Ukuba Nemihlali Ngethemba Lethu
‘[Kukho] ithemba lobomi obungunaphakade awathi uThixo, ongenakuxoka, wabuthembisa kwantlandlolo.’—TITO 1:2.
IMPINDA
Sazi njani ukuba kubakho uvuyo emazulwini xa omnye wabathanjiswa egcina ingqibelelo yakhe de kube sekufeni?
Ukwazi ithemba lezinye izimvu kunxulumene njani nokwazi ithemba labathanjiswa?
Ukuze sibone ithemba lethu lizaliseka, yiyiphi “ihambo engcwele” ‘nezenzo zozinikelo lobuthixo’ esifanele siyibonise?
1. Ithemba uYehova asinike lona linokusinceda njani sinyamezele?
UYEHOVA ‘nguThixo onika ithemba.’ Watsho njalo umpostile uPawulos waza walek’ umsundulo ngelithi, uYehova ‘angasizalisa ngalo lonke uvuyo noxolo ngokukholwa kwethu, ukuze siphuphume ethembeni sinamandla omoya oyingcwele.’ (Roma 15:13) Ukuba siyaphuphuma lithemba lethu, siya kukwazi ukunyamezela nayiphi na imeko enokuvela, ngoxa iintliziyo zethu zizaliswe luvuyo noxolo. NjengamaKristu athanjisiweyo, elo themba liya kuba ‘yiankile yomphefumlo, liqinisekile yaye liqinile’ nakwamanye amaKristu. (Heb. 6:18, 19) Ithemba lethu yinto esinokunamathela kuyo xa sijamelene neenzingo zobomi, lisincede singathandabuzi okanye siphelelwe lukholo.—Funda amaHebhere 2:1; 6:11.
2. Ngawaphi amathemba amabini aza kufunyanwa ngamaKristu namhlanje, yaye kutheni “ezinye izimvu” zinomdla kwithemba eliza kufunyanwa ngabathanjiswa?
2 AmaKristu aphila ngeli xesha lesiphelo anikela ingqalelo kwelinye lamathemba amabini. Intsalela ‘yomhlambi omncinane’ yamaKristu athanjisiweyo inethemba lobomi bokungafi ezulwini, ibe ngookumkani nababingeleli kunye noKristu eBukumkanini bakhe. (Luka 12:32; ISityhi. 5:9, 10) Inani elikhulu ‘lesihlwele esikhulu’ ‘sezinye izimvu’ linethemba lokuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni oyiparadesi njengabalawulwa boBukumkani bukaMesiya. (ISityhi. 7:9, 10; Yoh. 10:16) Ezinye izimvu azifanele zilibale ukuba ukusindiswa kwazo kuxhomekeke ekuzimiseleni kwazo ukuxhasa ‘abazalwana’ bakaKristu abathanjisiweyo abasesemhlabeni. (Mat. 25:34-40) Abathanjiswa baza kuwufumana umvuzo wabo kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo nazo ezinye izimvu ziza kuwufumana. (Funda amaHebhere 11:39, 40.) Kuqala, makhe sihlole ithemba elibekelwe abathanjiswa.
‘ITHEMBA ELIPHILAYO’ LAMAKRISTU ATHANJISIWEYO
3, 4. AmaKristu athanjisiweyo ‘azalwa njani ngokutsha ngokubhekisele kwithemba eliphilayo,’ yaye liliphi ithemba analo?
3 Umpostile uPetros wabhalela amaKristu athanjisiweyo iincwadi ezimbini, yaye kuzo uwabiza ngokuba ‘ngabo banyuliweyo.’ (1 Pet. 1:1) Wadlulisela iinkcukacha ngethemba elimangalisayo elinikwe umhlambi omncinane. Kwincwadi yakhe yokuqala uPetros wabhala wathi: Makabongwe uThixo noYise weNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu, kuba ngokwenceba yakhe enkulu wasizala ngokutsha ngokubhekisele kwithemba eliphilayo ngokuvuka kukaYesu Kristu kwabafileyo, kwilifa elingenakonakala nelingadyobhekanga nelingambatshiyo. Libekelwe nina emazulwini, nina enilondolozwa ngamandla kaThixo ngokholo ngenxa yosindiso olulungele ukutyhilwa ngexesha lokugqibela. Ngenxa yoko niyaphuphuma yimihlali.”—1 Pet. 1:3-6.
