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 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 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 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.
Līdzība ar laulību
1 Vai gan jūs, brāļi, kas bauslību pazīstat, nezināt, ka bauslība valda pār cilvēku, kamēr viņš dzīvo? 2 Bauslība saista sievu pie vīra, kamēr viņš dzīvo, bet, ja vīrs nomirst, viņa kļūst brīva no likuma, kas viņu saista pie vīra. 3 Tātad, ja viņa kļūst par sievu citam, kamēr vīrs vēl ir dzīvs, viņu sauc par laulības pārkāpēju. Bet, ja vīrs nomirst, viņa kļūst brīva no likuma saistībām un, kļūdama par sievu citam, nav vairs laulības pārkāpēja. 4 Tā arī jūs, mani brāļi, caur Jēzus Kristus miesu esat miruši bauslībai, lai piederētu citam – tam, kas no mirušiem augšāmcelts, lai mēs varētu nest augļus Dievam. 5 Kamēr mēs vēl bijām miesīgi, kaislības, kas pēc bauslības ir grēcīgas, darbojās mūsu locekļos, nesdamas nāves augļus. 6 Bet tagad, nomiruši bauslībā, esam atbrīvoti no tās, kas mūs cieši saistīja, mēs nu kalpojam pēc jaunā Gara, nevis pēc vecā burta.
Bauslība ierosina grēku
7 Ko lai mēs sakām? Bauslība ir grēks? Nē, taču! Bet citādi es grēku nevarētu iepazīt kā vien caur bauslību, jo es nebūtu iepazinis iekāri, ja bauslība nebūtu teikusi: neiekāro. 8 Bet grēks, caur bausli guvis ieganstu, manī rosināja dažādas iekāres, jo bez bauslības grēks ir nedzīvs. 9 Bija laiks, kad es dzīvoju bez bauslības. Bet, bauslim atnākot, grēks atdzīvojās 10 un es nomiru. Tā nu tas pats bauslis, kas man bija dots uz dzīvību, izrādījās uz nāvi, 11 tādēļ ka grēks, ieganstu guvis, mani caur bausli pievīla un nonāvēja. 12 Tātad bauslība ir svēta un bauslis ir svēts un taisns, un labs. 13 Vai tad labais man tapa par nāvi? Nē, taču! Tas bija grēks, kas atklājas kā grēks, un caur labo manī tas rada nāvi, lai grēks caur bausli kļūtu pārpārēm grēcīgs. 14 Mēs zinām, ka bauslība ir garīga, bet es esmu miesīgs, pārdots grēka verdzībā. 15 Es neapjēdzu, ko pats daru, jo es nerīkojos tā, kā gribu, bet daru to, ko pats ienīstu. 16 Bet, ja daru to, ko negribu, tad es piebalsoju bauslībai, ka tā ir laba. 17 Tad nu es vairs neesmu tas darītājs, bet grēks, kas manī mājo. 18 Es zinu, ka manī, tas ir, manā miesā, nemājo labais; es gan varu gribēt labu, bet piepildīt nevaru. 19 Nevis to labo, ko gribu, es daru, bet rīkojos ļauni, kā pats negribu. 20 Un, ja es daru to, ko negribu, tad ne jau es to daru, bet manī mītošais grēks. 21 Es saskatu šādu likumu: kad gribu darīt labo, man piestājas ļaunais. 22 Pēc sava iekšējā cilvēka es ar prieku piekrītu Dieva bauslībai, 23 bet savos locekļos es manu citu likumu, kas karo pret mana prāta likumu un sagūsta mani tajā grēka bauslībā, kas ir manos locekļos. 24 Es, nožēlojamais cilvēks! Kas mani izraus no šīs nāvei padotās miesas? 25 Pateicība Dievam caur Jēzu Kristu, mūsu Kungu! Tā nu es ar prātu kalpoju Dieva bauslībai, bet ar miesu – grēka bauslībai.
