All right, watch this very carefully. We'll have to later identify
the context and the flow of thought. Paul says, Know ye not, brethren,
for I speak to them that know the law, how that the law hath
dominion over a man as long as he lives. For the woman, here's
an illustration, for the woman which hath an husband is bound
by the law to her husband so long as he liveth. But if the husband be dead, she
is loosed from the law of her husband, so that if, while her
husband liveth, she be married to another, she shall be called
an adulteress. But if her husband be dead, she
is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though
she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, here's
the application, ye also are become dead to the law by the
body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to
him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit
unto God. For when we were in the flesh,
the motions of sin, which were by the law, did work in our members
to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from
the law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should
serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the
law sin? God forbid! Nay, I had not known
sin, but by the law. For I had not known lust, except
the law had said, shalt not covet. Now look back at verse 5. There's
a statement in here that I want us to notice and begin with. For when we were in the flesh,
now watch this, the motions, we might say passions of sin,
the motions of sin, and watch this, which were by the law. did work in our members to bring
forth fruit unto death. Now, I'm speaking on a very important
subject today. Before we begin, I'd like to
add some other texts of scripture that we might look at during
the course of our way. I won't turn there, simply quote
them or read them. 1 Corinthians 15, And 56, it
said, the strength of sin is the law. Had you thought about
that? Had you read that? The strength
of sin is the law. And then there's Roman chapter
3 and verse 20. By the law is the knowledge of
what? By the law is the knowledge of
sin. 1 John chapter 3 and verse 4,
Whoso commits sin transgresses also the law, for sin is the
transgression of the law. John 8 and verse 34, Verily,
verily, that is, truly, truly, I say unto you, whosoever commits
sin is the servant of sin. The word servant there in the
King James is the word doulos, literally a slave, one that is
in bondage, one that is under subjection. And one more, Romans
chapter 5, verse 20 and 21. After Paul had discussed the
sin of Adam, he says, moreover, the law entered that the offense
might abound. But where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound. Now, eventually, we will come
later to study that text in Romans chapter 7, and those words that
we noticed are emphasized in verse 5, the motions of sin,
which were by the law and did work in our members to bring
forth fruit unto death. first a little bit about the
contextual relation of these words of Paul to the larger context
or the flow of thought from chapter six and verse one. He speaks often of the law in
Romans and also in the book of Galatians. He says in those places
that none can be saved by the deeds or by the works of the
law, none. Absolutely none can be saved
by works of law. He illustrates in chapter 4 that
Abraham was saved by faith before the law was ever given. In chapter 5, that Adam's sin
consisted in his transgressing the law that God had imposed
upon him in the garden of Eden. He had already said, chapter
3 and verse 20, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh
be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of
sin. Now, deeds is the word that means
to work or to toil or to make an effort or to perform some
kind of an act. And it does not refer to the
law itself doing something, deeds of law, but a person doing or
attempting to do things contained in the law as a way of winning
the favor of God and being justified before God. Now, the law cannot
justify, for by it is the knowledge of sin. Now, we notice that there
is no article before either the word works or the word law. It is not in the Greek the works
or the law, it is simply by law, by works of law. So it is a broad
statement. Not by any works of law is there
justification, for by the law is precept and is exercised that
there comes the knowledge of sin, and this knowledge is not
merely intellectual. It is not that we know it to
be an intellectual fact, but it expresses and means a full
and complete knowledge. what sin is and what sin does,
and so accomplishes what Paul stated in Romans chapter 3 and
verse 19. And that is that what the law
says, it says to them that are under law or in law, that every
mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before
God. Now, you may notice in the margin
of the King James that it is this, subject to the judgment
of God, that by and before God and by the law, every mouth may
be stopped, and all the world become subject to the judgment
of God. This knowledge of sin is not
a temporary conviction that goes away, that might pass like a
bout of indigestion or something else temporary, or with little
religiosity, or it might produce trip or two to church and then
it might fade away. So let's study a word which is
the word guilty in Romans 3 and verse 19. In Romans 3 19 King
James and I read, rather, in a footnote
of a commentator that this is the only time that this word
