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.”

这样，我们可说什么呢？律法是罪吗？断乎不是！只是非因律法，我就不知何为罪。非律法说“不可起贪心”，我就不知何为贪心。

这样，我们要怎么说呢？律法是罪吗？绝对不是！但是，若不是藉着律法，我就不知何为罪；若不是律法说“不可贪心”，我就不知何为贪心。

这样，我们要怎么说呢？律法是罪吗？绝对不是！但是，若不是藉着律法，我就不知何为罪；若不是律法说“不可贪心”，我就不知何为贪心。

那么，我们可以说律法本身是罪吗？当然不是！没有律法，我们就不知道什么是罪。律法若不说“不可贪心”，我就不知道什么是贪心。

这样，我们可以说什么呢？难道律法是罪吗？绝对不是。不过，如果不是藉着律法，我就不知道什么是罪；如果不是律法说“不可贪心”，我就不知道什么是贪心。

那么，我们要怎么说呢？难道律法是罪吗？绝对不是！然而，要不是藉着律法，我就不知道什么是罪。如果律法没有说“不可贪心”，我就不知道什么是贪心；

這樣，我們可說甚麼呢？律法是罪嗎？斷乎不是！只是非因律法，我就不知何為罪。非律法說「不可起貪心」，我就不知何為貪心。

這樣，我們要怎麼說呢？律法是罪嗎？絕對不是！但是，若不是藉着律法，我就不知何為罪；若不是律法說「不可貪心」，我就不知何為貪心。

這樣，我們要怎麼說呢？律法是罪嗎？絕對不是！但是，若不是藉着律法，我就不知何為罪；若不是律法說「不可貪心」，我就不知何為貪心。

那麼，我們可以說律法本身是罪嗎？當然不是！沒有律法，我們就不知道什麼是罪。律法若不說「不可貪心」，我就不知道什麼是貪心。

這樣，我們可以說甚麼呢？難道律法是罪嗎？絕對不是。不過，如果不是藉著律法，我就不知道甚麼是罪；如果不是律法說“不可貪心”，我就不知道甚麼是貪心。

這樣，我們可怎麼說呢？律法是罪麼？斷乎不是。不過、若不是由於律法，我就不知道罪是甚麼。若不是律法說：「你不可貪慾」，我就不知道貪慾是甚麼。

那麼，我們要怎麼說呢？難道律法是罪嗎？絕對不是！然而，要不是藉著律法，我就不知道什麼是罪。如果律法沒有說「不可貪心」，我就不知道什麼是貪心；

然則將何言耶、律豈罪乎、非也、非由律則我未嘗知罪、如律不言毋欲、則我不知欲、

然則何以言之、律法豈惡之因乎、曰、不然、非法無以見惡、蓋律法不禁欲、吾末由識欲、

然則何言、律法即罪乎、非也、然非由律法、我不識罪、律法若不云勿貪、則我不識貪、

於此吾人更有何說？將謂法即罪乎？無是理也！法非罪、乃所以燭吾之罪耳。法若不曰「毋淫、」則吾將不知淫之為淫矣。

What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said,“ You shall not covet.”

What should we say then? That the law is sinful? Not at all! Yet I wouldn’t have known what sin was unless the law had told me. The law says,“ Do not want what belongs to other people.”( Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21) If the law hadn’t said that, I would not have known what it was like to want what belongs to others.

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said,“ You shall not covet.”

What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! But I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet.

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Far from it! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said,“ You shall not covet.”

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said,“ You shall not covet.”

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet:

What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet.

What shall we say then?[ Is] the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else if the law had not said,“ Do not covet.”

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting, unless the law had said,“ You shall not covet.”

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.

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.

“ You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

“ You must not covet your neighbor’s wife. You must not covet your neighbor’s house or land, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.

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!)

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.

For the commandments say,“ You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These— and other such commandments— are summed up in this one commandment:“ Love your neighbor as yourself.”

The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair.They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.

“ But,” some might say,“ our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?”( This is merely a human point of view.)

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.

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.

Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath.

Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit. Mem

Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest.”

Then he said,“ Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

When you want a piece of land, you find a way to seize it. When you want someone’s house, you take it by fraud and violence. You cheat a man of his property, stealing his family’s inheritance.

But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God?

“ I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes.

When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Now there was a man named Naboth, from Jezreel, who owned a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.One day Ahab said to Naboth,“ Since your vineyard is so convenient to my palace, I would like to buy it to use as a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer, I will pay you for it.”But Naboth replied,“ The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance that was passed down by my ancestors.”So Ahab went home angry and sullen because of Naboth’s answer. The king went to bed with his face to the wall and refused to eat!

not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.

Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me.

Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!