Romans 7:9
Verse
Context
God’s Law Is Holy
8But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the law, sin is dead.9Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.10So I discovered that the very commandment that was meant to bring life actually brought death.
Sermons
Zac Poonen
Roy Hession
William MacDonald
Norman Grubb
Gary Wilkerson
J.C. PhilpotSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
I was alive without the law once - Dr. Whitby paraphrases the verse thus: - "For the seed of Abraham was alive without the law once, before the law was given, I being not obnoxious to death for that to which the law had not threatened death; but when the commandment came, forbidding it under that penalty, sin revived, and I died; i.e. it got strength to draw me to sin, and to condemn me to death. Sin is, in Scripture, represented as an enemy that seeks our ruin and destruction; and takes all occasions to effect it. It is here said to war against the mind, Rom 7:23; elsewhere, to war against the soul, Pe1 2:11; to surround and beset us, Heb 12:1; to bring us into bondage and subjection, and get the dominion over us, Rom 6:12; to entice us, and so to work our death, Jam 1:14-16; and to do all that Satan, the grand enemy of mankind, doth, by tempting us to the commission of it. Whence Chrysostom, upon those words, Heb 12:4 : Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, προς την ἁμαρτιαν ανταγωνιζομενοι, striving against sin; represents sin as an armed and flagrant adversary. When, therefore, it finds a law which threatens death to the violator of it, it takes occasion thence more earnestly to tempt and allure to the violation of it, that so it may more effectually subject us to death and condemnation on that account; for the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law, condemning us to death for transgressing it. Thus, when God had forbidden, on pain of death, the eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge, Satan thence took occasion to tempt our first parents to transgress, and so slew them, or made them subject to death; εξηπατησε, he deceived them, Gen 3:13; Ti1 2:14; which is the word used Rom 7:11. The phrase, without the law, sin was dead, means, that sin was then (before the law was given) comparatively dead, as to its power of condemning to death; and this sense the antithesis requires; without the law, ἁμαρτια νεκρα, εγω δε εζων, sin was dead, but I was living; but when the commandment came, (i.e. the law), sin revived, and I died. How were men living before the law, but because then no law condemned them? Sin, therefore, must be then dead, as to its condemning power. How did they die when the law came but by the law condemning them to death? Sin therefore revived, then, as to its power of condemning, which it received first from the sin of Adam, which brought death into the world; and next, from the law of Moses, which entered that the offense might abound, and reign more unto death, Rom 5:20, Rom 5:21. For though sin was in the world from Adam to Moses, or until the law was given, yet it was not imputed unto death, when there was no law that did threaten death; so that death reigned from that interval by virtue of Adam's sin alone; even over them who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, i.e. against a positive law, forbidding it under the penalty of death; which law being delivered by Moses, sin revived; i.e. it had again its force to condemn men as before to death, by virtue of a law which threatened death. And in this sense the apostle seems to say, Gal 3:19, the law was added because of transgressions, to convince us of the wrath and punishment due to them; and that the law, therefore, worketh wrath, because where no law is there is no transgression, Rom 4:15, subjecting us to wrath; or no such sense of the Divine wrath as where a plain Divine law, threatening death and condemnation, is violated." See Whitby, in loco.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
For I was alive without the law once--"In the days of my ignorance, when, in this sense, a stranger to the law, I deemed myself a righteous man, and, as such, entitled to life at the hand of God." but when the commandment came--forbidding all irregular desire; for the apostle sees in this the spirit of the whole law. sin revived--"came to life"; in its malignity and strength it unexpectedly revealed itself, as if sprung from the dead. and I died--"saw myself, in the eye of a law never kept and not to be kept, a dead man."
