羅馬書 7
律法的約束力
1 弟兄們，我對你們這些明白律法的人說，你們豈不知道律法約束人是在他活著的時候嗎？ 2 就如女人有了丈夫，丈夫還活著，她就被律法約束；丈夫若死了，她就從丈夫的律法中解脫了。 3 所以丈夫還活著，她若跟了別的男人，就叫淫婦；丈夫若死了，她就脫離了律法，雖然跟了別的男人，也不是淫婦。
4 我的弟兄們，這樣說來，你們藉著基督的身體對律法也是死了，使你們歸於另一位，就是歸於那從死人中復活的，為要使我們結果子給上帝。 5 因為我們屬肉體的時候，那因律法而生犯罪的慾望在我們肢體中發動，以致結出死亡的果子。 6 但如今，我們既然在捆綁我們的律法上死了，就從律法中解脫，使我們服侍主，要按著聖靈t的新樣，不按著儀文的舊樣。
律法與罪的關係
7 這樣，我們要怎麼說呢？律法是罪嗎？絕對不是！但是，若不是藉著律法，我就不知何為罪；若不是律法說「不可貪心」，我就不知何為貪心。 8 然而，罪趁著機會，藉著誡命，使各樣的貪心在我裏頭發動，因為沒有律法，罪是死的。 9 以前沒有律法的時候，我是活的；但是誡命來到，罪活起來， 10 我就死了。那本該叫人活的誡命反而叫我死。 11 因為罪趁著機會，藉著誡命誘惑我，並且藉著誡命殺了我。 12 這樣看來，律法是聖的，誡命也是聖的、義的、善的。 13 那麼，那善的是叫我死嗎？絕對不是！叫我死的是罪。罪藉著那善的叫我死，為要顯出這真是罪，以致罪藉著誡命更顯出是惡極了。
靈與肉的交戰
14 我們原知道律法是屬靈的，我卻是屬肉體的，是已經賣給罪了。 15 因為我所做的，我自己不明白。我所願意的，我並不做；我所恨惡的，我反而去做。 16 如果我所做的是我所不願意的，我得承認律法是善的。 17 事實上，這不是我做的，而是住在我裏面的罪做的。 18 我也知道，住在我裏面的，就是我肉體之中，沒有善。因為立志為善由得我，只是行出來由不得我。 19 我所願意的善，我不去做；我所不願意的惡，我反而去做。 20 如果我去做我不願意做的，就不是我做的，而是住在我裏面的罪做的。 21 我覺得有個律，就是我願意行善的時候，就有惡纏著我。 22 因為，按著我裏面的人，我喜歡上帝的律， 23 但我看出肢體中另有個律和我內心的律交戰，把我擄去，使我附從那肢體中罪的律。 24 我真苦啊！誰能救我脫離這必死的身體呢？ 25 感謝上帝，靠著我們的主耶穌基督就能！這樣看來，一方面，我內心順服上帝的律，另一方面，肉體卻順服罪的律了。
ROMANS 7
An Example from Marriage
1 My friends, you surely understand enough about law to know that laws only have power over people who are alive. 2 For example, the Law says that a man's wife must remain his wife as long as he lives. But once her husband is dead, she is free
3 to marry someone else. However, if she goes off with another man while her husband is still alive, she is said to be unfaithful.
4 That is how it is with you, my friends. You are now part of the body of Christ and are dead to the power of the Law. You are free to belong to Christ, who was raised to life so we could serve God. 5 When we thought only of ourselves, the Law made us have sinful desires. It made every part of our bodies into slaves who are doomed to die.
6 But the Law no longer rules over us. We are like dead people, and it cannot have any power over us. Now we can serve God in a new way by obeying his Spirit, and not in the old way by obeying the written Law.The Battle with Sin
7 t Does this mean that the Law is sinful? Certainly not! But if it had not been for the Law, I would not have known what sin is really like. For example, I would not have known what it means to want something that belongs to someone else, unless the Law had told me not to do this.
8 It was sin that used this command as a way of making me have all kinds of desires. But without the Law, sin is dead.
9 Before I knew about the Law, I was alive. But as soon as I heard that command, sin came to life, 10 and I died. The very command that was supposed to bring life to me, instead brought death. 11 t Sin used this command to trick me, and because of it I died.
12 Still, the Law and its commands are holy and correct and good.
13 Am I saying something good caused my death? Certainly not! It was sin that killed me by using something good. Now we can see how terrible and evil sin really is. 14 We know that the Law is spiritual. But I am merely a human, and I have been sold as a slave to sin. 15 t In fact, I don't understand why I act the way I do. I don't do what I know is right. I do the things I hate. 16 Although I don't do what I know is right, I agree that the Law is good.
17 So I am not the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.
18 I know that my selfish desires won't let me do anything that is good. Even when I want to do right, I cannot. 19 Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong.
20 And so, if I don't do what I know is right, I am no longer the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.
21 The Law has shown me that something in me keeps me from doing what I know is right. 22 With my whole heart I agree with the Law of God. 23 But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do. 24 What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die?
25 Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me.
So with my mind I serve the Law of God, although my selfish desires make me serve the law of sin.