Qhubeka Uhamba Ekukhanyeni Nasothandweni
Amaphuzu Avelele Avela Encwadini Yokuqala kaJohane
UJEHOVA uwuMthombo wokukhanya nothando. Kumelwe sibheke kuNkulunkulu ukuze sithole ukukhanya okungokomoya. (IHubo 43:3) Futhi uthando luphakathi kwezithelo zomoya wakhe ongcwele.—Galathiya 5:22, 23.
Ukukhanya, uthando, nezinye izindaba kuxoxwa ngakho encwadini yokuqala ephefumlelwe yomphostoli uJohane, ngokunokwenzeka eyalotshwa e-Efesu noma eduze kwakhona cishe ngo-98 C.E. Isizathu esiyinhloko sokuyiloba kwakuwukuvikela amaKristu ekuhlubukeni nokuwasiza ukuba aqhubeke ehamba ekukhanyeni. Njengoba sibhekene nezinselele ezivivinya uthando lwethu, ukholo, nobuqotho eqinisweni, ukucabangela lencwadi ngokuqinisekile kuyosizuzisa.
‘Hamba Ekukhanyeni’
UJohane wakwenza kwacaca ukuthi amaKristu athembekile kumelwe ahambe ekukhanyeni okungokomoya. (1:1–2:29) Wathi: “UNkulunkulu ungukukhanya, ubumnyama abukho [akukho okubi, okonakele, okungelona iqiniso, noma okungengcwele] kuye nakanye.” Ngenxa yokuthi amaKristu agcotshwe ngomoya ‘ahamba ekukhanyeni,’ ‘anenhlanganyelo’ noNkulunkulu, uKristu, nomunye nomunye. Futhi aye ahlanjululwa esonweni ngegazi likaJesu.
Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi singamaKristu agcotshiwe anethemba lasezulwini noma sibheke phambili ekuphileni okuphakade emhlabeni, siyoqhubeka sizuza emhlatshelweni kaJesu kuphela uma sithanda abafowethu kodwa hhayi izwe. Kumelwe futhi sigweme ukuthonywa izihlubuki, ‘njengomphikukristu,’ ophika kokubili uYise neNdodana. Futhi masingalokothi sikhohlwe ukuthi ukuphila okuphakade kuyojatshulelwa kuphela yilabo abanamathela eqinisweni nabenza ukulunga.
Abantwana BakaNkulunkulu Babonisa Uthando
Ngokulandelayo uJohane wachaza abantwana bakaNkulunkulu. (3:1–4:21) Phakathi kokunye, benza lokho okuwukulunga. Futhi balalela umyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu ‘wokuba babe nokholo egameni leNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, futhi bathandane.’
Umuntu “omaziyo uNkulunkulu” uyazi ngezinjongo zikaJehova nangendlela uthando lwaKhe oluboniswa ngayo. Lokhu kumelwe kusize lowomuntu ukuba abonise uthando. Eqinisweni, “ongathandiyo akamazi uNkulunkulu, ngokuba uNkulunkulu uluthando.” Uthando lwaphezulu lwaboniswa lapho uNkulunkulu ‘ethumela iNdodana yakhe ibe yinhlawulo ngezono zethu.’ Uma uJehova asithanda kwaze kwaba kulelozinga, sinesibopho sokuba sithandane. Yebo, noma ubani othi uthanda uNkulunkulu kumelwe futhi athande umfowabo ongokomoya.
Ukholo ‘Lunqoba Izwe’
Uthando lushukumisa abantwana bakaNkulunkulu ukuba baqaphele imiyalo yakhe, kodwa ukholo ‘abanqoba ngalo izwe.’ (5:1-21) Ukukholelwa kwethu kuNkulunkulu, eZwini lakhe, naseNdodaneni yakhe kusenza sikwazi ‘ukunqoba izwe’ ngokwenqaba ukucabanga nezindlela zalo ezimbi nangokugcina imiyalo kaJehova. UNkulunkulu uye wanikeza ‘abanqobi bezwe’ ithemba lokuphila okuphakade futhi uyayizwa imithandazo yabo evumelana nentando yakhe. Ngoba noma ubani “ozelwe nguNkulunkulu” akasenzi umkhuba isono, uSathane akambambi umuntu onjalo. Kodwa kokubili abagcotshiwe nezinceku zikaJehova ezinamathemba asemhlabeni kufanele bakhumbule ukuthi ‘lonke izwe lisemandleni alowomuntu omubi.’
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 29]
Umhlatshelo Ohlawulelayo: UJesu “ungumhlatshelo ohlawulela izono zethu [ezabalandeli bakhe abagcotshiwe], nokho hhayi ezethu kuphela kodwa nezezwe lonke,” sonke isintu. (1 Johane 2:2, NW) Ukufa kwakhe ‘kwakuyinhlawulo’ (ngesiGreki, hi·la·smosʹ, okubonisa “indlela yokushweleza,” “inhlawulo”) kodwa hhayi ngomqondo wokudambisa imizwa ebuhlungu kuNkulunkulu. Kunalokho, umhlatshelo kaJesu wanelisa izidingo zokwahlulela ngokulunga okuphelele kwaphezulu. Kanjani? Ngokulungiselela abalungileyo nabaqotho isisekelo sokuthethelelwa isono, ukuze uNkulunkulu ‘abe olungile ngisho nalapho ethi balungile abantu [abazuze isono njengefa] abanokholo kuJesu.’ (Roma 3:23-26; 5:12) Ngokunikeza indlela yokunikeza ukweneliseka okuphelele ngesono somuntu, umhlatshelo kaJesu wakwenza kwahlawuleka, noma kwenzeka, ngomuntu ukufuna nokukwamukela ukubuyiselwa ebuhlotsheni obufanelekile noJehova. (Efesu 1:7; Heberu 2:17) Yeka ukuthi sonke kufanele sibonge kanjani ngalokhu!