十七：在基督裡不再作罪的奴僕，乃作順命的奴僕: 羅6:14–6:23

確實上，倘若一個人是真信基督的，縱然他的情況條件再差，目前生命的狀態再軟弱，神的祝福也總不離開他。況且，神必要在他軟弱羞愧的光景顯出祂更大的慈愛。這是屬血氣（有罪的人）無法明白的福音極大的奧秘。因為神終極的目的是要高舉基督與祂的完工所帶來的恩典與憐憫。那麼，試問誰才是那真信之人呢？其實，神在“信”的實質上並沒有模糊的告訴我們。《羅6》的一個大主題就是“何謂信”？今天教會裡的人都知道“信基督得永生”的大道理，但很多人也同時對“信”本身的認識是模糊的，特別許多人將“藉著信歸入基督”當做一種形式的舉動（以為口裡承認信耶穌、心裡對耶穌有所正面感，或是做了決志禱告、經過施洗禮就是表示信了），所以，保羅在此將“信”的真意與證據多加說明。他首先說到那信（受洗的精意）是與基督同死，同埋葬，同復活。另外又說到這信的人在靈裡是向罪死（將舊人釘在十字架），向神活（一舉一動尋求新生的樣式而活）。那麼，保羅在今天的經文又強調說那信之人是已經不再作罪的奴僕，乃作順命的奴僕了。在此，我們會曉得保羅的目的是要將人帶到一個“真信”的信仰裡，以至叫信徒在他們信的根基上活出信心的行為。這縱然是一個過程，但我們不能留在信與行的含糊裡, 相反的要一直藉著自己“已經信”的來詰問、提醒、勉勵、堅強自己，好使我們在信仰中不斷經歷順服中的自由喜樂。特別，今天我們要思想信基督等於“不在作罪的奴僕，乃作順命的奴僕”的奧秘。在此，保羅以“奴僕”的觀念來說明“何謂信”。這字眼帶有“無法自主”以及“被管轄”的意思在裡頭。確實上，當我們的生命在信主前被賣給罪作奴僕時，我們要認清我們當時的屬靈光景不但是肉身成為罪的奴僕，更真實的情況是我們靈魂是無法自主的。我們終日的心思、意念、情感、意志都是在罪的管轄之下，本是毫無能順服神與行出善的本性。那不是我們不願意的問題，乃是我們靈裡的光景就是為罪服務為目的，用比較能理解的話來說：“我們連呼吸也是為罪而做”，這是因為自從亞當以來，犯罪的靈（主人）本在我們裡面。但聖經說，當神在基督裡的恩賜（恩典的賜予）臨到我們，將我們從罪奴的光景拯救出來之後，我們那真信祂的生命並非成為自主的，乃是成為了順命的奴僕。試問：為何不說順命的“自由人”，乃說“奴僕”呢？這告訴我們被造人是無法自主為樂，乃是順命（順服那賜生命的主）為樂，而他信了基督之後，他同時得着了順服的靈，他從此才能順服神，也願意尋求如何順服。所以在此，我們曉得這無窮的屬靈世界只有兩個主人，一個是罪，一個是神。人的靈魂是自動歸於其中一個，不是成為罪（以至繼續犯罪）的奴僕，就是成為順命（非順服神不可）的奴僕。所以，這裡顯示了兩種生命，本以“信基督”來區分。那真信的人會意識到他過去所想、所講、所做的都是為罪服務，本是滿足肉體，高舉自我的。那時他是何等不由自主的行在其中！但是，他也發現信了基督之後，他生命裡出現了一個“非順服神不可”的靈在他裡頭運行，如同以柔軟的覊絆綁住了他的心，使他的心思、情感、意志都自願喜樂的順服主。在此，他似乎好像也是不由自主的，但內心卻是自由喜樂的。這等屬靈的經歷也使他確定自己的結局就是永生了。

If a person truly believes in Christ, no matter how bad is his condition or how weak is his state of life, the blessings of God will never leave him. Moreover, God surely wants to manifest His greater love in his weak and shameful state. This is the great mystery of gospel that people who belong to flesh (people with sin) will never understand, because the ultimate purpose of God is to lift up Christ, the grace and mercy brought through His finished work. Then try asking, who are the ones who truly believe? Actually, God has not been unclear in telling us about the nature of “Faith”. “What faith is? ” is the greatest theme of <Roman 6>. Today in church, many know the big theory of “receiving eternity through believing Christ”, but at the same time, many people remain to have a vague understanding toward “faith”. In particular, many regard “baptize into Christ through faith” as a ritual (they think that by acknowledging Jesus through mouth, have some positive feeling toward Christ in heart, or having said conversion prayer, or having baptized, mean that they have believed), therefore, Paul explained the true meaning and evidence of “faith” in greater detail. First, he mentioned that faith (the essence of baptism) is to die, bury and resurrect with Christ. Further, he mentioned that the spirit of one who believes is dead to sin (nailing the old self on the Cross), and alive to God (seeking the new way of living in all things). In today’s scriptures, Paul once again emphasized that one who believes is no longer the slave to sin but to obedience. Paul’s purpose is to bring people to a faith that “truly believes”, such that they can live out the works of faith in the foundation of their belief. Although this is a process, we cannot remain blur towards faith and living, instead, we should introspect, remind, encourage, and strengthen selves through what we “have already believed”, so that we can constantly experience the freedom and joy in our submission. In particular, we need to meditate on the mystery of believing in Christ, which is equivalent to “no longer slave to sin but to obedience”. Paul used the concept of “slavery” to explain “what faith is”. This word brings the meaning of “not having mastery over self” and “being controlled”. Actually, when we were sold to sin and enslaved to sin before we believed in Christ, we need to see clearly the spiritual condition we were in then – not only was our flesh enslaved to sin, what was more real was our souls had no control over selves. Our mindsets, thoughts, emotions, will, were all under the control of sin, and we were intrinsically unable to obey God and do the good. The problem is not we being unwilling; rather, the purpose of our spiritual state then was in service to sin. To put it simply, “we’re doing it for sin even when we’re breathing”, this is because since Adam, the spirit of sinning (master) has already dwelled in us. But the bible said when the gift of Christ (the gift of grace) comes upon us and redeems us from the slavery of sin, the life that truly believes in the Lord we now have does not give us independence. Instead, we have become the slaves to obedience. Why does it not say “free man” to obedience, instead, it says “slaves”? This tells us that we the creation can never delight in having independence; we can only delight in a life of obedience (obey to the Lord who has given life). When one believes in Christ, he receives the spirit of submission simultaneously, and thus he is able to obey God, and willing to seek how to obey God. Here, we ought to know that there’re 2 masters in this infinite spiritual world, one is sin and one is God. A man’s soul belongs to one of them automatically; it’s either becoming the slave of sin (thus continue sinning) or the slave to obedience (cannot don’t obey God). Therefore, here it reveals 2 kinds of lives that are distinguished by “believing in Christ”. The one who truly believes will come to realize that what he used to think, speak and talk were all in service to sin, satisfy flesh and uplift self, and it was just so natural to live in these back then, and it was beyond his control! However, he also realized that after believing in Christ, there is a new birth of a spirit that “cannot don’t obey God” working within him, binding him like a silken fetter and causing him to obey Lord willingly and joyfully in his thoughts, emotions and will. Here, it also appears as if it is beyond his control, yet he is truly joyful and happy in his inner heart. Such spiritual experience also leads him to the assurance of his ending is eternity.