第六章

¹⁵那卻怎麼樣呢？我們不在律法之下，而在恩典之下，就可以犯罪嗎？絕對不可！¹⁶難道你們不知道你們自願作奴僕去順從人，順從誰就作誰的奴僕，或作罪的奴僕以致於死，或作順從的奴僕以致於義嗎？¹⁷感謝神，你們雖然作過罪的奴僕，現在卻從心裡順從了傳授給你們的教義的規範。¹⁸你們既然從罪裡得了釋放，就作了義的奴僕。¹⁹因為你們肉體的弱點，我就按一般人的話來說，你們從前怎樣把你們的肢體獻給不潔和不法作奴僕，以致於不法，現在也要照樣把你們的肢體獻給義作奴僕，以致於成聖。²⁰你們作罪的奴僕的時候，就不受義的約束。²¹那麼，你們在現今以為羞恥的事上，當時得了甚麼呢？那些事的結局就是死。²²現在你們既然從罪裡得了釋放，作了神的奴僕，就有成聖的果子，那結局就是永生。²³因為罪的工價就是死，但神的恩賞，在我們的主基督耶穌裡，卻是永生。

 

默想

1. 省察自己的內心，有那一個地方仍然未得自由，依然在罪中掙扎的？什麼時候最容易陷入這罪中？這罪會帶來怎樣的快感與舒適？又會帶來怎樣的痛苦與難過？若要放棄這個罪，會有怎樣的損失？
2. 讀這段經文，心中想著這個罪，有什麼心得與感受？我認同“我們不在律法之下，而在恩典之下，就可以犯罪嗎”的論調？我能認同“現在也要照樣把你們的肢體獻給義作奴僕，以致於成聖”的 說法嗎？找出我認同與不認同的原因來。
3. 向神禱告，把心中的掙扎及未能解決的疑難交給主，決心遵行神的命令，並向神要求得到自由。

 

禱告與筆錄：

繼續安靜在神面前，與神對話，並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想（心得），或是與神的禱告，記錄在“靈程筆記”簿上面。

 

Chapter 6

¹⁵What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! ¹⁶Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. ¹⁸You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

¹⁹I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. ²⁰When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. ²¹What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! ²²But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Meditation

1. Search myself for an area where I don’t walk in freedom but continue to struggle with sin.  When do I easily give in to temptation?  What comfort, relief or pleasure does the sin give me?  What pain or discomfort does it bring?  What do I fear I would lose if I gave up the sin?
2. Read this passage with this specific sin(s) in mind.  Read the passage through my life experience.  Do I identify with “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace”?  What about “now offer (your body) in slavery to righteousness”?  Take time to identify what my do and don’t agree with.
3. Pray and ask God to take over my struggle and unresolved problems.  As I determine to obey God’s command, I will ask God for my freedom.

 

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2011 “Spiritual Journal” book.