UThixo Ubonakalisa Uthando Lwakhe Kuthi

‘Ububele obungasifanelanga buya kulawula njengokumkani ngobulungisa ngokubhekisele kubomi obungunaphakade.’—ROMA 5:21.

1, 2. Zizipho izipho ezibini esisenokucinga ngazo, yaye sisiphi esona sikhulu?

“ELONA lifa lamaRoma likhulu elafunyanwa ngabo bangena ezihlangwini zawo yayingumthetho wawo nengcamango awayenayo yokuba kumelwe kuphilwe ngomthetho.” (Utsho uGqr. David J. Williams weYunivesithi YaseMelbourne, eOstreliya) Kodwa ke enoba iyinyaniso kangakanani loo nto, kukho ilifa okanye isipho esinexabiso elikhulu kunelo lifa. Esi sipho yindlela esiyivulelwa nguThixo yokuba sikholeke yaye sibe ngamalungisa emehlweni akhe kwaye sibe nethemba losindiso nelobomi obungunaphakade.

² Ngandlel’ ithile, xa uThixo wayelungiselela esi sipho wasebenzisa okusesikweni kwakhe. KweyabaseRoma isahluko sesi-5, umpostile uPawulos akazange achaze iinkcukacha zomthetho. Kunoko, waqalisa ngesiqinisekiso esibangel’ imincili esithi: “Sivakaliswe singamalungisa ngenxa yokholo, [ngoko] masinandiphe uxolo noThixo ngayo iNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu.” Abo bafumana isipho sikaThixo bashukunyiselwa ukuba nabo bamthande. UPawulos wayengomnye wabo. Wabhala wathi: “Uthando lukaThixo luye lwathululelwa ezintliziyweni zethu ngomoya oyingcwele.”—Roma 5:1, 5.

 3. Yiyiphi imibuzo esengqiqweni ephakamayo?

³ Noko ke, kwakutheni ukuze kufuneke esi sipho sithandekayo? UThixo wayenokubapha njani abantu ngendlela esesikweni neyayiya kubanelisa bonke? Yaye yintoni emele yenziwe ngumntu ngamnye ukuze asifanelekele? Makhe sifumane iimpendulo ezanelisayo zale mibuzo size sibone ukuba zilugxininisa njani uthando lukaThixo.

Uthando LukaThixo Nesono

4, 5. (a) Yiyiphi indlela ebalaseleyo uYehova awabonakalisa ngayo uthando lwakhe? (b) Yiyiphi ingcombolo esinceda siqonde eyabaseRoma 5:12?

⁴ Ngenxa yokuba ebathanda kakhulu abantu, uYehova wathumela uNyana okuphela kwamzeleyo ukuze abancede. UPawulos uyichaza ngale ndlela le nto: “UThixo ubonakalisa uthando lwakhe kuthi ngokuthi, ngoxa sasisengaboni, uKristu asifele.” (Roma 5:8) Cinga ngesi sibakala: “Sasisengaboni.” Bonke abantu bafanele baqonde ukuba kwenzeke njani ukuba babe ngaboni.

⁵ UPawulos wawuchaza lo mba, esithi: “Isono sangena ngamntu mnye ehlabathini nokufa ngaso isono, ngaloo ndlela ukufa kwasasazeka kubo bonke abantu ngenxa yokuba bonke bonayo.” (Roma 5:12) Sinako ukuyiqonda le nto kuba uThixo wabhala ingxelo yendlela obaqala ngayo ubomi bomntu. UYehova wadala abantu ababini, uAdam noEva. UMdali ufezekile, ibe babenjalo nabantu bokuqala, ookhokho bethu. UThixo wabanika umyalelo wamnye waza wabalumkisa ukuba xa bengawuthobeli babeza kufa. (Gen. 2:17) Noko ke, bakhetha ukuhamba ngekhondo elibi, besaphula umyalelo kaThixo, baza ngaloo ndlela bamgatya njengoMwisi-mthetho noMongami.—Dut. 32:4, 5.

