Proved to be Death

“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. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” -Romans 7:10–12

It is a most unfortunate surprise to those who desire righteousness as it pertains to obeying the Law. God, through the commandment, shows us the way of life at it reveals the pure righteousness of God. Further, it was given to Israel to this end: that they would see the righteousness of God in the Law and in keeping it they would keep covenant with God and obtain eternal life. 

However, our own corruption stands in the way and betrays us to the Lord. Paul explains that sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceives us and by doing so kills us. To be clear, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. But we are not and sin (our fallen sin nature) leverages that which is holy and righteous and good and not only reveals in us that which is not holy and righteous and good, but also provokes us to rebellion and disobedience.

This is Paul’s point. The law is good but our sin nature is not and therefore the law cannot save us. Not because the law is faulty that it cannot save us but that we are faulty. We need a new disposition, one that is capable of keeping the law,  one that is capable of loving God and hating sin—not the other way around like the sin that lives in us.