Without Jesus, salvation and spiritual growth are both gifts beyond our reach.

我们靠着耶稣得着救恩，灵命得以成长。

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. Romans 7:15

因为我所做的，我自己不明白；我所愿意的，我并不做；我所恨恶的，我倒去做。-罗马书7章15节

A coworker confessed to me that he didn’t think he was “Jesus material.” I listened as he described what he called his “comfortable, narcissistic” life, and how it didn’t satisfy him. “But here’s my problem, I’ve been trying to be good, even caring, but it isn’t working. It seems that the very things I want to do, I can’t do, and the things I want to stop doing, I just keep doing.”

一位同事向我坦承，他认为自己不是“信耶稣的料”。我静静地听他描述他所谓“舒适又爱自己”的生活，但这种生活却又如何无法满足他。他说：“问题是我一直努力要当个好人，关心别人，但却办不到。好像我想做的事，都做不到；不想再做的事，却一直去做。”

“What’s your secret?” he asked me in complete sincerity. “My secret,” I answered, “is that there is no secret. I’m as powerless to live up to God’s standards as you are, which is why we need Jesus.” 

他诚恳地问我：“你到底有什么秘诀？”我回答他说：“我的秘诀就是没有秘诀。我跟你一样，无法达到上帝设立的标准。这就是我们需要耶稣的原因。”

I pulled out a Bible and showed him “his” quote as the apostle Paul expressed it in Romans 7:15. Paul’s words of frustration often resonate with both pre-Christians and Christians who find themselves trying to be good enough to deserve God but falling short. Maybe it resonates with you. If so, Paul’s declaration that Christ is the author of our salvation and its resulting changes (7:25–8:2) should thrill you. Jesus has already done the work to free us from the very things that have us so puzzled with ourselves!

我拿出圣经，让他看看他刚才所说的，正是使徒保罗在罗马书7章15节所叙述的情况。这段读来令人沮丧的经文，不管是非基督徒，或是为了让自己配得上帝恩典，而努力行善却无法办到的基督徒，都能感同身受。或许，对此你也能有共鸣。若是这样，保罗的宣告必会让你振奋，他说基督是我们救恩的源头，且能改变我们的生命（7章25节-8章2节）。耶稣已经完成祂的工作，使我们脱离一切困扰我们的事物！

The barrier between us and God, the barrier of sin, has been removed without any work on our part. Salvation—and the changes made by the Holy Spirit in the process of our growth—is what God desires for all. He knocks on the door of our souls. Answer His knock today. It’s no secret that He’s the answer!

那在我们和上帝之间因罪所造成的阻碍，已经被除去了，我们不必靠自己的努力就能得到救恩。上帝期盼你我能得着救恩，让圣灵改变我们，帮助我们灵命成长。祂正在我们的心门外叩门，现在就为祂开门吧！没有其他的秘诀，唯独耶稣才是问题的解答！

Romans 7:14-25    NIV

7 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

罗马书 7:14-25 

7 我们原晓得律法是属乎灵的，但我是属乎肉体的，是已经卖给罪了。 15 因为我所做的，我自己不明白；我所愿意的，我并不做；我所恨恶的，我倒去做。 16 若我所做的，是我所不愿意的，我就应承律法是善的。 17 既是这样，就不是我做的，乃是住在我里头的罪做的。18 我也知道，在我里头，就是我肉体之中，没有良善。因为立志为善由得我，只是行出来由不得我。 19 故此，我所愿意的善，我反不做；我所不愿意的恶，我倒去做。 20 若我去做所不愿意做的，就不是我做的，乃是住在我里头的罪做的。 21 我觉得有个律，就是我愿意为善的时候，便有恶与我同在。 22 因为按着我里面的意思，我是喜欢神的律， 23 但我觉得肢体中另有个律和我心中的律交战，把我掳去，叫我附从那肢体中犯罪的律。 24 我真是苦啊！谁能救我脱离这取死的身体呢？25 感谢神！靠着我们的主耶稣基督就能脱离了。这样看来，我以内心顺服神的律，我肉体却顺服罪的律了。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

In Romans 7:14–25, Paul candidly shares his personal spiritual struggles as well as his deep confidence in Christ for help and hope (7:25). Romans 8 then unpacks that help and hope. The hopeful promise of “no condemnation” (8:1) is supported by the most extensive treatment of the Holy Spirit’s helping ministry (vv. 5–27) found anywhere in the Scriptures (outside of John 14–16). Paul’s confidence in Christ’s help and hope are not theoretical—they are provided by the indwelling Holy Spirit (8:11). 

在罗马书7章14-25节，保罗坦率地分享他自己灵里的挣扎，以及他对基督坚定的信心。保罗还说，他的帮助和盼望都在基督里（7章25节）。在接下来的第8章，保罗对这样的帮助和盼望加以详细阐述。他一开头提到“就不定罪了”这使人有盼望的应许，而圣灵所赐的帮助（5-27节）正足以支持这个应许。除了约翰福音14-16章之外，这是对圣灵最为详尽的论述。保罗对基督的帮助和盼望所存的信心不是理论，而是出自于内住在心里面的圣灵（8章11节）。

整理：于姊妹