 6. (a) Yintoni eyabangela ukuba inzala ka-Adam ife, yaye ngaba uMthetho kaMoses wayitshintsha le meko? (b) Yintoni enokufaniswa nesifo esifunyenwe kubazali?

⁶ UAdam waba nabantwana emva kokuba onile, bonke ebosulela ngesono nangemiphumo yaso. Kakade ke, babengawaphulanga njengoAdam umthetho kaThixo, ngoko abazange babekwe ityala elifanayo nelakhe; kananjalo babengekanikwa mithetho. (Gen. 2:17) Sekunjalo, inzala ka-Adam yasizuza njengelifa isono. Ngoko, abantu baqhubeka benesono yaye besifa kwada kwalixesha uThixo awanika ngalo amaSirayeli umthetho, owabonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba babengaboni. (Funda eyabaseRoma 5:13, 14.) Umphumo wesono esizuzwe njengelifa unokufaniswa nezifo ezithile umntu azifumana kubazali bakhe. Kwanaxa abantwana entsatsheni besosulelwa ngabazali babo ngesifo, basenokungosuleleki bonke. Kodwa isono asinjalo. Sonke sizuze isono sika-Adam njengelifa yaye ngenxa yoko, sonke siza kufa. Ngaba inokuze ilungiswe le ngxaki?

Ilungiselelo LikaThixo NgoYesu Kristu

7, 8. Kwenzeka njani ukuba ikhondo lamadoda amabini afezekileyo likhokelele kwimiphumo eyahlukileyo?

⁷ Ngenxa yokuba uYehova ebathanda abantu, wenze ilungiselelo lokuba boyise isono abasizuz’ ilifa. UPawulos wachaza ukuba eli lungiselelo laliya kuvela ngomnye umntu ofezekileyo—uAdam wesibini. (1 Kor. 15:45) Kodwa ikhondo lendoda nganye kula mabini liye lanemiphumo eyahlukileyo. Njani?—Funda eyabaseRoma 5:15, 16.

⁸ UPawulos wabhala wathi: “Sona isipho asibanga njengesigqitho.” UAdam wayesenzile eso sigqitho, yaye wayekufanele ukufumana isigwebo esiqatha—ukufa. Kodwa ke, akazange afe yedwa. Sifunda oku: “Ngesigqitho somntu omnye kufe abaninzi.” Isigwebo esisesikweni esanikwa uAdam sasifuna ukuba kwenzeke okufanayo kuyo yonke inzala yakhe, kuquka nathi. Sekunjalo, kunokusithuthuzela ukwazi ukuba indoda efezekileyo, uYesu, yakwazi ukusizisela umphumo owahlukileyo. Nguwuphi loo mphumo? Sifumana impendulo kumazwi kaPawulos athetha ‘ngokuvakaliswa kwabantu bazo zonke iintlobo bengamalungisa afanelwe bubomi.’—Roma 5:18.

 9. Yintoni eyayisenziwa nguThixo xa wayevakalisa abantu bengamalungisa, njengoko kuchazwe kweyabaseRoma 5:16, 18?

⁹ Lithetha ukuthini ibinzana lesiGrike eliguqulelwe ngokuthi “uvakaliso lobulungisa” nokuthi “ukuvakaliswa kwabo bengamalungisa”? Omnye umguquleli weBhayibhile wathi: “Asisifaniso somthetho esiphuhlisa ingongoma ethile. Achaza utshintsho kwindlela uThixo amjonga ngayo umntu, kungekhona utshintsho lomntu ngaphakathi . . . Esi sifaniso sisinika umfanekiso-ngqondweni kaThixo engumgwebi omfumanisa engenatyala ummangalelwa, ngokungathi kunjalo, obeziswe kwinkundla kaThixo etyholwa ngokungabi nabulungisa. Kodwa uThixo uyamkhulula ummangalelwa.”

