7. Does this mean that the Law is sinful? Certainly not! But if it had not been for the Law, I would not have known what sin is really like. For example, I would not have known what it means to want something that belongs to someone else, unless the Law had told me not to do that.
8. It was sin that used this command as a way of making me have all kinds of desires. But without the Law, sin is dead.
9. Before I knew about the Law, I was alive. But as soon as I heard that command, sin came to life,
10. and I died. The very command that was supposed to bring life to me, instead brought death.
11. Sin used this command to trick me, and because of it I died.
12. Still, the Law and its commands are holy and correct and good.
13. Am I saying that something good caused my death? Certainly not! It was sin that killed me by using something good. Now we can see how terrible and evil sin really is.
14. We know that the Law is spiritual. But I am merely a human, and I have been sold as a slave to sin.
15. In fact, I don't understand why I act the way I do. I don't do what I know is right. I do the things I hate.
16. Although I don't do what I know is right, I agree that the Law is good.
17. So I am not the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.
18. I know that my selfish desires won't let me do anything that is good. Even when I want to do right, I cannot.
19. Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong.