For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Sin takes occasion by the commandment to deceive the heart and slay the sinner, bringing condemnation and death. The commandment itself is not sin or the cause of death, but is holy, just, good and spiritual and was ordained to life, so that obedience would give life while disobedience finds it unto death. By the law is the knowledge of sin as transgression, exposing sin in its hateful character as exceeding sinful and working all manner of evil desire, and when the commandment such as that against coveting comes home to the conscience sin revives and the sinner dies under its sentence. The law is broad, reaching even to the thoughts, feelings, desires and designs of the soul, and by its light the sinner stands convicted and guilty before God, yet it cannot remove guilt, pardon, or save from sin's consequences. It serves as a schoolmaster to point the convicted, repentant, confessing sinner to Christ as the only remedy, so that through faith in Him and moral power from His imputed righteousness the commandment that worked death to the carnal mind is found unto life.
Sin Uses the Commandment
Sin seizes upon the commandment as its opening to deceive the heart and to slay the sinner, bringing condemnation and death upon the transgressor. The commandment itself is not sin, nor evil, nor the cause of death and sin, but is holy and just and good and spiritual. It was ordained unto life, so that obedience would give life, yet when disobeyed it is found to be unto death. Sin is the transgression of the law, and by the law is the knowledge of sin. The commandment exposes sin as sin, and by using what is good reveals sin in its hateful and hideous character as exceeding sinful, working in the sinner all manner of evil desire, reviving, and killing.
When a person supposes himself righteous while without the law, and then the commandment comes home to the conscience, sin revives and the sinner dies under its sentence. This is seen especially when the command not to covet fastens upon the conscience, so that the commandment which was ordained to life is found to be unto death. It is I that died, not the law that died. The law is broad in its requirements, reaching not to external conduct only but to the thoughts and feelings and desires and designs of the soul. Every principle of it lays men under obligation, requiring that the soul itself be pure and the mind holy, with all thoughts and feelings in accordance with love and righteousness. By its light men see themselves guilty before God, and it produces conviction of sin in everyone sensible of having transgressed it, including guilt over wrong thoughts.
Paul thought he was zealously keeping God's law while persecuting the saints, but when his spiritual vision was opened the light of the law showed him that he had transgressed that very law and was a sinner. The law slew him, and he died to sin. The law is the instrument that slew Paul, not something to be abolished. Those who resist the law instead strive to live while calling for the law's death, leaving sin alive and their spiritual powers benumbed so that they cannot discern eternal things.
From Conviction to Life
The law makes sin known as transgression and convicts the sinner as a transgressor condemned by the law, condemning sin itself while having no power to remove guilt, pardon the transgressor, or save from sin's consequences even when sin is confessed. It is not sin and is not the cause of death, but is the detector of sin in its true bearing, holy and just and good and spiritual, ordained to life; sin takes occasion by it to work all manner of evil desire, to revive, to deceive, and to kill, so that what was ordained to life is found unto death and sin by that which is good appears sin and becomes exceeding sinful in all its hideous deformity. It serves as a schoolmaster, and its light exposes sin and calls the convicted, repentant, confessing sinner to Christ as the only remedy and Healer of sin repented of and confessed, for pardon and cleansing and salvation through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul's experience is the experience of every repentant sinner. When the commandment exposes sin in its full, hateful character, knowledge of God's law brings deep conviction of sin, recognition of guilt and of the need for conversion, and the sight that the sinful life must die, bringing the repentant, believing soul to Christ. To the carnal mind sold under sin the commandment works death, but all who keep it through moral power obtained from the imputed righteousness of Christ find it unto life. Deliverance comes only through faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ, who bore the penalty of transgression so that the fallen race might repent, return to loyalty, and keep the commandments by faith and live.
True conversion is the death of the sinful nature by the law. The light of the commandment shows the person sinful, exposes the deception of sin, and puts the sinful nature to death. When a person, like the rich young ruler, recognizes sin through the commandment and honors God by obeying the commandments in spirit and in truth, the sinful nature is slain and he lays hold of eternal life, unlike self-confidence that refuses to see sinfulness by the commandment.