John Gill Bible Commentary
For I was alive without the law once,.... The apostle says this, not in the person of Adam, as some have thought; who lived indeed, in a state of innocence, a perfectly holy and righteous life, but not without the law, which was the rule of his actions, and the measure of his obedience; he had the law of nature written upon his heart, and a positive law respecting the forbidden fruit given him, as a trial of his obedience; and though when he transgressed he became mortal, yet sin could not be said to revive in him, which never lived before; nor does the apostle speak in the person of a Jew, or the whole body of the people of Israel before the law was given on Mount Sinai; before that time the sons of Abraham did not live without a law; for besides the law of nature, which they had in common with others, they were acquainted with other laws of God, as the laws of circumcision, sacrifices, and the several duties of religion; see Gen 18:19; and when the law did come from Mount Sinai, it had not such effects upon them as are here expressed: but the apostle is speaking of himself, and that not as in his state of infancy before he could discern between good and evil, but when grown up, and whilst a Pharisee; who, though he was born under the law, was brought up and more perfectly instructed in it than the common people were, and was a strict observer of it, yet was without the knowledge of the spirituality of it; he, as the rest of the Pharisees, thought it only regarded the outward actions, and did not reach to the spirits or souls of men, the inward thoughts and affections of the mind; the law was as it were at a distance from him, it had not as yet entered into his heart and conscience; and whilst this was his case he was "alive", he did not know that he "was dead in trespasses and sins", Eph 2:1, a truth he afterwards was acquainted with; nor that he was so much as disordered by sin; he thought himself healthful, sound, and whole, when he was diseased and full of wounds, bruises, and sores, from head to foot; he lived in the utmost peace and tranquillity, without the least ruffle and uneasiness, free from any terror or despondency, and in perfect security, being in sure and certain hope of eternal life; and concluded if ever any man went to heaven he certainly should, since, as he imagined, he lived a holy and righteous life, free of all blame, and even to perfection; but when the commandment came; not to Adam in the garden of Eden; nor to the Israelites on Mount Sinai; but into the heart and conscience of the apostle, with power and light from above: sin revived; it lift up its monstrous head, and appeared in its ugly shape, exceeding sinful indeed; it grew strong and exerted itself; its strugglings and opposition, its rebellion and corruption were seen and felt, which show that it was not dead before, only seemed to be so; it was in being, and it lived and acted before as now; the difference was not in that, but in the apostle's sense and apprehension of it, who upon sight of it died away: and I died; he now saw himself a dead man, dead in sin, dead in law, under a sentence of death which he now had within himself; he saw he was deserving of eternal death, and all his hopes of eternal life by his obedience to the law of works died at once; he now experimentally learnt that doctrine he so much insisted afterwards in his ministry, and to the last maintained, that there can be no justification of a sinner by the deeds of the law, since by it is the knowledge of sin.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
7:9 At one time I lived without understanding the law: Paul might be referring to his early childhood, before he came to understand the full demands of the law. • But when I learned the command: Paul’s experience with the law as he grew to maturity exemplifies every person’s experience with it. With the law, we have greater accountability to God, which brings the power of sin to life, and the result is greater judgment (7:10; see 4:15; 5:14, 20).
Romans 7:9
God’s Law Is Holy
8But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the law, sin is dead.9Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.10So I discovered that the very commandment that was meant to bring life actually brought death.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
(Romans) Romans 7:1-25
By Zac Poonen2.2K47:56MAT 6:10ROM 6:22ROM 7:1ROM 7:6ROM 7:9ROM 7:14ROM 7:22In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the theme of freedom from a legalistic approach to serving God. He explains that even though believers may understand the truth of being crucified with Christ, they still struggle with how to serve God. The preacher emphasizes that serving God should be done out of love and willingly, not reluctantly or unhappily. He also highlights the importance of being released from the law and serving in the newness of the Spirit rather than in the oldness of the letter. The sermon concludes by discussing how the law, although good, cannot make a person spiritual or meet God's standards.
Freedom From Sin - Part 4
By Roy Hession1.4K47:17Freedom From SinROM 6:14ROM 7:9ROM 7:241CO 15:56In this sermon, the speaker discusses the struggle between a person's self-centered nature and their desire to follow spiritual laws. The speaker emphasizes the importance of good intentions but also highlights the need for action and obedience. They explain that attempting to be a Christian solely through obedience to commandments can actually bring out the worst in a person. The speaker references the apostle Paul and Jesus' death as a means to overcome this struggle and emphasizes the need for genuine repentance and walking with God.
The Command to Repent
By William MacDonald1.1K37:17RepentanceEXO 20:7EXO 20:17MAT 6:33ACT 17:30ROM 7:9In this sermon, the speaker shares a joyful incident that occurred in their assembly involving a marine from the Naval Air Station in Alameda. The marine had been attending the assembly with his believer wife and was becoming increasingly convicted of his sin. One night, he was invited to participate in the breaking of bread, where he witnessed the enactment of Calvary and was deeply moved. After the bread was passed, he stood up and expressed his gratitude for the prayers of the assembly and his wife, and he acknowledged God's mysterious ways. He then burst into tears and later shared his testimony after being saved. The speaker emphasizes the power of prayer and the work of God in bringing people to repentance and salvation.
