward to the day when the death of Jesus Christ would cover all his sins by His blood (Rom. 4:7). God placed all his sins on Jesus Christ and punished Him (Heb. 9:26-28; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Jn. 1:6-9; Zech. 3:8-9; Isa. 38:17; Jer. 31:34; Ps. 103:12). This is also the way God forgives us.

Not only does God remove all the sins from the ledger of Abraham and David, but He also reckoned the righteousness of Jesus Christ to them. God took the pure, perfect, true righteousness of Jesus Christ and wrote it in the ledger of all who believe. The righteousness of Jesus Christ was credited to Abraham, David and all who believed in His coming in the Old Testament.

That is exactly what He does for you and me. The only way anyone can be saved, both in the Old and New Testaments is by the imputation of the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ to our account.

Abraham had the promise of Christ’s coming, but we have the Good News of His arrival. Abraham looked forward to what God said He would do, and we look back on what He has already done in the completed work of salvation.

Abraham believed “in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” The God whom Christians believe in is the same the God Abraham believed in. Old Testament saints looked forward to the coming of the Savior. We look upon the same Savior and are saved by faith in His finished work of atonement. They were saved by believing on Christ, and we are too.

The only way for anyone to be saved, both before and after Jesus Christ died on the cross, is by faith in God’s work of atonement on the cross. Robert Haldane correctly said, “The apostle shows the way of justification was the same from the beginning, both under the old and the new dispensations.”

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). From the moment I believed on Christ I was clothed with God’s gift of righteousness of Jesus Christ. God provides His perfect righteousness for us because our self-righteousness is as filthy rags.

The prophet Isaiah saw this same truth when he wrote: "I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels" (61:10).

Since salvation is by the gift of God, apart from human effort, we can be saved right now. Salvation is based on what God has already done for us. The only ground of our being declared right with God is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. God saves everyone the same way—by grace through faith in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are saved by the gift of God’s righteousness and we receive it by faith or trusting in Christ.

Paul stresses two important applications in Romans chapter four. Because God has forgiven us of all our sins through the atonement of Christ, He will never, ever bring it up again in this life or in eternity. God does not remember any more because of the atonement of Christ. And when God looks at us He sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to us.

Isiah is an old testament prophet mind you

You are implying the Law, which is God's holiness standard, change with time?

They were promised a messiah

It is that simple

Oh well, it is bible that say they are justified by faith in book of hebrew, not my word. If you cant take that then.........

This post has been edited by desmond2020: May 1 2020, 12:55 PM