7:7 That the law is sin? Paul’s allusions to the law thus far have been negative in tone, especially his statement that the law arouses sinful passions (v. 5). Now he explains that recognizing the negative effect the law had on the life of fallen humanity is not a devaluation of the law itself (note the vehement language in 3:31). The God-ordained role of the law in a fallen world is to reveal the nature of human sin. The law not only defines sin, but acts as a catalyst, provoking the precise sinful reactions that it forbids and condemns (vv. 8–11). In itself the law, which brings us to know the reality of sin in our moral and spiritual system (3:20; 5:13, 20), is “holy and righteous and good” (v. 12). The law is a faithful revelation of what is right or wrong, and does not lose its validity to measure and direct our moral behavior.