Npg Radio 1980 #3 - Radio Interview
By Norman Grubb1.0K1:06:09Radio InterviewMAT 6:33JHN 5:30ROM 7:7ROM 7:9GAL 2:202PE 1:41JN 4:8In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding that as Christians, we are not meant to live the Christian life on our own. Instead, we are containers for Christ to live through us. Many Christians struggle and feel defeated because they try to live the Christian life in their own strength. The speaker encourages listeners to recognize that it is Christ who must live the Christian life in and through us. This is achieved through a union with Christ, allowing His nature to be expressed in and through us.
Glory Only in the Cross
By Gary Wilkerson12442:19Theology of the CrossCross of ChristRighteousness through FaithISA 53:5JHN 3:16ROM 5:20ROM 7:91CO 1:182CO 5:21GAL 6:14EPH 2:8PHP 3:31PE 2:24Gary Wilkerson emphasizes the necessity of understanding the significance of the cross in the Christian faith, arguing that true glory comes only from the cross of Jesus Christ. He contrasts the theology of glory, which relies on self-righteousness and human effort, with the theology of the cross, which recognizes our complete dependence on Christ's sacrifice for righteousness. Wilkerson highlights that many people, even in the church, are seeking fulfillment through self-improvement rather than embracing the transformative power of the cross. He calls for a shift from self-reliance to a reliance on Christ's work, urging believers to acknowledge their need for grace and the righteousness that comes through faith alone. Ultimately, he invites the congregation to embrace the cross as the source of true freedom and identity in Christ.
Spiritual Convictions & Heavenly Affections
By J.C. Philpot0LAM 1:12LUK 24:26JHN 10:10JHN 11:25ACT 2:24ROM 7:9ROM 8:292CO 3:18GAL 6:14EPH 2:8EPH 5:30COL 3:1COL 3:42TI 1:9HEB 6:20JAS 1:27J.C. Philpot preaches about the vital importance of experiencing death to self, resurrection in Christ, ascension to heavenly affections, and setting our hearts on things above. He emphasizes that true religion is not about external rituals or earthly pursuits, but about a spiritual union with Christ in His death, resurrection, and ascension. Philpot urges believers to seek a hidden life with Christ in God, to be weaned from earthly idols, and to set their affections on heavenly realities, drawing strength and grace from the risen Savior at the right hand of God.
The Heir of Heaven Walking in Darkness, and the Heir of Hell Walking in Light
By J.C. Philpot0DEU 32:34PRO 30:12ISA 50:10JER 15:19MAT 7:13ROM 7:92PE 1:19REV 21:8J.C. Philpot preaches about the contrast between the heir of heaven who fears the Lord, obeys His voice, and walks in darkness, and the heirs of hell who kindle a false fire, surround themselves with sparks, and will lie down in sorrow. He emphasizes the importance of true faith and trust in God's mercy, highlighting the dangers of false religion and self-righteousness. Philpot warns against the deceitful workings of the heart and the delusions of the devil, urging listeners to seek genuine repentance, humility, and a deep relationship with God.
Alive Without the Law, Slain Thereby
By Charles Finney0GraceSpiritual AwakeningROM 7:9GAL 2:20EPH 2:8Charles Finney explores the profound transformation of Paul, who initially believed he was alive without the law, only to realize that the commandment revealed his true sinful nature, leading to despair and a sense of death. Finney emphasizes that Paul's ignorance of the law's spiritual meaning resulted in a false sense of righteousness and self-deception, which was shattered when the commandment came, awakening his moral and spiritual consciousness. This awakening compelled Paul to confront his selfishness and ultimately led to his conversion, illustrating the necessity of recognizing one's true state before God to embrace the grace of Christ. The sermon serves as a call for believers to examine their hearts and understand that true obedience stems from a heart transformed by God's grace, rather than mere external compliance with the law.
