7 So what will we say then? That the law is sin? Not on your life! I wouldn’t have known what sin was if it wasn’t for the Law. For example, I wouldn’t have known what coveting was if the Law hadn’t told me not to covet.[ref] 8 But sin took the opportunity from that command to produce covetousness in me, because sin would be dead without the Law. 9 For a time I was living without the Law, but once God’s command came, sin revived 10 and I died, and I discovered that the command, which should lead to life, led to death. 11 Sin deceived me[ref] when the command gave it an opportunity, and in doing so, it killed me.

12 Now the Law is indeed holy, and God’s command is holy and righteous and good, 13 so did what’s good turn into death? Not on your life! Rather, it was the good Law that allowed me to see sin as sin and a producer of death, and the command showed me how completely sinful sin really is.