007:005 For whilst we were under the thraldom of our earthly natures,
sinful passions—made sinful by the Law—were always being
aroused to action in our bodily faculties that they might yield
fruit to death.
007:006 But seeing that we have died to that which once held us
in bondage, the Law has now no hold over us, so that we
render a service which, instead of being old and formal,
is new and spiritual.
007:007 What follows? Is the Law itself a sinful thing? No, indeed; on the contrary, unless I had been taught by the Law, I should have known nothing of sin as sin. For instance, I should not have known what covetousness is, if the Law had not repeatedly said, "Thou shalt not covet."
007:008 Sin took advantage of this, and by means of the Commandment stirred up within me every kind of coveting; for apart from Law sin would be dead.
007:009 Once, apart from Law, I was alive, but when the Commandment came,
sin sprang into life, and I died;
007:010 and, as it turned out, the very Commandment which was to bring
me life, brought me death.
007:011 For sin seized the advantage, and by means of the Commandment
it completely deceived me, and also put me to death.
007:012 So that the Law itself is holy, and the Commandment is holy,
just and good.
007:013 Did then a thing which is good become death to me? No, indeed, but sin did; so that through its bringing about death by means of what was good, it might be seen in its true light as sin, in order that by means of the Commandment the unspeakable sinfulness of sin might be plainly shown.
007:014 For we know that the Law is a spiritual thing; but I am unspiritual— the slave, bought and sold, of sin.