Living by Faith
By Zac Poonen0Holy SpiritFaithJHN 6:28ROM 7:9ROM 8:22CO 3:6Zac Poonen emphasizes the significance of living by faith under the new covenant, contrasting it with the old covenant's reliance on the law. He explains that many Christians struggle with holiness because they attempt to achieve it through self-effort rather than through faith in the Holy Spirit. Poonen highlights that true holiness is a gift from God, received by faith, and that believers must depend on the Holy Spirit to experience the life of Christ. He warns against the dangers of pride and self-reliance, urging Christians to recognize their need for God and to embrace the transformative power of faith. Ultimately, he encourages believers to seek a deep, personal relationship with God, which leads to genuine holiness and freedom from sin.
Marks of a Saving Change
By William Guthrie0PRO 1:24MAT 20:16LUK 19:3LUK 23:39JHN 16:8ACT 16:14ROM 3:15ROM 6:14ROM 7:92CO 5:14William Guthrie preaches about the marks by which a person may know if they are in covenant with God and have a special interest in Christ. He discusses the preparatory work of the law, emphasizing its role in leading souls to the 'Spirit of adoption.' Guthrie highlights three main ways in which individuals are called to Christ: some from the womb, some in a sovereign gospel-way, and some graciously at the hour of death. He also delves into God's more ordinary way of calling sinners through a discernible work of the law and humiliation, leading to a gracious work of God's Spirit.
The Loss of All Things for Christ's Sake
By J.C. Philpot0MAL 3:17MAT 27:44LUK 14:26JHN 14:1JHN 17:21ACT 9:6ROM 7:92CO 4:6PHP 3:81PE 1:18J.C. Philpot preaches about the miraculous grace of God in saving sinners, emphasizing the deep conviction of sin and the need for sovereign grace to rescue souls from destruction. He highlights two contrasting yet equally miraculous instances of God's grace in the thief on the cross and Saul of Tarsus, showcasing the power of God to transform the most hardened hearts. Philpot delves into the Apostle Paul's profound experience of counting all things as loss compared to the excellency of knowing Christ, urging believers to surrender all to win Christ and be found in Him, clothed in the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
I was alive without the law once - Dr. Whitby paraphrases the verse thus: - "For the seed of Abraham was alive without the law once, before the law was given, I being not obnoxious to death for that to which the law had not threatened death; but when the commandment came, forbidding it under that penalty, sin revived, and I died; i.e. it got strength to draw me to sin, and to condemn me to death. Sin is, in Scripture, represented as an enemy that seeks our ruin and destruction; and takes all occasions to effect it. It is here said to war against the mind, Rom 7:23; elsewhere, to war against the soul, Pe1 2:11; to surround and beset us, Heb 12:1; to bring us into bondage and subjection, and get the dominion over us, Rom 6:12; to entice us, and so to work our death, Jam 1:14-16; and to do all that Satan, the grand enemy of mankind, doth, by tempting us to the commission of it. Whence Chrysostom, upon those words, Heb 12:4 : Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, προς την ἁμαρτιαν ανταγωνιζομενοι, striving against sin; represents sin as an armed and flagrant adversary. When, therefore, it finds a law which threatens death to the violator of it, it takes occasion thence more earnestly to tempt and allure to the violation of it, that so it may more effectually subject us to death and condemnation on that account; for the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law, condemning us to death for transgressing it. Thus, when God had forbidden, on pain of death, the eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge, Satan thence took occasion to tempt our first parents to transgress, and so slew them, or made them subject to death; εξηπατησε, he deceived them, Gen 3:13; Ti1 2:14; which is the word used Rom 7:11. The phrase, without the law, sin was dead, means, that sin was then (before the law was given) comparatively dead, as to its power of condemning to death; and this sense the antithesis requires; without the law, ἁμαρτια νεκρα, εγω δε εζων, sin was dead, but I was living; but when the commandment came, (i.e. the law), sin revived, and I died. How were men living before the law, but because then no law condemned them? Sin, therefore, must be then dead, as to its condemning power. How did they die when the law came but by the law condemning them to death? Sin therefore revived, then, as to its power of condemning, which it received first from the sin of Adam, which brought death into the world; and next, from the law of Moses, which entered that the offense might abound, and reign more unto death, Rom 5:20, Rom 5:21. For though sin was in the world from Adam to Moses, or until the law was given, yet it was not imputed unto death, when there was no law that did threaten death; so that death reigned from that interval by virtue of Adam's sin alone; even over them who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, i.e. against a positive law, forbidding it under the penalty of death; which law being delivered by Moses, sin revived; i.e. it had again its force to condemn men as before to death, by virtue of a law which threatened death. And in this sense the apostle seems to say, Gal 3:19, the law was added because of transgressions, to convince us of the wrath and punishment due to them; and that the law, therefore, worketh wrath, because where no law is there is no transgression, Rom 4:15, subjecting us to wrath; or no such sense of the Divine wrath as where a plain Divine law, threatening death and condemnation, is violated." See Whitby, in loco.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
For I was alive without the law once--"In the days of my ignorance, when, in this sense, a stranger to the law, I deemed myself a righteous man, and, as such, entitled to life at the hand of God." but when the commandment came--forbidding all irregular desire; for the apostle sees in this the spirit of the whole law. sin revived--"came to life"; in its malignity and strength it unexpectedly revealed itself, as if sprung from the dead. and I died--"saw myself, in the eye of a law never kept and not to be kept, a dead man."
