Thoughts on the Epistle to the Romans (123) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

The commandment which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.
Romans 7:10.11

Thoughts on the Epistle to the Romans (123)
These verses describe the destructive way in which sin works. It abuses God's law deceptively to achieve its own final purpose, being totally opposed to God's will and intention.

The law sets out what God demands of man. With false promises sin exploits this law to entice people to transgress. Satan used this deceitful means to seduce the first human couple.

Man is no match for the deceit of sin. He hasn't the strength to obey the law, but finally succumbs to the deceit of sin time and time again. Sin thus proved its power to "kill". So the aim for which the commandments of the law were given went astray. The law was "to bring life". Whoever kept it would "live by" it (cf. Galatians 3:12; Leviticus18:5).

The use that sin made of the law has precisely the opposite effect: "It killed me".

We should notice that responsibility for the death sentence lies finally not with the law, but with sin. On God's authority Paul proclaimed clearly that a Christian has been "delivered from the law" (v.6). Equally clearly he prevents any false insinuation concerning the law. It is sin that leads to death, not the law of God.

(to be continued next Sunday)


Today's reading: Exodus 4:1-17 · Luke 1:57-66