“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” – Romans 7:7
If we are under grace in Christ, what purpose does the law serve? It cannot save us, and it cannot sanctify us. So is it useless—or worse, evil? Paul anticipates this question in Romans 7:7 and answers it with a resounding “Certainly not!” Instead of arguing with abstract theology, Paul shares his own testimony. He stops using “we” and begins using “I,” showing how the law ministered to him personally. “I would not have known sin except through the law,” he says, “for I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ‘You shall not covet’” (Romans 7:7). Paul chooses the tenth commandment intentionally—it’s the only one that deals with the inner man. Coveting isn’t about stealing or lying; it’s about desire. And that’s where the law pierced Paul’s heart. It turned him inside out and showed him the truth about himself.
We often think Paul’s conversion was sudden—one moment he was persecuting Christians, the next he was preaching Christ. But Paul tells us it wasn’t that simple. Before the Damascus road, something was already stirring inside him. The law was doing its work. Though outwardly blameless, inwardly he was convicted. Like the rich young ruler who claimed to have kept the law from his youth, Paul had been taught to focus on external obedience. But Jesus corrected that thinking: “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). The law doesn’t just expose actions—it exposes motives. And when Paul realized he couldn’t escape his inward sin, he knew he needed a Savior. That’s when Jesus showed up—not just on the road, but in Paul’s heart.
This is the ministry of the law: it prepares the heart for grace. It doesn’t save, but it shows us why we need saving. It doesn’t sanctify, but it reveals our need for the Spirit’s work. The law turns us inside out, exposing the garbage we hide behind like good manners and moral living. It brings conviction—not to crush us, but to lead us to Christ. We must not despise the law. Let it do its work. Let it reveal your need. Let it drive you to Jesus. And if you’re preaching or teaching God’s Word, preach it rightly. Preach it deeply. Because only when we see our inability to measure up will we truly understand the grace that lifts us up. In Christ, we are made righteous—not by law-keeping, but by His perfect obedience. Let that truth stir your heart and shape your life.
“The law is not sin. It is the straight edge that reveals how crooked we are. It is holy, just, and good. The trouble is not with the law, but with us.” – Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones
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