Kungani Kumelwe Uphishekele Ukulunga?

EZWENI elinobudlova ngaphambi kukaZamcolo, kwakunendoda eyodwa eyayihlukile. Leyondoda kwakunguNowa. Yena nomkhaya wakhe babehamba noNkulunkulu kuyilapho isintu sonke sasingamnaki. Ngenxa yalokho, “uNowa wayeyindoda elungile” ngalezozinsuku ezimbi, futhi waba “umshumayeli wokulunga” kubantu balelozwe abanganaki.—Genesise 6:9, NW; 2 Petru 2:5.

Ngesinye isikhathi cishe ngonyaka ka-56 weSikhathi sethu Esivamile, umphostoli uPawulu wayeboshiwe eKesariya. Lapho ethunyelwa kuMbusi uFeliksi esuka etilongweni, uPawulu wasebenzisa lelothuba washumayela kulesisikhulu esiphakeme saseRoma. Wawuyini umongo wamazwi akhe? “[Wa]khuluma ngokulunga, nangokuzithiba, nangokwahlulela okuzayo.” (IzEnzo 24:25) Yebo, noPawulu wayengumshumayeli wokulunga.

Ukukhathalela lezinceku ezimbili zikaNkulunkulu ezithembekile ezakubonisa ngokulunga kwakufanelekile ngokuqinisekile. UJehova “uNkulunkulu olungileyo noMsindisi.” (Isaya 45:21) Ngakho-ke, isaga esiphefumlelwe siyasitshela: “Indlela yababi iyisinengiso kuJehova, kepha uyamthanda olandela [“ophishekela,” NW] ukulunga.” (IzAga 15:9) Zonke izinceku zikaNkulunkulu kumelwe ziphishekele ukulunga.

Ngokudabukisayo, abaningi namuhla banesimo sokungayinaki lemfanelo. Bathi: ‘Angimoni umakhelwane wami, ngakho ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyathokoza ngami.’ Noma bangase bathi: ‘Ziningi izindlela eziya ekulungeni. Konke kuzolunga uma nje mina ngiqotho enkolweni yami.’ Ingabe ucabanga ukuthi isimo sokuyekethisa esinjalo siyamukeleka kuNkulunkulu?

Abanye bangase baphakamise impikiswano ehlukile. Bangase bawaqaphele amazwi kaPawulu: “Sesilungisisiwe ngokukholwa.” (Roma 5:1) Ngokucabangela lokhu, bangase bazibuze: ‘Kungenzeka kanjani ukuba amaKristu, aselungisisiwe kakade, kulindeleke ukuba aqhubeke ephishekela ukulunga?’ Ungawuphendula kanjani umbuzo onjalo?

UNkulunkulu Wokulunga

Ngokwesichazamazwi, ukulunga kuwubuqotho bokuziphatha, ukwahlulela ngokulunga, ukuvumelana nomthetho waphezulu noma owokuziphatha. Njengoba uJehova enguNkulunkulu wokulunga, noma ubani ofuna ukumthokozisa kumelwe akhuthalele lemfanelo ebalulekile. “UJehova ulungile,” kusho umhubi. “Uyathanda ukulunga; oqotho uyakubheka ubuso bakhe.” (IHubo 11:7; Duteronomi 32:4) Umphostoli uPetru wathi: “Amehlo eNkosi [“kaJehova,” NW] aphezu kwabalungileyo, izindlebe zayo zisekunxuseni kwabo.”—1 Petru 3:12.

Ngakho-ke, asinakuba abanganaki kulendaba, njengoba amaJuda amaningi ayenjalo. Ngokungangabazeki amaningi awo ayengabantu abahle ababengaboni omakhelwane bawo. Futhi ayeqotho—eshiseka ngisho nokushiseka—ngenkolo yawo. Kodwa ekhulwini lokuqala, iningi lawo lalingalungile emehlweni kaNkulunkulu. UPawulu wathi: “Ngiyabafakazela ukuthi bashisekela uNkulunkulu kodwa kungengokuqonda [“hhayi ngokolwazi oluqondile,” NW]; ngokuba bengakwazi ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu, befuna ukumisa okwabo, abakuthobelanga ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu.”—Roma 10:2, 3.

Kukuphi lapho amaJuda ayephambuke khona? UPawulu uthi awazange aphishekele ukulunga ngokolwazi oluqondile. Isibonelo sawo esiyisixwayiso sisitshela ukuthi akwanele ukuba nobuntu obuhle nokugwema ukona othile. Sibonisa futhi ukuthi azikho izindlela eziningi ezihlukene eziya ekulungeni. Ngokusobala, kwakukhona okuthile okwakungalungile ngendlela eyayikhethwe amaJuda amaningi osukwini lwabaphostoli. Singaphishekela ukulunga ngokuphumelelayo kuphela uma silalela uNkulunkulu. Incwadi yezAga ithi: “Ndodana yami, uma wamukela amazwi ami, uzibekelele imiyalo yami, khona uyakuqonda ukulunga nokwahlulela neqiniso, yebo, nezindlela zonke ezinhle.”—IzAga 2:1, 9.

