Romans 7:1-13

1Or do you not know, 1brothers and sisters (for I am speaking to those who know the 2Law), that the 3Law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? 2For 4the married woman is bound by law to her 5husband as long as he is alive; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law 6concerning the husband. 3So then, if while her husband is alive she 7gives herself to another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress if she 8gives herself to another man.

4Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were 9put to death 10in regard to the Law 11through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5For while we were 12in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were 13brought to light by the Law, were at work 14in 15the parts of our body to bear fruit for death. 6But now we have been 16released from the Law, having 17died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in 18newness of 19the 20Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

721What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? 2223Far from it! On the contrary, 24I would not have come to know sin except 25through the Law; for I would not have known about 26coveting if the Law had not said, “27You shall not 28covet.” 8But sin, 29taking an opportunity 30through the commandment, produced in me 31coveting of every kind; for 32apart 33from the Law sin is dead. 9I was once alive apart 34from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin came to life, and I died; 10and this commandment, which was 3536to result in life, proved 37to result in death for me; 11for sin, 38taking an opportunity 39through the commandment, 40deceived me, and through it, killed me. 1241So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? 4243Far from it! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by bringing about my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.