4 Inani elilinganiselweyo lamaKristu anyulwe nguYehova ukuze libe noKristu njengorhulumente woBukumkani basezulwini ‘lizalwa ngokutsha’ njengoonyana bakaThixo abathanjiswe ngomoya. Lithanjiswe ngomoya oyingcwele ukuze libe ngookumkani nababingeleli noKristu. (ISityhi. 20:6) UPetros uthi, oku ‘kuzalwa ngokutsha’ kulivulela ithuba lokuba libe ‘nethemba eliphilayo’ alibiza ngokuba ‘lilifa elingenakonakala, elingadyobhekanga nelingambatshiyo’ elibekelwe lona “emazulwini.” Akumangalisi ke ukuba abathanjiswa ‘babe nemihlali’ ngethemba labo eliphilayo! Noko ke, elo themba baya kulifumana kuphela ukuba bahlala bethembekile.
5, 6. Kutheni amaKristu athanjisiweyo emele enze unako-nako ukuze aqinisekise ngobizo lwawo lwasezulwini?
5 Kwincwadi yakhe yesibini, uPetros ubongoza amaKristu athanjisiweyo ukuba ‘enze unako-nako wokuqinisekisa ngobizo lwawo.’ (2 Pet. 1:10) Afanele azibhokoxe ekuhlakuleleni iimpawu zamaKristu njengokholo, uzinikelo lobuthixo, umsa wobuzalwana nothando. UPetros wathi: “Ukuba ezi zinto zikho kuni yaye ziyaphuphuma, ziya kunithintela ekubeni ngabangasebenzi nto okanye abangenasiqhamo.”—Funda eyesi-2 kaPetros 1:5-8.
6 Kumyalezo wakhe oya kubadala abathanjiswe ngomoya bebandla laseFiladelfi, eAsia Minor, uKristu ovusiweyo wathi: “Ngenxa yokuba uligcinile ilizwi elingonyamezelo lwam, nam ndiya kukugcina ngelixa lovavanyo, eliza kuwufikela umhlaba omiweyo uphela, ukuvavanya abo bahleliyo emhlabeni. Ndiyeza ngokukhawuleza. Qhubeka ukubambe nkqi oko unako, ukuze kungabikho nabani na onokusithabatha isithsaba sakho.” (ISityhi. 3:10, 11) Ukuba umKristu othanjisiweyo akathembeki akazi kusifumana “isithsaba esingambatshiyo sozuko” esithenjiswe abo banyuliweyo abahlala bethembekile de kuse ekufeni.—1 Pet. 5:4; ISityhi. 2:10.
INDLELA YOKUNGENA EBUKUMKANINI
7. Liliphi ithemba elimangalisayo uYude alikhankanya kwincwadi yakhe?
7 Malunga nonyaka wama-65 C.E., umntakwaboYesu uYude wabhalela amaKristu athanjisiweyo, apho wawachaza ngokuthi ‘angabo babiziweyo.’ (Yude 1; thelekisa amaHebhere 3:1) Wayefuna ukuwabhalela ngethemba elizukileyo losindiso athi amaKristu anobizo loBukumkani bukaThixo basezulwini ‘abelana ngalo.’ (Yude 3) Nangona kwakukho imibandela engxamisekileyo awayefuna ukuthetha ngayo, xa wayequkumbela incwadi yakhe emfutshane wathetha ngethemba elimangalisayo abelana ngalo amaKristu athanjisiweyo esithi: “Ke kaloku kulowo ukwaziyo ukunilondoloza ekukhubekeni, nokunimisa ningenasiphako ebuqaqawulini bakhe, ninovuyo olukhulu, kuThixo okukuphela kwakhe, uMsindisi wethu ngoYesu Kristu iNkosi yethu, makube luzuko, ubungangamsha, amandla negunya ngoku, nangonaphakade kanaphakade.”—Yude 24, 25.
8. Ngokuvumelana noYude 24, sinokuqiniseka njani ukuba kubakho uvuyo ezulwini xa omnye wabathanjiswa ezingqina ethembekile?
8 Licacile elokuba, amaKristu athanjisiweyo nathembekileyo afuna ukulondolozwa ekukhutyekisweni ngabanye abantu de atshabalale. Ithemba lawo elisekelwe eBhayibhileni kukuba uYesu Kristu uza kubavusa ekufeni, ebavumela ukuba abonakale engumoya phambi koThixo evuya. Xa omnye wabathanjiswa esifa ethembekile, ngokuqinisekileyo uya ‘kuvuswa enomzimba womoya’ ‘enokungonakali nozuko.’ (1 Kor. 15:42-44) Ukuba kubakho “uvuyo olungakumbi ezulwini ngenxa yomoni omnye oguqukayo,” sinokuqiniseka ukuba kubakho uvuyo olungakumbi emazulwini xa omnye wabazalwana bakaKristu abathanjiswe ngomoya egcine ingqibelelo yakhe de afe. (Luka 15:7) UYehova nezidalwa ezithembekileyo zomoya baya kuvuya kunye nalowo uthanjisiweyo uya kufumana umvuzo wakhe ‘enovuyo olukhulu.’—Funda eyoku-1 kaYohane 3:2.
