"What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, 'Do not covet.' But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful." -- Romans 7:7-13

Ever hear the phrase "ignorance is bliss"?  Paul was keenly aware of this.  How hard it must have been to communicate to a New Testament people the place of law.  On the one hand, Jesus frees us from the law.  On the other hand, it's the law that makes us know what Jesus is freeing us from.  There's another part to it... focusing on the law can have a tendency to intice us to sin.  Paul's example is that he goes along fine not knowing he's coveting, if he's even coveting at all, but once he comes to understand what coveting is, he finds he's coveting at every turn.  Is that because of awareness or suggestion?  He says that the commandment itself produced in him every kind of covetous desire.  That makes me consider a new commandment:  thou shall not think of the color red.  Immediately upon reading that, the color red comes into your mind when it hadn't before.  If thinking of the color red is sin, you just sinned (twice).  That's the rub.  If you focus on all the things you shouldn't do, you may be more likely to do them, or at least want to do them.  Conversely, if you think of all the things you should do, you in turn are more likely to do those.  So spend time praying about the things God would have you do instead of pondering the things you shouldn't do.  Thoughts lead to actions.  Have good thoughts!

Readings:  2 Chronicles 4:1-6:11; Romans 7:1-13; Psalm 17:1-15; Proverbs 19:22-23