is used in the New Testament translated like that. And it
is made up, we find, of two words put together. It is the word
meaning beneath, or below, or under. And it is then the word
dike, justice, judgment, or vengeance. Thus, to be under sinning, to
be condemned, to be guilty, subject to punishment. And this is where
the law puts all that are subject unto it. To shut or to stop,
to close, every single mouth that they have no answer of justification,
and to convince them of sin, and to take away all expectation
of any justification at the hands of the law, and in the process,
that they may have nothing to answer against the Senate. So
that it leaves them without a defense. It leaves them defenseless. It
leaves them without an excuse for their behavior. Now, the
effect of the law is not to justify, but it is to find sin. It is
to condemn, since all are sinners, and therefore to convince and
to convict in preparation for the grace of God in and through
Christ, where sin abounded. Grace did much more abound the
Apostle has written. John Murray has a very good commentary
on the book of Romans, and he wrote these words and I took
them down. The law does perform this necessary
and contributory service in connection with justification, unquote. That is, it pronounces all guilty
it convinces them of guilty and that they are hopelessly standing
before the law. Now, on Romans 3 and verse 20,
that is, it reveals sin even in the most moral and upright
person that you could find, even in the person that you thought
is the most decent, upright, and honest in the world. Now,
remember Romans chapter 5 and verse 20. After all that discussion
about Adam's transgression, Paul writes this. more over the law
entered that the offense might abound." Now look at the words,
offense. It is a reference to that first
sin of Adam. It is mentioned in Romans 5. In verse 15, it is mentioned
twice. in verse 17, verse 18, and verse
20. And it is in the singular in
each one of those cases. Furthermore, it is called a transgression
in verse 14, and I'm talking about Romans chapter 5. It's
called disobedience in verse 19. By the disobedience of one
shall many be made sinner. Now from that one transgression
came a reign of sin and death. And as Paul notes, even in that
period between Adam and Moses, which reign of death could not
be from the transgression of either the moral or the ceremonial
laws which had not yet been given at that time. And so the time
of Moses, when these laws were given and entered in. But here, if you might, verse
13 of Romans chapter 5, and two indisputable facts. Number one, sin was in the world
before or up until the time of the laws. and that sin was in
the world is confirmed by the reign of death, for only sin
brings death, and death is the direct result of sin. And the second one might cause
us to shake our head and rub our chin. Sin is not imputed
where there is no law. Or, as in Roman 415 again, where
no law, no transgression. Where there's no law, there's
no transgression. Now there had been no sin in
Adam eating of that tree, except God had given a law forbidding
that Adam and his wife eat of that tree. And it is that law,
thou shalt not eat, it is that law that made it a sin for Adam
and his wife to eat of that tree. Now Paul calls it offense disobedience,
transgression, all along in Romans chapter 5. But also in Romans
4 15, the law works wrath. This is why it cannot justify. It works its wrath against sin. It cannot deny its sin or violate
its nature. it therefore sends forth its
wrath and its curse upon all sin. Now, here's another thought
on Romans 5 and verse 20, where it says, and the law in her,
or moreover, because the law entered that the offense might
abound. Now, the law, what is Paul saying
here? Number one, that the purpose
of the law entering was to make sin abound. Is that what he's
saying? That this is the cause, the reason,
the purpose of the law coming. Or secondly, is he saying that
this is the result of the law coming, that when it came, it
caused more and more sin to be discovered. So does the apostle
speak here of the design or of the effect of the law in entering
in? With verse 20 in our mind, the
law entered that the offense abounded, it increased, It was
more and of a greater quality. It became plentiful, the sin
of mankind. It caused it to superabound,
as he writes here. So let's drop back to verse 15
and 16 of Romans chapter 5. And I'd like to read them for
our hearing, in our hearing. Romans 5 and verse 15 and verse
16 if you're there. Watch it very carefully as I
read. He's making a contrast. but not
as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the
offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God and
the gift by grace, which is by one man Jesus Christ, hath abounded
unto many, and not as it was by one that sinned, so is the
gift. For the judgment was by one to
condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. Now both 15 and 16 contrast the
effect of Adam and Christ on the human family. That what the
one sin of Adam brought condemnation. The free gift through Jesus Christ
abounded to the justification of many people and many transgressions
as well. Now, the last point of verse
16 is to the point that the judgment was from one sin under condemnation,
while the free gift is of many offenses under justification
or eternal life. Now, look at verse 18 and 19
of Romans 5. Here is kind of a summation of