9. Ukungena eBukumkanini ‘kubabonelele ngokutyebileyo’ njani abathanjiswa abathembekileyo, yaye eli themba libachaphazela njani abathanjiswa abasesemhlabeni?
9 Ngokufanayo, ebhalela amaKristu athanjisiweyo uPetros wathi, ukuba ayaluqinisekisa ubizo lwawo ngokuthembeka, ‘aya kubonelelwa ngokutyebileyo ngokungeniswa kubukumkani obungunaphakade beNkosi noMsindisi wawo uYesu Kristu.’ (2 Pet. 1:10, 11) Xa uPetros esithi ukungena kwawo eBukumkanini aya ‘kubonelelwa ngokutyebileyo’ kusenokuba wayebhekisela ekubeni aya kungena ezulwini enozuko olukhulu. Kunokwenzeka ukuba wayebhekisela nakwiintsikelelo ezininzi ayeza kuzifumana ezulwini. Asenokujonga emva kubomi bawo bokuthembeka, iintliziyo zawo zizaliswe luvuyo nombulelo. Ngokuqinisekileyo eli themba linika amaKristu athanjisiweyo asesemhlabeni amandla ukuze ‘iingqondo zawo ziqiniselwe umsebenzi.’—1 Pet. 1:13.
‘ITHEMBA’ LEZINYE IZIMVU
10, 11. (a) Zinaliphi ithemba ezinye izimvu? (b) Ukwazi ithemba lasemhlabeni kunxibelelene njani noKristu ‘nokutyhilwa koonyana bakaThixo’?
10 Umpostile uPawulos wabhala ngethemba elizukileyo ‘loonyana bakaThixo’ abathanjiswe ngomoya ‘njengeendlalifa’ zikaKristu. Wakhankanya nethemba elimangalisayo uYehova alibekele inani elikhulu lezinye izimvu wathi: “Indalo [abantu] ilinde ngentumekelelo ukutyhilwa koonyana bakaThixo [abathanjiswa]. Kuba indalo yalulanyiselwa kokuphuthileyo, kungengakuthanda kwayo kodwa ngalowo wayilulamisayo, ngethemba lokuba nayo indalo ngokwayo iya kukhululwa ekukhotyokisweni kukonakala ize ibe nenkululeko ezukileyo yabantwana bakaThixo.”—Roma 8:14-21.
11 Uluntu lwalifumana ‘ithemba’ kuYehova xa wathembisa ukuluhlangula ‘kwinyoka yantlandlolo,’ uSathana uMtyholi, esebenzisa ‘imbewu’ ethenjisiweyo. (ISityhi. 12:9; Gen. 3:15) Loo ‘mbewu’ ngokuyintloko yayinguYesu Kristu. (Gal. 3:16) Ngokufa nangokuvuswa kwakhe, uYesu waba sisiseko esiluqilima sethemba loluntu awayeza kuthi alukhulule kubukhoboka besono nokufa. Eli themba linxibelelene ‘nokutyhilwa koonyana bakaThixo,’ abathanjiswa. Abathanjiswa abazukisiweyo bayinxalenye yesibini ‘yembewu.’ Baya ‘kutyhilwa’ xa bona noKristu betshabalalisa le nkqubo ingendawo yezinto kaSathana. (ISityhi. 2:26, 27) Oku kuya kusindisa ezinye izimvu, eziphuma kwimbandezelo enkulu.—ISityhi. 7:9, 10, 14.
12. Ukutyhilwa kwabathanjiswa kuya kuba naziphi iingenelo ezizukileyo ebantwini?
12 “Indalo” engabantu iya kufumana isiqabu ebudeni beMinyaka Eliwaka Yokulawula kukaKristu. Ngelo xesha, “oonyana bakaThixo” abazukileyo baya ‘kutyhilwa’ ngakumbi xa bengababingeleli kunye noKristu, besenza abantu bangenelwe kwidini lentlawulelo likaYesu. Njengabalawulwa boBukumkani basezulwini “indalo” engabantu iza kuqalisa ukuhlangulwa kwimiphumo yesono nokufa. Ngokuthe ngcembe, abantu abathobelayo ‘baya kukhululwa ekukhotyokisweni kukonakala.’ Ukuba bahlala bethembekile kuYehova ebudeni beMinyaka Eliwaka nasebudeni bovavanyo lokugqibela oluza kubakho emva kwale minyaka, amagama abo aya kubhalwa ngokusisigxina ‘kumsongo wobomi.’ Baya kungena ‘kwinkululeko ezukileyo yabantwana bakaThixo.’ (ISityhi. 20:7, 8, 11, 12) Ngokwenene, eli lithemba elizukileyo!
