The Deceitfulness of Sin
A Sermon on Romans 7:10-11
Originally preached Oct. 23, 1959
Scripture
10And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Sermon Description
Sin is deceiving, but just how does it deceive? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches the sermon on Romans 7:10–11 titled “The Deceitfulness of Sin” and further dissects just how powerful and persuasive sin can be in a Christian’s life. Paul confirmed in his letter to the Romans that no one can find life by the law and instead can actually find death. This is because sin is death and the law shows the sin in lives. Paul is careful to clarify that the law is good as long as it is used lawfully. However, despite one’s best efforts, sin uses the law and condemns. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains four ways in which sin deceives: it makes one feel that God is against them; it makes them feel that the law is unreasonable in its demands; it praises the sinner and makes them think highly of themselves; and it even deceives about sin itself. In order to be vigilant, Christians need to ensure that they are not easily persuaded by the powerfulness and deceitfulness of sin.
Sermon Breakdown
- The commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death.
- The commandment was given to show what is necessary for life, but it was found to lead to death because no one could keep it.
- The law outlines the holy and happy life, but it condemns us and shows our failure.
- The law could have led to life if it was kept, but it was not kept.
- The law is good if used lawfully, but sin causes us to use it unlawfully.
- Sin deceives us into thinking the law only prohibits actions, not desires. As long as we avoid actions, we think we keep the law.
- When we fail, sin deceives us into thinking we are hopeless, so we might as well sin more.
- Sin deceives us through antinomianism, saying grace means the law does not matter.
- Sin creates antagonism toward the law by making us think God is against us.
- Sin makes the law's demands seem unreasonable and unjust.
- Sin deceives us about ourselves by praising us and telling us to express our sinful instincts.
- Sin makes sin attractive by making it seem pleasant and praiseworthy.
- Sin discourages thinking about the consequences of sin.
- Sin deceives us about sin itself by denying punishment and hell.
- Sin even deceives us about the cross, denying substitutionary atonement and God's wrath.
Sermon Q&A
10 Important Questions About Sin and the Law from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon
What is the function of the law according to Romans 7:10-11?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' exposition of Romans 7:10-11, the law's original purpose was to lead to life if perfectly obeyed, but because of our sinful nature, it actually leads to death. As he explains: "The commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death" means that while the law outlines "a way of life which would be well pleasing in [God's] sight," our inability to keep it perfectly leads to condemnation. The law reveals our sin rather than providing a means of justification or sanctification.
How does sin use the law to deceive people?
Sin uses the law to deceive people in several ways. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me" means sin uses the law as "a vantage point" or "a military base of operations." Sin deceives us by making us misuse the law (focusing only on actions while ignoring heart attitudes), creating antagonism toward the law (making us feel God is against us or that His law is unreasonable), making us think too highly of ourselves, and distorting our perception of sin itself by making it appear attractive while minimizing its consequences.
What does Lloyd-Jones mean when he says "the commandment which was ordained to life"?
Lloyd-Jones explains this phrase doesn't mean the law was given so people could obtain life through it. Rather, it means that "if men and women had kept the commandment, if it had been possible for anybody to do so, then it would have led to life." He cites Leviticus 18:5, "which if a man do, he shall live in them," and Jesus' words in Luke 10, "this do, and thou shalt live." The law reveals the perfect standard of God's holiness, but as Lloyd-Jones notes from Galatians 3:21, "if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law."
How does sin deceive people about sin itself?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies two primary ways sin deceives people about sin itself. First, "sin deceives us by making sin very attractive" - it presents sinful activities as pleasant, appealing, and fulfilling while making the Christian life appear "drab" and "narrow." Second, sin "discourages in us any thoughts about consequences" - it ridicules the idea of judgment, punishment, or eternal consequences. As Lloyd-Jones states, "Anything to get you not to look at the consequences of your action, not to realize the end to which it's going to lead you, the death in which it's going to land you."
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the solution to society's moral problems?
Lloyd-Jones firmly believes that society's moral problems can only be solved through understanding the biblical concept of sin. He criticizes modern attempts that rely solely on "education and teaching and culture, and by reforms" while ignoring sin's reality. Despite institutions implementing these strategies for "50 years and more," moral problems continue to worsen. Lloyd-Jones states: "There's only one explanation. It is this terrible power which the Bible calls sin and which men in their cleverness and sophistication no longer believe in, which they've been trying to explain away in terms of psychology."
How does Lloyd-Jones contrast being "alive" versus "dead" in the spiritual sense?
For Lloyd-Jones, being "alive" spiritually in the negative sense meant when Paul "was very happy...pleased with myself...self-confident...felt I could do it." This represents the state of spiritual self-deception. In contrast, being "dead" represents the true spiritual awakening that comes when the law reveals our inability to save ourselves: "the realization that he couldn't, the sense of condemnation, the misery because of his complete failure." This death to self-confidence is actually the pathway to true spiritual life in Christ.
What does Lloyd-Jones say about antinomianism?
Lloyd-Jones describes antinomianism as "one of the most blighting curses that has ever afflicted the life of the church." It's when sin deceives believers into thinking, "You've got nothing to worry about at all. The more you are conscious of your sin, the more is grace and in a sense, the more you sin, the more grace operates." He calls it "men taking the letter of the doctrine and the letter of the laws it were, and twisting it to say that it doesn't matter what you do because you're now under grace." Lloyd-Jones firmly rejects this as a misuse of the law.
How does sin affect our understanding according to Lloyd-Jones?
Sin darkens our understanding and prevents clear thinking. Lloyd-Jones references Ephesians 4:17, noting that sin "does it by darkening our understanding, having the understanding dark prevents our thinking clearly, misrepresents everything, gives us rose tinted spectacles, perverts everything, changes everything." This darkening effect is how sin deceives us—it distorts reality, making evil seem good and good seem evil, much like wearing tinted glasses that change how everything appears.
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the power of sin in relation to the law?
Lloyd-Jones describes sin as "next to God the greatest power in the universe." He explains the relationship between sin and the law by quoting 1 Corinthians 15:56: "the sting of death is sin...and the strength of sin is the law." The law, while holy and good in itself, actually empowers sin in our experience. Lloyd-Jones uses the analogy of "a powerful engine" that appears dormant until pressure is applied to the accelerator—similarly, sin's power is activated by the law's commands, leading to increased sinful desires and ultimately death.
What's the proper way to use the law according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, we must use the law "lawfully," referencing 1 Timothy 1:8: "We know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully." The proper use of the law is not as a means of justification or sanctification, but rather to reveal our sin and drive us to Christ. The law should show us our inability to save ourselves and our need for grace. Lloyd-Jones warns against both legalism (trying to be saved by keeping the law) and antinomianism (disregarding the law entirely because we're under grace), as both represent unlawful uses of God's law.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.