Romans 7:9

For I was alive. Paul refers to his own past experience, but in this he represents the experience of all who are unconverted and are depending on their own righteousness.

Without the law once. The period in his earlier life to which Paul is here referring has been the subject of much discussion. It seems evident from the context, however, that he is speaking of the time before he became aware of the real nature and spirituality and extent of the divine law. It was a period during which he deemed himself to be righteous, and, as far as outward acts were concerned, he appeared to be obeying the law. But it was a legalistic righteousness, such as the rich young ruler boasted of, when brought face to face with the commandments: “All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?” (Matt. 19:20). Likewise, Paul could claim that as “touching the righteousness which is in the law” he was “blameless” (Phil. 3:6; cf. Acts 26:5). Compare the boastful, self-righteous prayer of the Pharisee (Luke 18:11, 12). But when Paul discerned the spiritual character of the law, sin appeared in its true hideousness. He saw himself a transgressor, and his self-esteem was gone (see SC 29, 30).

When the commandment came. That is, when the spiritual significance of the commandment, “Thou shalt not covet” (v. 7), was brought home to his mind and conscience. Paul saw in this prohibition of all sinful desire the spirit of the whole law, and when it came to him as the word of God, quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12), his self-righteous complacency was suddenly shattered.

Sin revived. Literally, “sin came back to life.” Paul does not mean that prior to the time “when the commandment came,” sin — here personified as a loathsome creature — had been inactive in his life, but that he had not realized either its true nature or its fatal consequences (v. 13). In fact, sin had been unopposed in its control over his life (v. 5). But the coming of “the commandment” challenged the presence of sin and its right to control his life. Sin now roused itself to maintain its disputed authority. In all its malignancy and strength it appeared in its true character — that of a deceiver, an enemy, and a murderer.

When or how Paul first began to feel the condemning power of the law he does not say. However, we know enough about his earlier years to have some knowledge of his experience with the law prior to his conversion. As a well-trained Pharisee, living according to the strictest sect of his religion, he had attempted with intense but unavailing effort to satisfy by outward observance the demands of a holy and heart-searching law. But the serenity and forgiving love displayed by Stephen at his martyrdom deeply stirred Paul’s mind and awakened his conscience to some awareness that obedience to the law was more than a matter of the letter only (see on v. 8).

I died. When Paul came to understand the spiritual nature of the law, the new knowledge served only to accuse him as a transgressor and to provoke him to all kinds of evil desire (v. 8). Thus Paul became consciously and in the fullest sense a sinner, and discovered that he had no hope of life (see ch. 6:21, 23).