10. Yintoni eyenziwa nguYesu ukuze abantu bakwazi ukuvakaliswa bengamalungisa?

¹⁰ Kunokwenzeka njani ukuba “uMgwebi womhlaba wonke” akhulule umntu ongenabulungisa? (Gen. 18:25) Okokuqala, eqhutywa luthando, uThixo wathumela uNyana okuphela kwamzeleyo ukuba eze emhlabeni. UYesu wenza ukuthanda kukaYise ngokugqibeleleyo, nangona wayehendwa, egculelwa ngokuqatha yaye exhatshazwa. Wayigcina ingqibelelo yakhe kangangokude afe kwisibonda sentuthumbo. (Heb. 2:10) Ngokuncama ubomi bakhe njengomntu ofezekileyo, uYesu wanikela intlawulelo eyayinokukhulula, okanye ihlawulele inzala ka-Adam kwisono nasekufeni.—Mat. 20:28; Roma 5:6-8.

11. Ziintoni ezifanele zilingane ukuze kubekho intlawulelo?

¹¹ Kwenye indinyana, uPawulos wakuchaza oku ‘njengentlawulelo elinganayo.’ (1 Tim. 2:6, NW.) Yayilingana njani? UAdam wabangela ukungafezeki nokufa kwiibhiliyoni zabantu abayinzala yakhe. Liyinyaniso elokuba, uYesu, njengendoda efezekileyo, ngewayezele iibhiliyoni zabantu abafezekileyo.a Ngenxa yoko, besiqiqa ngelithi ukuba bekunokudityaniswa ubomi bukaYesu nobenzala yakhe efezekileyo bekuya kuphuma idini elilingana ncam nobomi buka-Adam nobenzala yakhe engafezekanga. Kodwa ke, iBhayibhile ayitsho ukuba inzala eyayinokuphuma kuYesu yayiza kuba yinxalenye yentlawulelo. EyabaseRoma 5:15-19 ibonisa ukuba ukufa ‘komntu omnye’ nje kuphela kwakuya kukwazi ukhulula abantu. Eneneni, ubomi bukaYesu obufezekileyo babulingana nobuka-Adam. Kumelwe kunikelwe ingqalelo kuYesu Kristu kuphela. Abantu bazo zonke iintlobo baye bakwazi ukufumana isipho sesisa nobomi ngenxa ‘yesenzo sikaYesu esinye sothethelelo,’ ukuthobela kwakhe nokugcina ingqibelelo ukusa ekufeni. (2 Kor. 5:14, 15; 1 Pet. 3:18) Yenzeka njani loo nto?

Ukukhululwa Esonweni Ngentlawulelo

12, 13. Kutheni abo bavakaliswe bengamalungisa befuna inceba nothando lukaThixo?

¹² UYehova uThixo walamkela idini lentlawulelo elanikelwa nguNyana wakhe. (Heb. 9:24; 10:10, 12) Sekunjalo, abafundi bakaYesu abasemhlabeni, kuquka nabapostile bakhe abathembekileyo, baqhubeka bengafezekanga. Nangona babezama ngandlela zonke ukuphepha ukwenza okubi, babengasoloko bephumelela. Ngoba? Kuba basizuza njengelifa isono. (Roma 7:18-20) Kodwa uThixo wayenako ukuyilungisa le nto, ibe wenjenjalo. Wayamkela ‘intlawulelo elinganayo’ waza wakulungela ukuyisebenzisa ukuze ancede abantu abamkhonzayo.

¹³ UThixo akazange asebenzise le ntlawulelo ngenjongo yokuvuza abapostile nabanye abantu ngemisebenzi emihle ababeyenzile. Kunoko, wayisebenzisa intlawulelo kuba enenceba yaye ebathanda kakhulu. Wakhetha ukukhulula abapostile nabanye abantu kwisigwebo ababesifumene, ebajonga njengabantu abakhululweyo kwityala ababelizuze njengelifa. UPawulos wayicacisa le nto esithi: “Ngabo obu bubele bungasifanelanga, niye nasindiswa ngokholo; yaye oku akubanga ngenxa yenu, kusisipho sikaThixo.”—Efe. 2:8.

14, 15. Nguwuphi umvuzo owathenjiswa abo bavakaliswa bengamalungisa nguThixo, kodwa yintoni ekwakusafuneka beyenzile?

