7月1日

標　　題：義的奴僕

經　　節：耶穌看見這許多的人，就上了山，既已坐下，門徒到祂跟前來，祂就開口教訓他們。你們既從罪裡得了釋放，就作了義的奴僕。（馬太福音五章1∼2節）（羅馬書六章18節）

在你成為基督徒之前，你是罪的奴僕，被罪所捆綁。就算你根本不想犯罪，還是會不由自主去做（羅馬書七：15∼24）。當神拯救你之後，祂把你由罪惡中釋放出來，然而，你的身分還是奴僕。現在你不再被罪惡捆綁，你是被公義捆綁。在你生命每個角落，你有義務要榮耀神。

有些人以為基督已經釋放自己，因此可以為所欲為。事實並非如此。使徒保羅理解到，在跟隨基督之後，他變成基督的「奴僕」，不但如此，他的生命再也不是他自己的（羅馬書一：1）。他不再作罪的奴隸，他是神與神公義的奴隸。當人們惡待他的時候，他已經放棄天然本性的反應，取而代之的是有一股力量，讓他能以公義回應。當他被試探的時候，他不再屈服於自己的感受。保羅在工作場合不會有自私的行為。他瞭解身為義的奴僕，他有義務要過聖潔的生活，以榮耀他的主。

公義的生活不是基督徒的選擇，也不是一件得時時嘗試去做的事。它是一項義務，是神的每一位兒女所當行的事。在基督裡的自由，不是高興做什麼就做什麼，而是以公義過日子的自由，這不是被罪捆綁時所能做到的。現在我們有自由，能過公義的生活，務必要容許聖靈在生命結出聖潔且成聖生活的果子（約翰一書三：7）。

Slaves of Righteousness

And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6:18)

Before you were a Christian you were a slave, in to sin. Even when you did not want to sin, you were unable to do otherwise (Rom. 7:15–24). When God saved you, He freed you from sin, but you remained a slave. Now, rather than being bound to sin, you are bound to righteousness. In every area of your life you are obligated to do what honors God.

There are some who believe that when Christ sets them free, they are free to do whatever they want. That is not so. The apostle Paul realized that when he began following Christ he became a “bondservant” of Christ, and his life was no longer his own (Rom. 1:1). Now, rather than being enslaved to sin, he was enslaved to God and His righteousness. When people mistreated him, he had forfeited the right to respond from his natural feelings but was compelled to offer a righteous response. When he was tempted, he was no longer free to succumb to his feelings. Paul could not enter the workplace and act selfishly. He understood that, as a slave of righteousness, he was obligated to live a holy life, honoring his Master.

Righteous living is not an option for a Christian. Nor is it something we must try to do over time. It is an obligation, mandatory for every child of God. Our freedom in Christ is not freedom to do what we want. It is freedom to live righteously, something we could not do when we were in to sin. Now that we are free to live righteously, we must allow the Holy Spirit to produce in us a holy, sanctified life (1 John 3:7).