神在基督里的恩赐
罗马书六章15至23节
15这却怎么样呢？我们在恩典之下，不在律法之下，就可以犯罪吗？断乎不可！
16岂不晓得你们献上自己作奴仆，顺从谁，就作谁的奴仆吗？或作罪的奴仆，以至于死；或作顺命的奴仆，以至成义。
17感谢神！因为你们从前虽然作罪的奴仆，现今却从心里顺服了所传给你们道理的模范。
18你们既从罪里得了释放，就作了义的奴仆。
19我因你们肉体的软弱，就照人的常话对你们说：你们从前怎样将肢体献给不洁不法作奴仆，以至于不法；现今也要照样将肢体献给义作奴仆，以至于成圣。
20因为你们作罪之奴仆的时候，就不被义约束了。
21你们现今所看为羞耻的事，当日有甚么果子呢？那些事的结局就是死！
22但现今你们既从罪里得了释放，作了神的奴仆，就有成圣的果子，那结局就是永生！
23因为罪的工价乃是死；惟有神的恩赐，在我们的主基督耶稣里，乃是永生。
信息分享
几乎每个大洲都有巨大的分水岭，使河流分道而流，各奔前路。人生的河流也会流向生与死这两个截然不同的目的地。让我们再看看这节引人注意的经文中的用词。
「工价」通常是指士兵的军饷，是他应得的工资。「罪」的含义很广，包括我们熟悉的背逆、怀疑、不信、失败和不能正中目标。「死亡」可以理解为「分隔」，肉体的死亡是人的身体与心灵和灵魂的分隔；属灵的死亡是人与神的分隔；永远的死亡即永远与神隔绝。
将这几个词连接起来，我们便清楚看见我们在基督以外的境况，我们是与神分隔的罪人，除了活该永远与神隔绝之外，不配得任何东西。但是，下一个词「惟有」却带给我们盼望。这节经文告诉我们甚么呢？「惟有神的恩赐」，意指我们不配得到任何恩赐。人总想要这样理解这节经文：「好人的工价就是永生。」但这不是它要表达的意思。
救恩是神的恩赐，我们却曾背逆得罪祂。多么奇妙！祂赐给我们甚么呢？就是永生──与死亡和隔绝完全相反。生命就是我们能够对环境做出回应；永生则是我们借着耶稣基督能够与神相交。耶稣曾说过：「认识你独一的真神，并且认识你所差来的耶稣基督，这就是永生。」认识神就是向祂作出回应，在我们的生命中，得着祂的生命与同在。这岂不是奇妙的恩赐吗？
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?