¹⁴ Kusisipho esihle ngenene ukuba uSomandla axolele isono umntu asizuze njengelifa kunye nezinto ezimbi azenzileyo! Asinakuze sikwazi ukuzibala izono ezininzi ezenziwa ngabantu ngaphambi kokuba babe ngamaKristu; sekunjalo, ngenxa yentlawulelo, uThixo unokuzixolela zonke. UPawulos wabhala wathi: “Isipho ngenxa yezigqitho ezininzi saphumela kuvakaliso lobulungisa.” (Roma 5:16.) Abapostile nabanye abantu abafumana esi sipho sothando (ukuvakaliswa bengamalungisa) kwakuya kufuneka baqhubeke benqula uThixo wenene benokholo. Babeya kuvuzwa ngantoni? ‘Abo bafumana ububele obungasifanelanga obuninzi nesipho sesisa sobulungisa baya kulawula njengookumkani ebomini ngamntu mnye, uYesu Kristu.’ Ngenene, isipho sobulungisa sisebenza ngendlela eyahlukileyo. Xa ufumene esi sipho, ufumene ubomi.—Roma 5:17; funda uLuka 22:28-30.

¹⁵ Abo bafumana eso sipho, abavakaliswe bengamalungisa, baba ngoonyana bakaThixo bokomoya. Njengeendlalifa noKristu, banethemba lokuvuselwa ezulwini njengoonyana abazizidalwa zomoya ukuze “balawule njengookumkani” kunye noYesu Kristu.—Funda eyabaseRoma 8:15-17, 23.

Uthando LukaThixo Lubonakaliswa Nakwabanye Abantu

16. Abo banethemba lokuphila emhlabeni banokusifumana njani isipho?

¹⁶ Asingabo bonke abantu ababonisa ukholo baze bakhonze uThixo njengamaKristu anyanisekileyo abalindele ‘ukulawula njengookumkani’ noKristu ezulwini. Abaninzi banethemba elisekelwe eBhayibhileni elifanayo nelabakhonzi bakaThixo ababephila ngaphambi kwexesha lamaKristu. Banethemba lokuphila ngonaphakade kumhlaba oyiparadesi. Ngaba kunokwenzeka ukuba basifumane kwanangoku isipho sothando esivela kuThixo ukuze bajongwe njengamalungisa aza kuphila emhlabeni? Xa sijonga oko uPawulos wakubhalela abaseRoma, impendulo eqinisekisayo nguewe!

17, 18. (a) Ngenxa yokholo awayenalo uAbraham, uThixo wamjonga njani? (b) Kwenzeka njani ukuba uYehova ajonge uAbraham njengelungisa?

¹⁷ UPawulos waxubusha ngomzekelo obalaseleyo ka-Abraham, indoda yokholo eyayiphila ngaphambi kokuba uYehova anike amaSirayeli umthetho nakude lee ngaphambi kokuba uKristu avule indlela yokuba abanye baye kuphila ezulwini. (Heb. 10:19, 20) Sifunda oku: “Akubanga ngamthetho athe uAbraham okanye imbewu yakhe yafumana isithembiso sokuba ifanele kukuba yindlalifa yehlabathi, kodwa kwaba ngenxa yobulungisa bokholo.” (Roma 4:13; Yak. 2:23, 24) Ngoko uThixo wamjonga njengelungisa uAbraham owayethembekile.—Funda eyabaseRoma 4:20-22.

¹⁸ Oku akunakuthetha ukuba uAbraham wayengoni ngoxa wayekhonza uYehova ukutyhubela amashumi eminyaka. Akuthethwa loo nto xa kusithiwa wayelilungisa. (Roma 3:10, 23) Noko ke, ngenxa yobulumko bakhe obungasikelwanga mda, uYehova wajonga ukholo olubalaseleyo luka-Abraham nemisebenzi yakhe eyayibangelwa lulo. Phakathi kwezinye izinto, uAbraham waba nokholo ‘kwimbewu’ eyayithenjisiwe eyayiza kuphuma kumnombo wakhe. Loo Mbewu yangqineka inguMesiya okanye uKristu. (Gen. 15:6; 22:15-18) Kwakufanelekile ke ngoko ukuba, ngenxa ‘yentlawulelo ngoKristu Yesu,’ uThixo akwazi ukuxolela izono ezenzeke kwixesha elidluleyo xa egweba. Ngenxa yoko, uAbraham nabanye abantu ababenokholo ababephila ngaphambi kwexesha lamaKristu baza kuvuswa.—Funda eyabaseRoma 3:24, 25; INdu. 32:1, 2.

