2月6日

標　　題： 那纏累我們的罪

經　　節： 我們既有這許多的見證人，如同雲彩圍著我們，就當放下各樣的重擔，脫去容易纏累我們的罪，存心忍耐，奔那擺在我們前頭的路程。（希伯來書十二章1節）

罪是最頑強、最致命的敵人。罪掠奪神所賜的每一樣美好事物。保羅告訴我們，罪惡帶來死亡〈羅馬書七：11〉。然而，罪十分狡猾。罪悄悄地逼近你生命中最料想不到的地方。罪把自己包裝的極其美麗，好消除我們對它的疑慮。於是，我們被罪欺哄，以為它對我們無害〈哥林多後書十一章：14~15〉罪悄然且無情地纏上我們。只要被罪所纏擾，就不可能奔走神為我們預定的道路。除非先認清罪的真相，才能由罪的捆綁中脫困而出。如果把罪視為「小錯誤」、「小毛病」或「小弱點」，就永遠不能掙脫它的捆綁。我們一定不可將自己所犯的罪責怪他人，也不可讓驕傲左右我們，使我們羞於承認自己生命中的罪。罪會使我們盲目，看不見事實的真相。罪不總是引起我們的注意，它多半是狡猾地、慢慢地滲透進來，奪取我們屬靈的能力和原該有的勝利。然而好消息是：神的恩典豐富，勝過任何罪的纏擾〈羅馬書五：20〉罪是否奪去你的喜樂？是否妨礙你成為最好的丈夫、妻子、兒女或朋友？是否妨礙你靈性的成熟？如果你正被罪所纏擾，不管沉溺多深，神可以立刻釋放你！

Sin That Entangles Us

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1)

Sin is our most persistent, determined, and pernicious enemy. Sin seeks to rob us of every good thing God has designed for us. Paul tells us that sin brings death (Rom. 7:11). Yet it is very subtle. Sin creeps into our lives when and where we least expect it. It packages itself so attractively that we are lulled into thinking that it cannot really harm us (2 Cor. 11:14–15).

Sin stealthily and relentlessly entangles our lives. We will never be able to run the race marked out for us as long as we are entrapped in sin. We free ourselves from sin’s only if we recognize it for what it is. If we call sin a “mistake,” a “bad habit,” or a “weakness,” we will never escape its grasp. We must not blame our sins on others. We must not allow pride to convince us it is too humiliating to admit the sin in our lives. Sin can blind us to its presence. It does not always command our attention but rather, it subtly and pervasively robs us of the spiritual power and victory that could be ours. The good news is that there is no extent to which sin can entangle us that God’s grace does not abound still more to free us (Rom. 5:20).

Has sin robbed your joy? Has it prevented you from being the best husband, wife, son, daughter, or friend you could be? Is it keeping you from spiritual maturity? If you have become entangled with sin, God can release you immediately, no matter how desperately entangled you may have become!