“12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. 13 Therefore, did what is good become death to me? Absolutely not! But sin, in order to be recognized as sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment, sin might become sinful beyond measure.”
Paul here again provides the answer to the question posed back in verse 7, “What should we say then? Is the law sin?…” (v. 7a) Here is Paul’s conclusion: It is not the law that is the problem, sinners are the problem. The violators of God’s perfect law are the problem. God’s law is good!
“But we know that the law is good, provided one uses it legitimately.” — 1 Timothy 1:8
In verse 13 Paul introduces a new consideration: Did sin take advantage of God’s perfect law in order to bring about death and perpetuate its own existence? Yes, it seems so. Where the law exists, sin exists along with it. Sin is the absence of obedience. If a rule (the law) exists, by nature, breaking that rule goes against the intention of having rules in the first place. Lack of obedience to the law is sin, the consequences of which is death.
“…so that through the commandment, sin might become sinful beyond measure.” (v. 13b) The language of this verse reminds us of what Paul said in chapter 5.
“The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more” — Romans 5:20
The law causes an exponential increase of realized sin. It exposes, condemns, and judges. The more we understand about God, the more we understand about ourselves. The greater we view God and His glory, the greater we view the depth and depravity of our sin. Praise be to God that with the increase of sin and guilt, His grace increases even more.