Sin takes occasion by the commandment to deceive the heart and slay the sinner, bringing condemnation and death. The commandment itself is not sin or the cause of death, but is holy, just, good and spiritual and was ordained to life, so that obedience would give life while disobedience finds it unto death. By the law is the knowledge of sin as transgression, exposing sin in its hateful character as exceeding sinful and working all manner of evil desire, and when the commandment such as that against coveting comes home to the conscience sin revives and the sinner dies under its sentence. The law is broad, reaching even to the thoughts, feelings, desires and designs of the soul, and by its light the sinner stands convicted and guilty before God, yet it cannot remove guilt, pardon, or save from sin's consequences. It serves as a schoolmaster to point the convicted, repentant, confessing sinner to Christ as the only remedy, so that through faith in Him and moral power from His imputed righteousness the commandment that worked death to the carnal mind is found unto life.
Sin Uses the Commandment
Sin seizes upon the commandment as its opening to deceive the heart and to slay the sinner, bringing condemnation and death upon the transgressor. The commandment itself is not sin, nor evil, nor the cause of death and sin, but is holy and just and good and spiritual. It was ordained unto life, so that obedience would give life, yet when disobeyed it is found to be unto death. Sin is the transgression of the law, and by the law is the knowledge of sin. The commandment exposes sin as sin, and by using what is good reveals sin in its hateful and hideous character as exceeding sinful, working in the sinner all manner of evil desire, reviving, and killing.
When a person supposes himself righteous while without the law, and then the commandment comes home to the conscience, sin revives and the sinner dies under its sentence. This is seen especially when the command not to covet fastens upon the conscience, so that the commandment which was ordained to life is found to be unto death. It is I that died, not the law that died. The law is broad in its requirements, reaching not to external conduct only but to the thoughts and feelings and desires and designs of the soul. Every principle of it lays men under obligation, requiring that the soul itself be pure and the mind holy, with all thoughts and feelings in accordance with love and righteousness. By its light men see themselves guilty before God, and it produces conviction of sin in everyone sensible of having transgressed it, including guilt over wrong thoughts.
Paul thought he was zealously keeping God's law while persecuting the saints, but when his spiritual vision was opened the light of the law showed him that he had transgressed that very law and was a sinner. The law slew him, and he died to sin. The law is the instrument that slew Paul, not something to be abolished. Those who resist the law instead strive to live while calling for the law's death, leaving sin alive and their spiritual powers benumbed so that they cannot discern eternal things.
From Conviction to Life
The law makes sin known as transgression and convicts the sinner as a transgressor condemned by the law, condemning sin itself while having no power to remove guilt, pardon the transgressor, or save from sin's consequences even when sin is confessed. It is not sin and is not the cause of death, but is the detector of sin in its true bearing, holy and just and good and spiritual, ordained to life; sin takes occasion by it to work all manner of evil desire, to revive, to deceive, and to kill, so that what was ordained to life is found unto death and sin by that which is good appears sin and becomes exceeding sinful in all its hideous deformity. It serves as a schoolmaster, and its light exposes sin and calls the convicted, repentant, confessing sinner to Christ as the only remedy and Healer of sin repented of and confessed, for pardon and cleansing and salvation through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul's experience is the experience of every repentant sinner. When the commandment exposes sin in its full, hateful character, knowledge of God's law brings deep conviction of sin, recognition of guilt and of the need for conversion, and the sight that the sinful life must die, bringing the repentant, believing soul to Christ. To the carnal mind sold under sin the commandment works death, but all who keep it through moral power obtained from the imputed righteousness of Christ find it unto life. Deliverance comes only through faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ, who bore the penalty of transgression so that the fallen race might repent, return to loyalty, and keep the commandments by faith and live.
True conversion is the death of the sinful nature by the law. The light of the commandment shows the person sinful, exposes the deception of sin, and puts the sinful nature to death. When a person, like the rich young ruler, recognizes sin through the commandment and honors God by obeying the commandments in spirit and in truth, the sinful nature is slain and he lays hold of eternal life, unlike self-confidence that refuses to see sinfulness by the commandment.