John Gill Bible Commentary
For I was alive without the law once,.... The apostle says this, not in the person of Adam, as some have thought; who lived indeed, in a state of innocence, a perfectly holy and righteous life, but not without the law, which was the rule of his actions, and the measure of his obedience; he had the law of nature written upon his heart, and a positive law respecting the forbidden fruit given him, as a trial of his obedience; and though when he transgressed he became mortal, yet sin could not be said to revive in him, which never lived before; nor does the apostle speak in the person of a Jew, or the whole body of the people of Israel before the law was given on Mount Sinai; before that time the sons of Abraham did not live without a law; for besides the law of nature, which they had in common with others, they were acquainted with other laws of God, as the laws of circumcision, sacrifices, and the several duties of religion; see Gen 18:19; and when the law did come from Mount Sinai, it had not such effects upon them as are here expressed: but the apostle is speaking of himself, and that not as in his state of infancy before he could discern between good and evil, but when grown up, and whilst a Pharisee; who, though he was born under the law, was brought up and more perfectly instructed in it than the common people were, and was a strict observer of it, yet was without the knowledge of the spirituality of it; he, as the rest of the Pharisees, thought it only regarded the outward actions, and did not reach to the spirits or souls of men, the inward thoughts and affections of the mind; the law was as it were at a distance from him, it had not as yet entered into his heart and conscience; and whilst this was his case he was "alive", he did not know that he "was dead in trespasses and sins", Eph 2:1, a truth he afterwards was acquainted with; nor that he was so much as disordered by sin; he thought himself healthful, sound, and whole, when he was diseased and full of wounds, bruises, and sores, from head to foot; he lived in the utmost peace and tranquillity, without the least ruffle and uneasiness, free from any terror or despondency, and in perfect security, being in sure and certain hope of eternal life; and concluded if ever any man went to heaven he certainly should, since, as he imagined, he lived a holy and righteous life, free of all blame, and even to perfection; but when the commandment came; not to Adam in the garden of Eden; nor to the Israelites on Mount Sinai; but into the heart and conscience of the apostle, with power and light from above: sin revived; it lift up its monstrous head, and appeared in its ugly shape, exceeding sinful indeed; it grew strong and exerted itself; its strugglings and opposition, its rebellion and corruption were seen and felt, which show that it was not dead before, only seemed to be so; it was in being, and it lived and acted before as now; the difference was not in that, but in the apostle's sense and apprehension of it, who upon sight of it died away: and I died; he now saw himself a dead man, dead in sin, dead in law, under a sentence of death which he now had within himself; he saw he was deserving of eternal death, and all his hopes of eternal life by his obedience to the law of works died at once; he now experimentally learnt that doctrine he so much insisted afterwards in his ministry, and to the last maintained, that there can be no justification of a sinner by the deeds of the law, since by it is the knowledge of sin.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
7:9 At one time I lived without understanding the law: Paul might be referring to his early childhood, before he came to understand the full demands of the law. • But when I learned the command: Paul’s experience with the law as he grew to maturity exemplifies every person’s experience with it. With the law, we have greater accountability to God, which brings the power of sin to life, and the result is greater judgment (7:10; see 4:15; 5:14, 20).