Readings for Lent and Easter

The Battle with Sin

^7 (A) 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 this. 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 (B) 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 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.