what he is teaching us. Therefore, as by the offense
of one, one man, one sin, came upon all men to condemnation,
even so, by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon
all men unto justification of life. For by one man's disobedience
many were made constituted sinners, so by the obedience of one shall
many be made righteous. Then even after the law came,
in alongside of the sin and transgression of Adam, and increased sin, it
caused it to abound and made a reign of death. Grace did, however, out-abound
sin and reign through the righteousness of one, Jesus Christ, and that
unto eternal life. And by the way, the words there,
the law entered that the offense might abound, consider a part
of Paul's letter to the Galatian church now, and the question
in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 19. Wherefore then the law? What Paul had been writing caused
him to raise the question because he knew it would raise in the
Jewish mind. Wherefore then the law? Why for then the law? Why the law then? Why then was
it given? Now, first of all, why does Paul
raise that question? Well, he raises it to the Galatians
because of something that he had written and just said. He
had said that it cursed those that were under the works of
law in verse 10. They denied that it could justify,
in verse 11, that it was not of faith, the law is not, in
verse 12, that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law,
in verse 13, and that the promise made to Abraham was prior and
apart from the law. That in verse 14 through 18 of
Galatians chapter 3. Not able to give life in chapter
21 was the law. Thus, why then was it given? The Jews are going to say, well
then, why was it even given in the first place? Why was it given? Why was it necessary? What purpose
did it have? What end did it serve? And Paul's
answer in Galatians 3 in verse 19, it was added because of transgression. Now, not that the law creates
transgression, but that the law detects and identifies sin and
causing one to know their sin and to be convicted of them by
the law. As in Roman chapter 5, the one
sin of Adam brought forth a thousandfold as the law came to manifest it. When one thinks their sins and
their missteps are minor, most people do, even unchurched people
and non-Christian. They think that their sins are
minor, they're just little sins, they don't amount to much, can't
have much effect upon them. So they think that their missteps
are minor. But when the law comes in its
fullness and in its power and is applied to that, it makes
sin exceedingly sinful, as Paul said in Romans chapter 7. Now,
in the Galatian passage, Paul uses an allegory. He likened
the ceremonial law to a schoolmaster, that is, a stern, strict pedagogue
to train the Jews for their full adoption in Jesus Christ. That runs over into chapter 4
of Galatian. Now let's make the switch to
Romans chapter 7 and some things that Paul says about the law,
much of it about his own personal experience with the law, beginning
with his statement of how the law convicted him of being such
a sinner and a, quote, wretched man, unquote. In verse 7, look
what we read. I had not known sin, but by the
law. In verse 8, sin taking occasion
by the commandment. wrought in me all manner of concupiscence,
for without the law sin was dead." Verse 9, I was alive without
the law once. Watch this. But when the commandment
came, sin revived and I died. Now look at verse 10. And the
commandment, which was to life, I found to be unto death. Verse 11, for sin, taking occasion
by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Verse 13, that sin by the commandment
might become exceedingly sinful, and especially notice these words
in verse 13. A, but sin that it might appear
sin, and then B, working death in me by that which is good. That which worked death in him
was sin, and the way it did it was by the law. That which is
good, the law, used the law to bring Paul under an exceedingly
sinful condition. But at long last, let us take
up what Paul says in verse 5, of Romans chapter 7, that's where
our emphasis began, about the law and about sin, and then put
it into its context before we are able to move on along. He says, when we were in the
flesh. He said we were delivered from
the law by the death of Christ. But when we were in the flesh,
the motions of sin which were by the law did work in our members
to bring forth fruit unto death. Now, as to context, it is relative
to what is said way back in Romans 6-2 and 6-14. Dead to sin, you're
not under the law, but under grace. And in verse 1-4 of chapter
7, he illustrates by a married couple. and by the death of the
husband, which makes the wife free from that marriage and the
law of her husband, that she might go and marry another man
without anything being adulterous about it. And in verse 5, why
this is both a good and a necessary thing. Because when we were in
the flesh. In other words, it's good that
we have been made free from the law by the body of Christ. Because when we were in the flesh,
We were under the power of corruption. We had our way of life in the
lust of the flesh and the lust of the eye and the pride of life,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse
3. Now, flesh here signifying not the meat of our corporal
bodies, not that at all, but corrupt human nature. The flesh means corrupt human
nature. And so it did work in our members
to bring forth fruit unto death. But notice, if you would, the
