肉體之中沒有良善 — 羅馬書讀經隨筆 第7章

羅馬書第七章，保羅闡述了一個人若沒有聖靈（即不相信福音）的引導，就會出現“立誌為善由得我，隻是行出來由不得我”的怪現象。這是因為人的肉體之中或者說肢體之中是沒有良善的，或者說罪住在人的肢體裏，因此，肉體服從的是罪的律。一個沒有聖靈的人，也許他心裏有為善的誌向，但是由於心裏沒有耶穌的真理，他所行出來的自覺不自覺的就是反真理的，故此所願意的善反不作，所不願意的惡倒去作（見腓立比書3：1—7）。

羅7:15 因為我所作的、我自己不明白．我所願意的、我並不作．我所恨惡的、我倒去作。
For I don't know what I am doing. For I don't practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.
羅7:16 若我所作的、是我所不願意的、我就應承律法是善的。
But if what I don't desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good.
羅7:17 既是這樣、就不是我作的、乃是住在我裏頭的罪作的。
So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
羅7:18 我也知道、在我裏頭、就是我肉體之中、沒有良善．因為立誌為善由得我、隻是行出來由不得我。
For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don't find it doing that which is good.
羅7:19 故此、我所願意的善、我反不作．我所不願意的惡、我倒去作。
For the good which I desire, I don't do; but the evil which I don't desire, that I practice.
羅7:20 若我去作所不願意作的、就不是我作的、乃是住在我裏頭的罪作的。
But if what I don't desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
羅7:21 我覺得有個律、就是我願意為善的時候、便有惡與我同在。
I find then the law, that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present.
羅7:22 因為按著我裏麵的意思。〔原文作人〕我是喜歡 神的律．
For I delight in God's law after the inward man,
羅7:23 但我覺得肢體中另有個律、和我心中的律交戰、把我擄去叫我附從那肢體中犯罪的律。
but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members.
羅7:24 我真是苦阿、誰能救我脫離這取死的身體呢。
What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?
羅7:25 感謝 神、靠著我們的主耶穌基督就能脫離了。這樣看來、我以內心順服 神的律．我肉體卻順服罪的律了。
I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God's law, but with the flesh, the sin's law.