Romans 7:7-9

International Standard Version

The Law Shows Us What Sin Is

⁷ What should we say, then? Is the Law sinful? Of course not! In fact, I wouldn’t have become aware of sin if it had not been for the Law. I wouldn’t have known what it means to covet if the Law had not said, “You must not covet.”^{[a] 8} But sin seized the opportunity provided by this commandment and produced in me all kinds of sinful desires, since apart from the Law, sin is dead. ⁹ At one time I was alive without any connection to^[b] the Law.^[c] But when the rule was revealed, sin sprang to life,