Indlela Yokulunga

Kusukela kuMose kuze kufike kuJesu, ukulunga kwakuhlanganiswa nokuthobela imiyalo kaNkulunkulu njengoba yayibekwe eMthethweni kaMose. Njengoba amaIsrayeli angaphelele engakwazanga ukungayephuli lemiyalo, kwakumelwe anikele imihlatshelo neminikelo yesono eshiwo eMthethweni ukuze asibekele ububi bawo. UMose watshela amaIsrayeli: “Kuyakuba-ngukulunga kithi, uma sigcina ukwenza yonke lemiyalo phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, njengalokho esiyalile.”—Duteronomi 6:25.

Emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka akekho owagcwalisa uMthetho ngokuphelele. Nokho, abaningi bazama ngobuqotho ukuphishekela ukulunga ngawo, futhi iBhayibheli likhuluma ngabanye babo njengababelungile. Ngokwesibonelo, abazali bakaJohane uMbhapathizi bachazwa ngokuthi “babelungile . . . phambi kukaNkulunkulu behamba ngayo yonke imiyalo nezimiso zeNkosi, bengasoleki.”—Luka 1:6.

Nokho, uJesu wavula indlela entsha yokuphishekela ukulunga. Wagcina uMthetho kaMose ngokuphelele—umuntu okuwukuphela kwakhe owenza kanjalo. UJesu wafa esigxotsheni sokuhlushwa, futhi uJehova wamukela inani lokuphila kwakhe okuphelele njengesihlengo sesintu. Kusukela lapho, imihlatshelo ngaphansi kwesivumelwano soMthetho yayingasadingeki. Umhlatshelo kaJesu ophelele wasibekela izono zabo bonke abantu abanhliziyo-ziqotho.—Heberu 10:4, 12.

AmaKristu Eqiniso Ayalungisiswa

Khona-ke kusukela ekufeni nasekuvukeni kukaJesu, ukulunga kuye kwahlanganiswa nokubonisa ukholo kuleNdodana kaNkulunkulu elungile. (Johane 3:16) Nakuba amaJuda obuorthodox osuku lukaPawulu engazange afinyelele ukulunga ngenxa yokwenqaba kwawo ulwazi oluqondile ngoJesu, sifunda lokhu ngamaKristu athembekile: “Balungisisiwe ngesihle ngomusa wakhe ngokuhlengwa okukuKristu Jesu.”—Roma 3:24.

Kulomongo, lamazwi asebenza ngokuqondile kumaKristu agcotshiwe lawo, ngenxa yokholo lwawo emhlatshelweni kaJesu, alungisiswa enombono wokuba yizindlalifa kanye noKristu eMbusweni wasezulwini. Nokho, namuhla, njengoba umphostoli uJohane abona kusengaphambili, isixuku esikhulu samaKristu anethemba lasemhlabeni siye savela. Naso futhi sibonisa ukholo esihlengweni. ‘Sihlanza izingubo zaso sizenze zibe mhlophe egazini leWundlu’ ngalendlela siyalungisiswa njengabangane bakaNkulunkulu sinombono wokusinda osizini olukhulu.—IsAmbulo 7:9, 14; qhathanisa noJakobe 2:21-26.

Qhubeka Uphishekela Ukulunga

Nokho, phawula ukuthi ukuphishekela ukulunga akugcini ngokuba kwethu nokholo kuJesu. UThimothewu wayeseneminyaka eminingi engumKristu ozinikezele, ogcotshiwe lapho uPawulu embhalela lamazwi: “Jonga [“phishekela,” NW] ukulunga, nokumesaba uNkulunkulu, nokukholwa, nothando, nokubekezela, nobumnene. Yilwa ukulwa okuhle kokukholwa.” (1 Thimothewu 6:11, 12; 2 Thimothewu 2:22) Kungani uThimothewu kwakufanele ‘aphishekele ukulunga’ uma kakade uNkulunkulu wayesemlungisisile?

Kungenxa yokuthi igama elithi “ukulunga” liyasetshenziswa futhi eBhayibhelini ngomqondo ovame kakhulu ekubhekiseleni kumuntu ophila ukuphila kokwethembeka, kokuziphatha okuhle futhi owenza okusemandleni akhe ukuba athobele imiyalo kaNkulunkulu. Kungalomqondo abazali bakaJohane uMbhapathizi babelungile. (Luka 1:6) Usingayise kaJesu, uJosefa, noJosefa waseArimatheya nabo babelunge ngalendlela. (Mathewu 1:19; Luka 23:50) Iqiniso lokuthi amaKristu aye alungisiswa aliwususi umthwalo wawo wemfanelo wokuphishekela ukulunga ngalomqondo. Yiqiniso, noma yimuphi umKristu oyekayo ukuphila ukuphila kokwethembeka, kokuziphatha okuhle noma ohlulekayo ukuthobela imiyalo kaNkulunkulu uyolahlekelwa ukuma kwakhe okulungile phambi kukaJehova.

