8

在圣灵里的生活

1如今,那些在基督耶稣里的人就不被定罪了。 2因为赐生命的圣灵的律,在基督耶稣里从罪和死的律中把你释放出来。 3律法既因肉体软弱而无能为力,上帝就差遣自己的儿子成为罪身的样子,为了对付罪,在肉体中定了罪, 4为要使律法要求的义,实现在我们这不随从肉体、只随从圣灵去行的人身上。 5因为,随从肉体的人体贴肉体的事;随从圣灵的人体贴圣灵的事。 6体贴肉体就是死;体贴圣灵就是生命和平安 7因为体贴肉体就是与上帝为敌,对上帝的律法不顺服,事实上也无法顺服。 8属肉体的人无法使上帝喜悦。
9如果上帝的灵住在你们里面,你们就不属肉体,而是属圣灵了。人若没有基督的灵,就不是属基督的。 10基督若在你们里面,身体就因罪而死,灵却因义而活。 11然而,使耶稣从死人中复活的上帝的灵若住在你们里面,那使基督从死人中复活的,也必藉着住在你们里面的圣灵使你们必死的身体又活过来。
12弟兄们,这样看来,我们不是欠肉体的债去顺从肉体而活。 13你们若顺从肉体活着,必定会死;若靠着圣灵把身体的恶行处死,就必存活。 14因为凡被上帝的灵引导的都是上帝的儿子。 15你们所领受的不是奴仆的灵,仍旧害怕;所领受的是儿子名分的灵,因此我们呼叫:“阿爸,父!” 16圣灵自己与我们的灵一同见证我们是上帝的儿女。 17若是儿女,就是后嗣,是上帝的后嗣,和基督同作后嗣。如果我们和他一同受苦,是要我们和他一同得荣耀。

将来的荣耀

18我认为,现在的苦楚,若比起将来要显示给我们的荣耀,是不足介意的。 19受造之物切望等候上帝的众子显出来。 20-21因为受造之物屈服在虚空之下,不是自己愿意,而是因那使它屈服的叫他如此。但受造之物仍然指望从败坏的辖制下得释放,得享上帝儿女荣耀的自由。 22我们知道,一切受造之物一同呻吟,一同忍受阵痛,直到如今。 23不但如此,就是我们这有圣灵作初熟果子的,也是自己内心呻吟,等候得着儿子的名分,就是我们的身体得救赎。 24我们得救是在于盼望;可是看得见的盼望就不是盼望。谁还去盼望他所看得见的呢? 25但我们若盼望那看不见的,我们就耐心等候。
26同样,我们的软弱有圣灵帮助。我们本不知道当怎样祷告,但是圣灵亲自用无可言喻的叹息替我们祈求。 27那鉴察人心的知道圣灵所体贴的,因为圣灵照着上帝的旨意替圣徒祈求。 28我们知道,万事都互相效力,叫爱上帝的人得益处,就是按他旨意被召的人。 29因为他所预知的人,他也预定他们效法他儿子的榜样,使他儿子在许多弟兄中作长子 30他所预定的人,他又召他们来;所召来的人,他又称他们为义;所称为义的人,他又叫他们得荣耀。

不能隔绝的爱

31既是这样,我们对这些事还要怎么说呢?上帝若帮助我们,谁能抵挡我们呢? 32上帝既不顾惜自己的儿子,为我们众人舍了他,岂不也把万物和他一同白白地赐给我们吗? 33谁能控告上帝所拣选的人呢?有上帝称他们为义了。 34谁能定他们的罪呢?有基督耶稣 已经死了,而且复活了,现今在上帝的右边,也替我们祈求。 35谁能使我们与基督的爱隔绝呢?难道是患难吗?是困苦吗?是迫害吗?是饥饿吗?是赤身露体吗?是危险吗?是刀剑吗? 36如经上所记:
  “我们为你的缘故终日被杀;
  人看我们如将宰的羊。”
37然而,靠着爱我们的主,在这一切的事上,我们已经得胜有余了。 38因为我深信,无论是死,是活,是天使,是掌权的,是有权能的 ,是现在的事,是将来的事, 39是高处的,是深处的,是别的受造之物,都不能使我们与上帝的爱隔绝,这爱是在我们的主基督耶稣里的。

8

Life Through the Spirit

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
12Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Present Suffering and Future Glory

18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More Than Conquerors

31What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
  “For your sake we face death all day long;
   we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.