The Law and Sin

How does the Law help me to know my sin?
(From Pierced by the Word by John Piper)

"What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been from the Law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.' But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law, sin lies dead." Romans 7:7-8

The law creates all kinds of covetousness. In general, there are two kinds of bad desires (covetousness) that the law stirs up, and both are expressions of our love affair with independence and self-exaltation.

1. One is more obvious, namely for the desires for the very things that are forbidden. This is owing to our ingrained love of being our own god and our distaste for submission.
2. The other kind of bad desire that the law stirs up is the desire to keep the law by our own strength with a view to exalting our own moral prowess. It is not stealing, murder, adultery, lying; instead, just self-righteousness. Not that keeping the law is evil. No, the problem is the desire to keep it by my power, not in childlike reliance on God's power. The problem is desiring the glory of MY achievement, not Gods. That is a subtle form of covetousness.

So know yourself! Know your sins. Know your sinful condition of rebellion and insubordination. If this leads you to the cross and the gospel of justification by grace alone through faith alone, it will exalt Christ, be healing to your soul, and sweetening to all your relationships.