From the MLJ Archive

Romans 7:12-13 — How can a good thing cause death? Paul makes a case that the law is in fact a good thing. However, some argued that it brought death to them and Paul adamantly refutes this statement. In the sermon on Romans 7:12–13 titled “Sin Uses Law to Produce Death,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds on Paul’s argument that the law is good, but it is sin that causes death. First, the law is holy and the complete opposite of sin. The law is just and never makes unfair demands, but sin is deceitful. The law is good and there is no better life than the one that is lived by God’s law. God created the law as a tool to instruct and bring about a knowledge of sin. The law allows the sinner to see their complete failure and need for a savior. It is on this basis that Paul’s point is proven: the law is a good tool created by God but it is the sin that produces death. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reiterates Paul’s point that the law was never meant to be a way of salvation.