Ukuzithoba Kwethu KuJehova Ngokuzinikezela
“SIYAZI ukuthi siphuma kuNkulunkulu kodwa izwe lonke limi emandleni omubi.” Ngalawomazwi umphostoli uJohane wadalula iqiniso elingemukeleki kubantu abaningi, okungukuthi, izwe lonke limi emandleni “omubi” uSathane. Nokho, uSathane ‘akabathinti’ labo abaphuma kuNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova. Khona-ke wonke umkhaya wesintu ungazihlela ngaphansi kokubusa kukaSathane noma ngaphansi kokubusa kukaJehova. Kuyindaba yokuzikhethela komuntu siqu. Uyozithoba kubani? KuSathane noma kuJehova?—1 Johane 5:18-20; New International Version; Today’s English Version.
Manje kunanini ngaphambili isikhathi ngomuntu ngamunye sokuba akhethe. (Luka 21:31, 32) UJesu wabonisa ukuthi akukho ukuba nhlangothi zombili, noma ukuba manqikanqika. Wathi, “ongenami umelene nami; ongabuthi nami uyahlakaza.” (Mathewu 12:30) Singaqiniseka kanjani ukuthi sibutha kanye noKristu? Izinkolo eziningi ezihlukahlukene nezingafani zithi zingamaKristu, ‘zisindisiwe’ futhi ‘zizelwe kabusha,’ kangangokuthi wona kanye lamazwi aye alulazwa. (Mathewu 19:16-26; Johane 3:3; 10:9) Isimiso siwukuthi: Ingabe siyakukholelwa futhi siyakushumayela lokho uJesu akukholelwa futhi wakushumayela? NjengomJuda, ngokuqinisekile, akazange azame ukuzenzela udumo ngokufundisa imfihlakalo yemfundiso kaZiqu-Zintathu. (Johane 14:28; 17:1-5) Kodwa wamemezela isigijimi esikhanyayo, soMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Ewuqonda kahle umsebenzi wokuthunywa kwakhe uJesu wathi: “Nakweminye imizi ngmelwe ukushumayela ivangeli lombuso kaNkulunkulu, ngokuba ngithunyelwe lokho.”—Luka 4:43.
“Vuma Kalokhu”
Ngaphambi kokuba uJesu aqale inkonzo yakhe yasobala yokumemezela, ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu, wathatha isinyathelo esibalulekile esisebenza njengesibonelo kubo bonke labo, njengaye, abayozithoba kuYise. Indaba kaMathewu iyasitshela. “Khona uJesu evela eGalile wafika kuJohane eJordani ukuba azobhapathizwa nguye.” Lapho uJohane emalela ngokuthi uyena okwakufanele abhapathizwe, impendulo kaJesu yathi: “Vuma kalokhu, ngokuba kusifanele ukugcwalisa kanjalo ukulunga konke.”—Mathewu 3:13-15.
Esesibekile isibonelo ‘ekulungeni konke’ ngokucwiliswa eJordani, uJesu kamuva wayengawunikeza umyalo kubafundi bakhe: “Ngalokho hambani nenze izizwe zonke abafundi, nibabhapathize egameni likaYise neleNdodana nelikaMoya oNgcwele, nibafundise ukugcina konke enginiyalé ngakho; bhekani, mina nginani izinsuku zonke kuze kube-sekupheleni kwezwe.” (Mathewu 28:19, 20) Phakathi kwezinye izinto, lesinyathelo sobhapathizo sasiyosebenza ukubonakalisa labo abaye bakhetha ukuzithoba ngaphansi kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova, esikhundleni sokuzithoba ngaphansi kukaSathane. Phakathi nonyaka odlule wenkonzo (ngoSeptember 1983–August 1984) cishe abantu abayizi-180 000 emhlabeni kabanzi babonakalise ukukhetha kwabo ngokubhapathizwa emanzini. Baye babonisa ukuthi bakhetha ukulunga kukaJehova kunokukaSathane.—IzAga 27:11.
Isinqumo Esisekelwe Olwazini
Ngokufanayo nakulonyaka izinkulungwane zabantu zicabanga ngalesinyathelo sobhapathizo phakathi noMhlangano “Wabagcina Ubuqotho” oyoba sezindaweni eziningi emhlabeni kabanzi. Ngaphambi kokufinyelela leliqophelo lokubhapathizwa, bonke abayobhapathizwa bayobe sebebuyekeze ngokunakekela nabadala bebandla izimfundiso eziyinhloko zeBhayibheli nezimiso zokuziphatha komKristu ukuze baqiniseke ukuthi bayakufanelekela ngempela ukubhapathizwa. Khona-ke isinqumo sokubhapathizwa ngeke sibe ngesiqhutshwa ukusabela okusheshayo kwemizwelo. Kunalokho, ngamunye uyobe ‘esehlolisisile okuyintando kaNkulunkulu, okuhle, nokuthandekayo, nokupheleleyo’ futhi abe nesifiso sokuzithoba kuleyontando.—Roma 12:2.