Ukuphishekela Ukulunga—Inselele

Ukuphishekela ukulunga kuyinselele. Ngani? Ngenxa yokuthi sonke asiphelele futhi sinokuthambekela okunamandla ngasekwenzeni okungalungile. (Genesise 8:21; Roma 7:21-23) Ngaphezu kwalokho, siphila ezweni elikhuthaza imicabango nezenzo ezingalungile futhi elingaphansi kokulawula kukaSathane uDeveli, “omubi.” (1 Johane 5:19, qhathanisa neNW; 2 Korinte 4:4) Akumangalisi ukuthi lapho ebhalela uThimothewu, uPawulu wahlanganisa ukuphishekela ukulunga ‘nokulwa ukulwa okuhle kokukholwa’!—1 Thimothewu 6:11, 12.

Ingabe singaphumelela kulokhu “kulwa okuhle”? Yebo, kuphela uma sihlakulela uthando olusuka enhliziyweni ngezindinganiso zikaJehova kanye nenzondo yokubi. IBhayibheli lithi ngoJesu: “Uthandile ukulunga, wazonda okubi.” (Heberu 1:9) Kufanele sibe nesimo sengqondo esifanayo: isifiso esinamandla sokuhlakulela uthando ngalokho okuthokozisa uNkulunkulu nenzondo nganoma yikuphi okumenyelisayo.

Ngesikhathi esifanayo, kufanele sikhumbule ukuthi ukuphishekela ukulunga akuwona umncintiswano. Uma sizibheka njengabangcono kunabathile, noma uma siqhosha ngokulunga kwethu siqu, khona-ke sifana nabaFarisi abangamaJuda. (Mathewu 6:1-4) Labo abaphishekela ukulunga ngokuphumelelayo banombono wokuzithoba okuqotho ngabo ngokwabo, ‘beshaya sengathi abanye bakhulu kunabo.’—Filipi 2:3.

UPawulu waqokomisa ukubaluleka kwesifundo seBhayibheli ekuphishekeleni ukulunga lapho ebhala: “Yonke imibhalo iphefumulelwe nguNkulunkulu ilungele ukufundisa, nokusola, nokuqondisa, nokuyala ekulungeni.” (2 Thimothewu 3:16) Uma sitadisha iBhayibheli futhi siba khona emihlanganweni yobuKristu lapho kuxoxwa khona ngeBhayibheli, siyoqeqeshelwa ekulungeni. IBhayibheli lingasishintsha ukuze ‘sembathe umuntu omusha, owadalwa ekulungeni nasebungcweleni beqiniso.’—Efesu 4:24.

Lapho ukulunga kuba yingxenye yethu eyinhloko, siyokuzonda ngempela ukungabi namthetho. Ngeke silingelwe ekufuneni abangane ababi balelizwe. (1 Korinte 15:33) Ngeke sithonyelwe ekuthandeni izinto zalelizwe noma sizivumelanise nezindinganiso zalelizwe zokuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo. (IzAga 16:8; 1 Thimothewu 6:9, 10; 1 Johane 2:15-17) Ngempela, asinakukhangwa ezokuzijabulisa ezinokuziphatha okubi nobudlova ezisakazeke kabanzi namuhla.—Efesu 5:3, 4.

Izibusiso Zokulunga

Yebo, ukuphishekela ukulunga ngendlela kaJehova kuyinselele, kodwa ukukulwela kuwusizo. Ngani? Ngoba kuholela ekujabuleleni kwethu ubuhlobo bomuntu siqu noJehova ngokwakhe. Yeka ilungelo eliphawulekayo! IBhayibheli liyasitshela: “[UJehova] uyabusisa ikhaya labalungileyo.” “UJehova ukude nababi, kepha uyezwa imikhuleko yabalungileyo.” (IzAga 3:33; 15:29) Ngaphezu kwalokho, sifinyelela ekuziqondeni ngokucebile izinjongo zikaJehova. “Umkhondo wabalungileyo unjengokukhanya kokusa okuqhubeka ngokukhanya njalo kuze kube-semini.”—IzAga 4:18.

IBhayibheli lithembisa isivikelo kubafuni bokulunga lapho lesisimiso esingalungile sezinto sifinyelela ekupheleni kwaso. “Funani uJehova nina nonke-bathobekileyo bomhlaba enisebenzile ukwahlulela kwakhe; funani ukulunga; funani ukuthobeka; mhlawumbe niyakusitshekelwa ngosuku lolaka lukaJehova.” (Zefaniya 2:3) Ngemva kwalokho, ngalabo abanethemba lasemhlabeni, iBhayibheli linikeza ithemba elimangalisayo ngempela: “Abalungileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bahlale kuwo njalonjalo.”—IHubo 37:29.

Yeka izizathu ezimangalisayo zokuphishekela ukulunga! Njengoba uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe esho: “Olandela [“ophishekela,” NW] ukulunga nomusa uyafumana ukuphila, nokulunga, nodumo.”—IzAga 21:21.