Read: Romans 7:14–25

The only difference between Christians and everyone else is forgiveness.

基督徒是蒙恩的罪人。

I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. Romans 7:18

立志为善由得我，只是行出来由不得我。-罗马书7章18节

In his book Jumping Through Fires, David Nasser tells the story of his spiritual journey. Before he began a relationship with Jesus, he was befriended by a group of Christian teens. Although most of the time his buddies were generous, winsome, and nonjudgmental, David witnessed one of them lie to his girlfriend. Feeling convicted, the young man later confessed and asked for her forgiveness. Reflecting on this, David said that the incident drew him closer to his Christian friends. He realized that they needed grace, just as he did.

大卫·奈索（David Nasser）年幼时就因伊朗发生动乱而来到美国。在谈到信主的历程时，他提到自己少年时期还没信主时，就有一群基督徒朋友。虽然这些朋友很慷慨、活泼，而且没有种族歧视，但大卫看到他们当中有人对女朋友撒谎。后来这人因为内心不安，就向女朋友认错，请求原谅。当大卫回想此事时，他觉得这件事拉近了他与基督徒朋友的关系。因为他体会到他们需要恩典，就像他自己一样。

We don’t have to act like we’re perfect with the people we know. It’s okay to be honest about our mistakes and struggles. The apostle Paul openly referred to himself as the worst of all sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). He also described his wrestling match with sin in Romans 7, where he said, “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (v. 18). Unfortunately, the opposite was also true: “The evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (v. 19).

在认识的人面前，我们不需要总是表现得很完美。我们可以坦承自己的过失，以及内心的挣扎。使徒保罗也曾公开表示，他是罪人中的罪魁(提摩太前书1章15节) 。在罗马书7章，他还提到自己与罪搏斗争战，他说：“立志为善由得我，只是行出来由不得我” (18节) ，而且更糟糕的是“我所不愿意的恶，我倒去做” (19节) 。

Being open about our struggles puts us on the same level with every other human alive—which is right where we belong! However, because of Jesus Christ, our sin will not follow us into eternity. It’s like the old saying goes, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.”

当我们坦承心里的痛苦挣扎，就是让他人知道我们和他们一样软弱，我们都是罪人。然而，因为耶稣基督的救赎，我们的罪可以得到赦免，得进入永生，所以人们常说：“基督徒不是完美，只是蒙了赦免。”

Dear Jesus, I worship You as the only perfect human ever to live. Thank You for making it possible for me to have victory over sin.

亲爱的耶稣，我敬拜祢，因为世人中惟独祢最完美。我感谢祢，因祢使我能胜过一切罪恶。

Romans 7:14-25New International Version (NIV)

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[b] a slave to the law of sin.

整理：于姊妹