Romans 7:13

In Romans 7:13, the Apostle Paul continues his deep exploration of the relationship between God's holy law and humanity's sinful nature. He addresses a critical question: if the law brings awareness of sin, does that make the law itself the cause of death? Paul emphatically rejects this notion, declaring the law to be good, while highlighting sin's insidious nature.

Context

This verse serves as a direct response to a potential misunderstanding arising from Paul's previous statements in Romans 7:7-12. Paul had just explained how the commandment, "Thou shalt not covet," revealed his own sinfulness. The natural question that might arise is: "Is the law, then, the problem? Is it evil or deadly?" Paul's firm answer, "God forbid," clarifies that the law itself is holy, just, and good. The problem lies not with the law, but with indwelling sin, which uses the good law to expose its own destructive power.

Key Themes

• The Goodness of God's Law: Paul vehemently defends the divine origin and inherent goodness of the Law. It is not the Law that causes death, but sin operating through the Law. The Law merely exposes what is already present within the human heart.
• The Deceitfulness and Power of Sin: This verse powerfully reveals sin's true character. Sin uses something good (the Law) to achieve its destructive ends, demonstrating its utter depravity. It works death in us, not because the Law is bad, but because sin leverages the Law to highlight its own rebellion against God.
• The Law's Role in Revealing Sin: One primary purpose of the Law is to make sin "appear sin." Without the Law, sin might go unnoticed or seem less severe. The Law acts like a mirror, reflecting our imperfections and transgressions, making the true nature of sin undeniable.
• Sin's "Exceeding Sinfulness": The ultimate revelation is that sin, by means of the good commandment, becomes "exceeding sinful." This phrase emphasizes sin's extreme wickedness and its devastating consequences. The Law, in its goodness, serves to magnify sin's ugliness and its deadly power, confirming that "the wages of sin is death."

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "God forbid" is a strong translation of the Greek me genoito (μὴ γένοιτο), an emphatic negative exclamation used frequently by Paul. It conveys a sense of shock and absolute rejection of the idea just proposed. It means, "May it never be!" or "Absolutely not!"

The term "exceeding sinful" translates the Greek hyperbolen hamartolos (ὑπερβολὴν ἁμαρτωλός). Hyperbolen is where we get our word "hyperbole," meaning "beyond measure" or "in an extraordinary degree." Thus, sin is shown to be not just sinful, but sinful to an extreme, overwhelming degree when exposed by the holy standard of God's Law.

Practical Application

For believers today, Romans 7:13 offers crucial insights:

• Appreciate God's Law: Recognize that God's commandments are good and serve a divine purpose, even if they reveal our shortcomings. They define righteousness and expose unrighteousness.
• Understand Sin's Nature: This verse helps us see sin for what it truly is – a destructive, deceptive force that uses even good things to bring about death. It reinforces the need for deliverance from sin's power, which Paul later addresses in Romans 8:2, through Christ Jesus.
• Seek God's Grace: The Law reveals our desperate need for a Savior. It shows us that we cannot achieve righteousness through our own efforts or obedience to the Law, but must rely on God's grace and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.