What condemned the religious Jew who thought he was keeping the Law?

The Law itself condemned the religious Jew who thought he was keeping it. Although he assumed his obedience was sufficient, the Law exposed his old sin nature and proved him guilty, because sin, taking occasion by the commandments, wrought in him all manner of lust and left him condemned.

Les teaches from Romans 7 that the Law is not sin or wicked; rather, it is the Law that condemns. Paul says he would not have known his old sin nature except by the Law, and he would not have known lust except the Law said, “Thou shalt not do it.” So the Law condemned this religious Jew who thought he was keeping it. But sin, his old sin nature, taking occasion by the commandments, wrought in him all manner of contraptions—getting his mind broiling. Romans 7 is compared to eighth-grade story problems: it boggles the mind until the answer comes out.

Romans 7:7

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Why was the religious Jew condemned by the Law he thought he kept?

The Law condemned him because it exposed his old sin nature, which he would not have known except through the commandment. Although he thought he was keeping the Law, sin took occasion by the commandments and produced within him all manner of wrong desires.