explanatory words in that verse. which were by or through the
law. The motions of sin which were
by the law. Now, that perks up our ears when
we read that statement. It seems at variance with what
we think and we feel. For the word motions is some
nine times in Paul's epistles as he uses that word. But this
is the only time that the translators of King James translated it by
the word motions. Most of the other time, it is
translated sufferings, as in Romans 8, 18, 2 Corinthians 1,
5, 6, and 7, Philippians chapter 3, and verse 10, or it's translated
affection, and you'll find that in Galatians chapter 5 and verse
24. The affections, the affections
of the flesh. James Frazier wrote a great commentary
on these chapters and others too. For further word, the affection
or passions of sin. When we were in the flesh, than
the affection or passions of sin did work in us to bring forth
fruit unto death, but he inserts that which were by the law. All of these are naturally in
the children of Adam. And it is not that the law put
these passions in us, but being there already, they are put in
motion, they are excited, they are agitated, and they are stirred
up. In fact, verse 8, without the
law, sin was dead. Without law, the conscience gives
a false peace to that individual as if sin were asleep or like
it were dead. or it were not there. But when
the law comes in its spiritual sense, it revives sin. Like Samson, it jumps up and
flexes its muscles to overcome anything else. Now, this is the
danger of ignorance of the law of God, which in turn leads to
an ignorance of the true nature of sin. so that sin appears dead. As I said a while ago, little
trouble's the one. Or as Fraser wrote, sin was not
ruffled or disturbed when we were in the flesh and the law
had not come. But when it does come, the passions
and the emotions of sin are violently aroused. Paul anticipates what
some will say. And under them, he cuts them
off at the knee in verse seven. This does not mean that the law
is sin. From what had been said in verse
five and other places, it does not mean that the law is sin. It does not mean that the law
favor sin. It does not mean that the law
causes sin in an individual. Does the law put sin in us? Is the law the author of our
sin? Does it make us sinful? Then
is the question that one might ask. And Paul vehemently denies
that with his patented fashion, God forbid, may it never be,
perish the thought. Then Paul uses himself in Romans
7 to illustrate how by the law is the knowledge of sin, saying,
I think it's in verse 7, I had not known sin, but by the law. He had gone on in his parasitical
ignorance if the law had not come unto him in this fashion
and in this sin. The coming of the commandment
found stirred up aroused sin in him. Let me say it this way. The commandment coming found
sin in all our Saul that he had not been aware of before. What part of the law slew Paul? Not idolatry, not murder, not
adultery, and not thievery. What part of the law was it that
slew Paul? What does he mention in particular? I had not known sin but by the
law. For example, I had not known
lust or covetousness or desire except the law had said thou
shalt not covet. Exodus chapter 20 and verse 17. And that's the 10th, or what
we call the last commandment. Now to refresh our memory, here
is the 10th commandment. Quote, you shall not covet your
neighbor's house, nor your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor
his maid servant, or male servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, or
anything that is your neighbor's, unquote. That's the 10th commandment. Now Paul was no idolater, and
he was no blasphemer, he was no sabbat desecrator, no murderer,
no adulterer, or a thief, but he thought himself blameless
before the law of God. Philippians chapter 3 and verse
6. When he was a Pharisee, blameless,
he said, before the law. He thought himself and so did
others. But now Paul says that the commandment
came. And here we have a wonderful
testimony from the apostle. Let me illustrate. Many people,
the Jews particularly and included, Many people, and I want you to
hear this, there are many people, and I've heard it a lot, they
say thoughts are not sin. It is not a sin to think something. It is not a sin to be tempted
if you don't yield. to the temptation. You can't
help what you think. You can't help how you are tempted. And so they say thoughts, sinful
thoughts, that's not a sin. But be tempted is not a sin if
you are not yielding. Yet listen to what Solomon wrote
in Proverbs chapter 24 and verse 9. The thought of foolishness
is sin. Remember in Acts chapter 8 that
the thought of your heart may be forgiven you, yes thoughts
are sin. So there are those people who
think that these are not sin, but this 10th commandment forbids
not only the taking of the property of a neighbor, but it even forbids
the desiring after it." Don't desire it. Don't crave it. Don't lust after them. That's the commandment. Remember
James 1 and verse 15, lust when it conceives brings forth sin. Lust, when it has taken root
in the heart, brings forth sin. It bears, it gives birth unto
sin, which brings forth death. James 1 15. Now here are two
examples. when Ahab desired the vineyard
of Naboth, that you'll find in 1 Kings chapter 21. And David lusted after Bathsheba. You'll find that in 2 Samuel
chapter 11. Both of these desires led to
adultery, violence, and murder. The desire for Naboth to have,
