神在基督裏的恩賜
羅馬書六章15至23節
15這卻怎麼樣呢？我們在恩典之下，不在律法之下，就可以犯罪嗎？斷乎不可！
16豈不曉得你們獻上自己作奴僕，順從誰，就作誰的奴僕嗎？或作罪的奴僕，以至於死；或作順命的奴僕，以至成義。
17感謝神！因為你們從前雖然作罪的奴僕，現今卻從心裡順服了所傳給你們道理的模範。
18你們既從罪裡得了釋放，就作了義的奴僕。
19我因你們肉體的軟弱，就照人的常話對你們說：你們從前怎樣將肢體獻給不潔不法作奴僕，以至於不法；現今也要照樣將肢體獻給義作奴僕，以至於成聖。
20因為你們作罪之奴僕的時候，就不被義約束了。
21你們現今所看為羞恥的事，當日有甚麼果子呢？那些事的結局就是死！
22但現今你們既從罪裡得了釋放，作了神的奴僕，就有成聖的果子，那結局就是永生！
23因為罪的工價乃是死；惟有神的恩賜，在我們的主基督耶穌裡，乃是永生。
信息分享
幾乎每個大洲都有巨大的分水嶺，使河流分道而流，各奔前路。人生的河流也會流向生與死這兩個截然不同的目的地。讓我們再看看這節引人注意的經文中的用詞。
「工價」通常是指士兵的軍餉，是他應得的工資。「罪」的含義很廣，包括我們熟悉的背逆、懷疑、不信、失敗和不能正中目標。「死亡」可以理解為「分隔」，肉體的死亡是人的身體與心靈和靈魂的分隔；屬靈的死亡是人與神的分隔；永遠的死亡即永遠與神隔絕。
將這幾個詞連接起來，我們便清楚看見我們在基督以外的境況，我們是與神分隔的罪人，除了活該永遠與神隔絕之外，不配得任何東西。但是，下一個詞「惟有」卻帶給我們盼望。這節經文告訴我們甚麼呢？「惟有神的恩賜」，意指我們不配得到任何恩賜。人總想要這樣理解這節經文：「好人的工價就是永生。」但這不是它要表達的意思。
救恩是神的恩賜，我們卻曾背逆得罪祂。多麼奇妙！祂賜給我們甚麼呢？就是永生──與死亡和隔絕完全相反。生命就是我們能夠對環境做出回應；永生則是我們藉著耶穌基督能夠與神相交。耶穌曾說過：「認識你獨一的真神，並且認識你所差來的耶穌基督，這就是永生。」認識神就是向祂作出回應，在我們的生命中，得著祂的生命與同在。這豈不是奇妙的恩賜嗎？
THE GIFT OF GOD IN CHRIST
Romans 6: 15-23
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.
18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Message
In almost every continent there is a great divide which decides the final destination of each river. In the same way here are two streams with destinations which could not be further apart, life and death.
Let’s look again at the words of this remarkable verse.
“Wages” was often used for soldier’s pay, that which was owed to the man. It was rightfully his. “Sin” can cover many terms, all of them known to us: disobedience, doubt, unbelief, failure, and missing the mark. “Death” can simply be defined as separation. Physical death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body. Spiritual death is separation from God. Eternal death is that same separation made permanent.
Put those words together and we have a clear picture of our position outside of Christ. We are sinners, separated from God and deserving nothing less than being separated from Him for Eternity. What is the next word? There’s hope in this word “BUT”. What does the verse say? “But the gift”, that is, we don’t deserve any gift. Men want to read into this verse, “The wages of being a good person is eternal life” but that is not what it says.
Salvation is a gift from God, the very Person whom we have disobeyed and wronged. Isn’t that wonderful? What does He give? He gives eternal life, the opposite of death and separation. Life is the ability to respond to environment. Eternal life is our ability to be in fellowship with God through Jesus Christ. He Himself said, “this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3) To know God is to be able to respond to Him and share in His life, and to be in His presence in our lives. Isn’t that a wonderful gift?