Ukujongwa Njengelungisa Namhlanje

19. Kutheni indlela uThixo amjonga ngayo uAbraham ifanele ibakhuthaze abaninzi namhlanje?

¹⁹ Isibakala sokuba uThixo onothando wajonga uAbraham njengelungisa sifanele siwakhuthaze amaKristu enene namhlanje. UYehova akazange amvakalise elilungisa ngendlela awenza ngayo kwabo abathambisa ngomoya ukuba babe ‘ziindlalifa ezimanyene noKristu.’ Elo qela lilinani eliqingqiweyo ‘libizelwa ekubeni ngabangcwele’ yaye lamkelwa ‘njengoonyana bakaThixo.’ (Roma 1:7; 8:14, 17, 33) Ngokwahlukileyo koko, uAbraham waba “ngumhlobo kaYehova,”—ngaphambi kokunikelwa kwedini lentlawulelo. (Yak. 2:23; Isa. 41:8) Kuthekani ke ngamaKristu enene anethemba lokuphila kwiParadesi yasemhlabeni ebuyiselweyo?

20. UThixo ulindele ntoni kwabo namhlanje abajonga njengamalungisa njengoAbraham?

²⁰ La maKristu akasifumananga ‘isipho sesisa sokuvakaliswa engamalungisa’ enethemba lokuphila ezulwini ‘ngenxa yokukhululwa ngentlawulelo kaKristu Yesu.’ (Roma 3:24; 5:15, 17) Noko ke, anokholo ngokupheleleyo kuThixo nakumalungiselelo akhe, yaye ukholo lwawo alubonisa ngemisebenzi emihle. Omnye wale misebenzi mihle ‘kukushumayela ngobukumkani bukaThixo nokufundisa ngezinto eziphathelele iNkosi uYesu Kristu.’ (IZe. 28:31) Ngenxa yoko, uYehova unokuwajonga njengamalungisa ngendlela awenza ngayo kuAbraham. Isipho asifumanayo—ubuhlobo noThixo—sahlukile ‘kwisipho sesisa’ esifunyanwa ngabathanjiswa. Sekunjalo, eso sipho asamkela ngezandla ezishushu.

21. Ziziphi iingenelo ezifumanekayo ngenxa yothando nokusesikweni kukaYehova?

²¹ Ukuba unethemba lokuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni, ufanele uqonde ukuba eli thuba akulinikwanga nje ngumlawuli ongumntu engacinganga. Kunoko, libonisa injongo enobulumko yoMongami Wendalo Iphela. UYehova uthathe amanyathelo okuphumeza injongo yakhe. La manyathelo uwathathe ngokuvisisana nokusesikweni kwenene. Ngaphezu koko, abonisa ukuba uThixo unothando olunzulu. Wayefanele uPawulos ukuthi: “UThixo ubonakalisa uthando lwakhe kuthi ngokuthi, ngoxa sasisengaboni, uKristu asifele.”—Roma 5:8.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

Ngaba Uyakhumbula?

• Liliphi ilifa elafunyanwa ngabantu abayinzala ka-Adam, yaye waba yintoni umphumo?

• Yanikelwa njani intlawulelo elinganayo, yaye yayilingana ngayiphi ingqiqo?

• Isipho sokuvakaliswa ulilungisa sikunika liphi ithemba?

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 13]

Umntu ofezekileyo uAdam wona. Umntu ofezekileyo uYesu wanikela ‘ngentlawulelo elinganayo’

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

Ngenxa kaYesu sinokuvakaliswa singamalungisa—ziindaba ezilunge ngenene ezo!