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Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.

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Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.(A)

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17 All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death.

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17 All wrongdoing is sin,(A) and there is sin that does not lead to death.(B)

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20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

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20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;(A) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.(B)

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21 Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.

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21 I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved(A) over many who have sinned earlier(B) and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery(C) in which they have indulged.

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15 For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)

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15 because the law brings wrath.(A) And where there is no law there is no transgression.(B)

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31 Since they have treated the Lord’s word with contempt and deliberately disobeyed his command, they must be completely cut off and suffer the punishment for their guilt.”

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31 Because they have despised(A) the Lord’s word and broken his commands,(B) they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them.(C)’”

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But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life[a] is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:9 Greek because his seed.

The one who does what is sinful is of the devil,(A) because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God(B) appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.(C) No one who is born of God(D) will continue to sin,(E) because God’s seed(F) remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

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11 All Israel has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice.

“So now the solemn curses and judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured down on us because of our sin.

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11 All Israel has transgressed(A) your law(B) and turned away, refusing to obey you.

“Therefore the curses(C) and sworn judgments(D) written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned(E) against you.

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But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. 11 For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.”[a] So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.

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But if you show favoritism,(A) you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.(B) 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles(C) at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.(D) 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[a](E) also said, “You shall not murder.”[b](F) If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

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Footnotes

  1. James 2:11 Exodus 20:14; Deut. 5:18
  2. James 2:11 Exodus 20:13; Deut. 5:17

God’s Law Reveals Our Sin

Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”[a] But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 10 and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. 11 Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. 12 But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.

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Footnotes

  1. 7:7 Exod 20:17; Deut 5:21.

The Law and Sin

What shall we say, then?(A) Is the law sinful? Certainly not!(B) Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.(C) For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[a](D) But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,(E) produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.(F) Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life(G) actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,(H) deceived me,(I) and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.(J)

13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good(K) to bring about my death,(L) so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 7:7 Exodus 20:17; Deut. 5:21

Saul Pleads for Forgiveness

24 Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.

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24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned.(A) I violated(B) the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid(C) of the men and so I gave in to them.

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20 Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the Lord, and now he has abandoned you!”

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20 Then the Spirit(A) of God came on Zechariah(B) son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper.(C) Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken(D) you.’”

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13 So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord’s command, and he even consulted a medium

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13 Saul died(A) because he was unfaithful(B) to the Lord; he did not keep(C) the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium(D) for guidance,

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