Paul was not a casual religious man—he was the model of zeal, a “Pharisee of the Pharisees,” outwardly blameless in his pursuit of the Law. Yet it was a single command, “Thou shalt not covet,” that utterly dismantled his confidence in the flesh and exposed the true nature of his heart. This was not a minor theological insight; it was the death blow to every hope of self-justification and the very foundation for understanding the Christian life.
The Law’s Exposure: Covetousness at the Root
Paul’s encounter with the commandment did not simply reveal a minor flaw. It uncovered that his very desire to serve God—his religious ambition—was itself rooted in covetousness. He was not merely seeking to please God; he was seeking approval, status, and standing before God and men, all in the flesh. The Law, far from being a tool for self-improvement, became the instrument that exposed his inward corruption. What he had called “service” was, in truth, a cloak for fleshly desire.
“I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” (Romans 7:7)
This is not a neutral diagnosis. The Law did not simply inform Paul of his sin; it slew him. The commandment awakened in him all manner of covetousness, and he realized that even his best religious efforts were polluted by the flesh. This is not a problem unique to Paul—it is the universal human condition. The Law strips away every pretense and leaves us exposed: our zeal, our striving, our “service” is infected at the root.
Religious Service as a Cover for Sin
Do not imagine that religious activity sanctifies the flesh. Paul’s own history (Philippians 3:4-6) is a warning: the desire for praise and standing before God in the flesh can masquerade as devotion. This is not harmless. When religious service becomes a means to satisfy fleshly ambition, it is not only empty—it is sin. The Law unmasks this, showing that what we call righteousness is, apart from Christ, nothing but self-serving covetousness.
The Blinding Veil of Legalism
Modern legalists have not learned Paul’s lesson. They pursue the Law as a means of justification, convinced that their efforts will secure God’s approval. But this pursuit is a trap. Legalism does not produce righteousness; it blinds and deceives. The Law becomes a veil, hiding the true state of the heart and keeping the legalist from seeing his utter need for Christ. This is not a secondary issue. To trust in the Law for righteousness is to reject the very foundation of justification by faith. If you cling to your own performance, you forfeit the inheritance, the sonship, and the freedom Christ has secured.
The Only Escape: Christ’s Indwelling Life
The Law’s exposure is not meant to leave us in despair, but to drive us to Christ. When Paul recognized the futility of self-effort, he was forced to abandon all hope in the flesh. This is the turning point—the only positive outcome. To be slain by the commandment is to be driven to depend on Christ’s indwelling life and the supernatural supply of His Spirit. The Christian life is not a project of self-improvement; it is a supernatural existence, lived by faith in the Son of God.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
This is not optional. To attempt to live the Christian life by self-effort is to remain under the Law’s condemnation and blindness. Only by renewing the mind—turning from fleshly striving to reliance on Christ’s righteousness—do we experience true freedom, grace-based living, and Spirit-empowered obedience.
What Is Lost If We Miss This?
If you refuse to let the Law do its work—if you continue to trust in your own efforts, your religious service, your supposed zeal—you lose everything that matters. You remain blind, self-deceived, and cut off from the supernatural life of Christ. You forfeit the freedom of sonship, the assurance of justification, and the inheritance that belongs only to those who live by faith. This is not a matter of nuance or secondary doctrine; it is the difference between death and life, bondage and freedom.
The Only Path Forward
God gave the Law to expose the sinfulness of our fleshly motivations and to drive us to Christ. The Law reveals our need, but only Christ supplies the answer. The Spirit does not empower those who trust in themselves, but those who have been crucified with Christ and now live by faith in Him. This is the foundation of the Christian life: not self-effort, not religious striving, but Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Let the commandment slay your confidence in the flesh, so that you may truly live—by the Spirit, in freedom, as a son and heir of God. Anything less is blindness and loss.
