當保羅吶喊：「我真是苦啊！」時，他道出了所有人的心聲。他的苦境源於上帝的律法在他天性裡造成的衝擊。在沒有律法以前，人根本不知道自己是個罪人。事實上，沒有律法，罪也不存在，「因為沒有律法，罪是死的」（8節下）。但律法一登場，演員就立刻察覺到自己在靈性和道德上的赤裸光景。更可悲的是，律法對人的這種苦境是一點辦法也沒有──我們沒有一個人能守全律法，因此只有滅亡的分。

        與上述苦境並存的是我們裡面有一種道德本能，會確認律法是善的。律法強制我們去做我們罪惡天性不想做的事，如此，我們就「承認律法是善的」（16節）。但即使我們在心裡上是「順服上帝的律」，十有八九我們的行為卻背叛我們，去「順服罪的律」（25節下）難怪有時我們會暗自希望終其一生都不要曉得自己離「上帝的榮耀」有多遠。「快樂的無知」似乎讓日子容易過些。

        然而，受苦的人還是有盼望的，當我們還在知行無法合一的惡性循環中時，「如今，那些在基督耶穌裡的就不定罪了」（8：1）。我們可以完全仰仗上帝的憐憫，接受祂兒子在加略山所獻的贖罪祭。我們可以稱祂為我們的救主、中保、和我們的朋友。如此一來，惡性的循環就被攻破，代之以順服的生活，和「出人意外的平安」。苦境成了蒙福的前奏曲。

        主啊，我們全心全意的讚美您，因為如今在基督耶穌裡的就不再定罪了──哈利路亞！求您賜給我們恩典使我們天天決意（而非妥協）不隨肉體，只隨聖靈。奉主耶穌聖名，阿們！

English

        Paul speaks for all of us when he cries, “What a wretched man I am!” His wretchedness springs out of what the Law of God exposes in his nature. Until the Law came along, man didn’t even know he was a sinner. In fact, without the Law there’s no sin, “For apart from law, sin is dead” (v.8b). But as soon as the Law entered the stage, the actor recognized his spiritual and moral nakedness (v.7b). What’s more, the Law gave no hope for man in his wretchedness – none of us can fulfill all the Law, and so it hammers us into the pit of hell.

        Compounding our wretchedness is a moral instinct within us that affirms the rightness of the Law. The Law constrains us to do what our sinful nature doesn’t want to do, and in so doing we “agree that the Law is good” (v.16). But, nine times out of ten, even though we’re mentally “a slave to God’s law” we, nevertheless, find our performance betraying us as “a slave of the law of sin” (v.25b). Little wonder we sometimes wish we could have lived and died without ever knowing how far we were from “God’s glory”. There’s something to be said for being “blissfully ignorant”.

        But there’s hope for the wretched. Even while we are caught in the vicious cycle of knowing what’s right and failing to do it, “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1). We can cast ourselves on God’s mercy by accepting the “sin offering” of His Son’s sacrifice on Calvary. We can claim Him as our Savior, our Mediator, our Friend. In so doing, the vicious cycle will be broken, and in it’s place will be obedient living, and “a peace that passes understanding”. Wretchedness will give way to blessedness.

        O lord, all our heart, soul mind and body praise You that is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus – Hallelujah! Grant us Your daily grace to decide, without compromise, to walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Amen.