Charles Spurgeon Commentary Romans 7:8-9

"but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin [is] dead. And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died;" — Romans 7:8-9 (ASV)

For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

I did not know how sinful I was until God's commandment came to me.

Sin seemed to be dead within me, and I thought myself a righteous man. But when the law of God came home to my heart and conscience, I understood that even a sinful thought would ruin me, that a hasty word had the essence of murder in it, and that the utmost uncleanness might lurk under the cover of what seemed a mere custom of my fellow-men. When I found out all this, sin did indeed live, but I died so far as righteousness was concerned.