Ekuphetheni kwenkulumo yobhapathizo yasemhlanganweni, abayobhapathizwa bayobe sebekulungele ukuphendula benokuqonda okujulile nokwazisa okuvela enhliziyweni imibuzo emibili elula enikeza isiqinisekiso sokuthi bayakuqaphela okuhilelekile ekulandeleni isibonelo sikaKristu. Umbuzo wokuqala uthi:
Esisekelweni somhlatshelo kaJesu Kristu, ingabe uphendukile ezonweni zakho futhi wazinikezela kuJehova uNkulunkulu ukuba wenze intando yakhe?
Owesibili uthi:
Ingabe uyaqonda ukuthi ukuzinikezela kwakho nobhapathizo kukubonakalisa njengomunye woFakazi BakaJehova ohlanganyela nenhlangano kaNkulunkulu eqondiswa umoya kaNkulunkulu?
Ngemva kokuphendula ngokuthi yebo kulemibuzo, abazobhapathizwa babasesimweni esifanelekile sokungenela ubhapathizo lobuKristu.
Ukubonakala Okufanelekile
Ngezinye izikhathi imibuzo iyaphakama ngokuqondene nezingubo ezifanelekile zalabo ababhapathizwayo. Eqinisweni kumelwe kuboniswe isizotha ngohlobo lwengubo yokungena emanzini esetshenziswayo. Lokhu kubalulekile namuhla lapho abaklami bezimfashini bebonakala befuna ukugabisa ngobulili nokuveza cishe ubunqunu bomuntu ngokuphelele. Esinye isici okumelwe sicatshangelwe siwukuthi ezinye izingubo zibonakala zizothile lapho zomile ziba okuphambene nalokho lapho sezimanzi. Akekho obhapathizwayo ongathanda ukuba yimbangela yokuphazamiseka noma yokukhubekisa esenzakalweni esingathi sína njengokuzinikezela.—Filipi 1:10.
Esikhathini esidlule, abanye baye beqisa ekupheni izipho ezibizayo nasekwenzeleni abantu abasand’ kubhapathizwa amaphathi amakhulu. Ubhapathizo luyisenzakalo senjabulo enkulu engase ihlanganyelwe, kodwa mhlawumbe isixwayiso sifanelekile lapha. IBhayibheli lithi: “Kungcono ukuphela kwendaba kunokuqala kwayo.” (UmShumayeli 7:8) Ubhapathizo luyisiqalo—isiqalo somncintiswano wobuKristu wokusindisa ukuphila. Eqinisweni alikho irekhodi lesikhathi eside lenkonzo yokwethembeka eliye lenziwa. Ngakho kungani kubangelwa abasanda kukholwa ukuba bazizwe bebaluleke ngokungafanele?—Qhathanisa no-1 Thimothewu 3:6.
Ingabe umlando weBhayibheli uthi kwenzekani ngemva kokubhapathizwa kwabayizi-3 000 ngePentekoste lika-33 C.E.? “Baqiniseka njalo esifundisweni sabaphostoli, nasekuhlanganeni, nasekuhlephuleni isinkwa, nasemikhulekweni.” Bagxila ezintweni ezingokomoya futhi baphana izipho. (IzEnzo 2:41, 42) Ubhapathizo luyisikhathi sokuzondla nokucabanga ngokujulile. Siyajabula ukubona esifunda nabo iBhayibheli bethatha lesinyathelo esibalulekile. Futhi ukubonakala kwethu endaweni yokubhapathizwa kufanele kubonise ezibukelini ukuthi isinqumo esibalulekile siye senziwa—ukuzithoba kuNkulunkulu njengeNkosi yokulunga futhi, njengofakazi kaJehova, ukungabi yingxenye yezwe elimi ‘emandleni omubi.’—1 Johane 5:19; Mathewu 4:10, NW.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 30]
Kusukela ngoJune 1984, ingqikithi yeMihlangano engama-808 “Yokwanda KoMbuso” iye yaba khona kulo lonke izwe. Inani elabikwa labo bonke ababekhona laliyizi-5 002 684. Abayizi-63 556 kubo babhapathizwa.