or rather for Ahab to have that vineyard. And he had him killed
and took his vineyard. And David looked and lusted,
and it resulted in adultery. Now as Paul's experience. with
the law forbidding coveting. He said, I'd not known that except
the law had said. And the law forbidding covetedness
and sin wrought in him all manner of covetousness, all kind, all
manner. Every sort, every particular
sort of coveting was stirred up in him and this showed him
that the law was also spiritual and that he was carnal as he
says here in Romans chapter 7. Now consider this thought. I
got the idea, not of my own, but from Frasier's book on Romans
chapter 6, chapter 7, and chapter 8. That human nature being what
it is, in the carnal mind there is lusting against every commandment. Not just the 10th commandment,
but it is possible to lust against all of the commandments. Frasier
wrote this. Every commandment prohibits the
particular lusting that has the least tendency to the prohibited
act." Don't even be tempted. Don't even think about other
gods and idols, or to murder, or to steal, so that it has this
effect as well on all of the commandments. Consider the Lord's
application of the law in Matthew chapter 5 21 through 22 and 27
through 28 against the Pharisee who taught that only the act
Violated the law now the Jews the Pharisees many today say
it is only the actual act of that is a violation of the commandment. But listen, in verse 21 and 22,
thou shalt not kill. You've heard that said. The Lord
said, you've been taught that all of your life. But I say,
he that is angry at his brother without a cause is in danger
of the judgment. Have you read 1 John 3 and 15
this week? It shocked me again. Whosoever
hates his brother Is a murderer have you heard that and our Lord
said now you've heard don't kill the act But I tell you to hate
without a cause put you in the same category and then in verse
27 and 28 Adultery you have heard do not commit adultery That is
such is not a violation of the commandment if you don't perform
the actual act but I say whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after
her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart." Already
in his heart. Now here are two clear instances
where the word law is transgressed without the actual outward act. Where unjust anger and heart
lust are violations of that law that God has given. Now, I saved
a little time for that intriguing saying in 1 Corinthians chapter
15 and verse 16. This has intrigued me for years. I cannot get a handle on it and
I cannot find the commentator who has opened this up to my
satisfaction. Look at that statement. The strength
of sin, literally the word is power. The power of sin is the
law, and the sting of death is sin. In fact, Paul called the
law a ministration of death condemnation 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 verse
7 and verse 9 that the law he called administration of death
and of condemnation without the law no law no transgression sin
not imputed where there is no law Likewise, if there were no
sin, there would be no death. Death entered by sin, and sin
receives its power from the law. And this does not mean that the
law is sinful or that it favors sin, for it condemns it everywhere
that it finds it. Calvin wrote this, the law provides
the means by which the harm is done, in that it carries out
the judgment of God upon us." I think that explains it well.
The only remedy The only one is that Christ bore the curse
of the law, he fulfilled it, he gave it obedience, and then
he endured his curse and his judgment in our behalf. 2 Corinthians 5.21, being made
sin for us, bearing the curse of the law, Galatians 3.10-13,
therefore sin cannot lord it over us because
we are not under the law but under grace. Romans 6 and verse
14 chapter 3 verse 10 through 13 of Galatians. Now I close
with this. Do any want to be under the law? Do you desire this morning to
be under the law? As Paul asked the Galatians,
do you not hear the law? You that desire to be under it,
Galatians 3.21. There's no hope for any trusting
in the law for justification by and through the works of the
law. No hope at all, only guilt and
condemnation for those who stand under the law. Christ redeemed
us from the curse of the law. He gave it its full due in two
ways. Number one, he fully obeyed,
not one transgression, not even close. And number two, he endured
its penalty in our behalf, in our stead. So consider these
four things in closing. Number one. The law will not
condemn a holy creature. It will not condemn a holy and
an upright creature. It will not make them sinful,
and it did not and could not, our blessed Lord. Number two,
the law cannot make a bad person good. It can't. The law cannot
take a bad person and make them good, for it is their badness
that causes the law to send judgment upon them. Number three, the
law cannot put away sin. Beg it all day. Seek it all you
would. It cannot put away your sin and
it will ever find more and more and more. And number four, therefore
the law cannot justify a sinner. Go stand before Sinai if you
would. but it shall rain down judgment
and fire upon your head. Come to Christ. Christ fulfilled
the law. He kept it. We're dead to that
law as to it being able to condemn us because of what Christ did
in his great death upon the cross. So, it's a very important subject
in the Bible that we have considered this morning.