UKUGCINA ITHEMBA LETHU LIPHILA
13. Lisekelwe entwenini ithemba lethu, yaye uKristu uya kutyhilwa nini?
13 Iincwadi ezimbini eziphefumlelweyo zikaPetros zinokuninzi okuza kunceda abathanjiswa nezinye izimvu bagcine ithemba labo liphila. Wakwenza kwacaca ukuba ithemba labo alisekelwanga kwimisebenzi yabo, kodwa kububele bukaYehova obungasifanelanga. Wabhala wathi: “Hlalani nithe qwa ngokupheleleyo; bekani ithemba lenu kububele obungasifanelanga obuza kuziswa kuni ekutyhilekeni kukaYesu Kristu.” (1 Pet. 1:13) UKristu uya kutyhilwa xa eze kuvuza abalandeli bakhe abathembekileyo aze atshabalalise abangendawo.—Funda eyesi-2 kwabaseTesalonika 1:6-10.
14, 15. (a) Ukuze sigcine ithemba lethu liphila, yintoni ekufuneka sinikele ingqalelo kuyo? (b) Sisiphi isiluleko esanikelwa nguPetros?
14 Ukuze sigcine ithemba lethu liphila, kufuneka sinikele ingqalelo size sakhele ubomi bethu ‘kwimini kaYehova’ ezayo. Loo mini iza kutshabalalisa ‘amazulu’ akhoyo, okanye abalawuli abangabantu, ‘nomhlaba,’ ibutho labantu abangendawo ‘neziqalelo’ zalo. UPetros wabhala wathi: “Luhlobo luni lwabantu enifanele nibe lulo . . . , nihlale nibulindile yaye nibukhumbula ubukho bemini kaYehova, ekuya kuthi ngayo amazulu atshe ngumlilo achithakale, neziqalelo ezishushu kakhulu zinyibilike!”—2 Pet. 3:10-12.
15 ‘Amazulu’ ‘nomhlaba’ okhoyo ngoku aya kuthatyathelw’ indawo ‘ngamazulu amatsha [urhulumente woBukumkani bukaKristu] nomhlaba omtsha [ibutho labantu behlabathi elitsha].’ (2 Pet. 3:13) Ngoko, uPetros wanikela isiluleko esingqalileyo esisekelwe ‘ekulindeleni’ okanye ekugcineni ithemba lethu liphila ngehlabathi elitsha elithenjisiweyo: “Ngoko ke, zintanda, ekubeni nilindele ezi zinto, yenzani unako-nako ukuze ekugqibeleni anifumane ningenabala, ningenasiphako yaye niseluxolweni.”—2 Pet. 3:14.
UKUHAMBA NGOKUVUMELANA NETHEMBA LETHU
16, 17. (a) Yiyiphi “ihambo engcwele” ‘nezenzo zozinikelo lobuthixo’ esifanele siyibonise? (b) Ithemba lethu liya kuzaliseka njani?
16 Asimele siphelele nje ekugcineni ithemba lethu liphila kodwa sikwafanele siphile ngokuvisisana nalo. Sifanele sinikele ingqalelo kuhlobo lwabantu esilulo ngokomoya. “Ihambo engcwele” iquka ukuba ‘nehambo entle phakathi kweentlanga’ ngendlela esiphila ngayo. (2 Pet. 3:11;1 Pet. 2:12) Sifanele ‘sithandane.’ Oko kuquka ukuba senze konke okusemandleni ukuze sigcine umanyano lobuzalwana nakumabandla ethu asekuhlaleni. (Yoh. 13:35) ‘Izenzo zozinikelo lobuthixo’ ziquka izinto esizenzayo ukuze sibe nolwalamano olusenyongweni noYehova. Ezo zinto ziquka imithandazo enentsingiselo, kwakunye nokufunda kwethu iBhayibhile imihla ngemihla, ufundisiso lobuqu, unqulo lwentsapho nokuzimisela ekushumayeleni ‘iindaba ezilungileyo zobukumkani.’—Mat. 24:14.
17 Mntu ngamnye kuthi ufuna ukuba luhlobo lomntu uYehova akholiswayo lulo naza kulusindisa xa le nkqubo ingendawo yezinto ‘itshatyalaliswa.’ Xa sisenjenjalo, siya kufumana ‘ithemba lobomi obungunaphakade awathi uThixo, ongenakuxoka, wabuthembisa kwantlandlolo.’—Tito 1:2.
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AmaKristu athanjisiweyo ‘azalwa ngokutsha ngokubhekisele kwithemba eliphilayo’
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Gcina ithemba liphila kwintsapho yakho