The Excellence of the Law
J. Lyth, D. D. Romans 7:7-13 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust… I. IT EXPOSES SIN. 1. Its nature. 2. Its existence in the heart. 3. Its activity (vers. 7, 8). II. IT CONDEMNS THE SINNER. 1. Destroys his self-complacency. 2. Awakens conscience. 3. Pronounces sentence of death (vers. 9, 10). III. DEMONSTRATES ITS OWN PERFECTION. 1. By the display of its own nature, holy, just, good. 2. By exhibiting the exceeding sinfulness of sin. (J. Lyth, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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, Thou shalt not covet. WEB: What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn't have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn't have known coveting, unless the law had said, "You shall not covet."