Ingabe Uyakwazisa Lokho UNkulunkulu Akwenzile?

“Uma umuntu ethanda ukuza emva kwami, makazidele, athabathe [isigxobo sakhe sokuhlushwa, “NW”] imihla ngemihla, angilandele.”—LUKA 9:23.

 1. Yiziphi ezinye zezipho ezimangalisayo uNkulunkulu aye wazilungiselela?

SIKWELETA uNkulunkuu ngokuphila kwethu. Ukuba akazange adale isintu, sasingeke sizalwe. Kodwa uNkulunkulu wadala okungaphezu kokuphila. Wasenza ngendlela yokuthi sijabulele izinto eziningi: ukunambitheka kokudla, imfudumalo yokukhanya kwelanga, umsindo womculo, ubuncwaba bosuku lwasentwasahlobo, imfudumalo yothando. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uNkulunkulu wasinika ingqondo nesifiso sokufunda ngaye. Waphefumlela iBhayibheli, elisinikeza isiqondiso esiphilile, lisibonise indlela yokuphila ukuphila okujabulisa ngokwengeziwe, futhi lisinikeze ithemba lokuphila phakade ezweni lakhe elisha lokulunga. UNkulunkulu unikeza futhi umoya wakhe ongcwele, ukusekela kwebandla esihlanganyela nalo, namadoda kanye nabesifazane abadala abanothando abangasisiza ukuba sihlale siqinile enkonzweni yakhe.—Genesise 1:1, 26-28; 2 Thimothewu 3:15-17; Heberu 10:24, 25; Jakobe 5:14, 15.

 2. (a) Iyiphi into evelele kakhulu uNkulunkulu asenzele yona? (b) Ingabe singakuthola ukusindiswa ngemisebenzi?

² Ngaphezu kwakho konke lokho, uNkulunkulu wathumela iNdodana yakhe siqu eyizibulo ukuba izositshela okwengeziwe ngalokho uBaba akulindele kithi futhi inikeze ‘isihlengo’ kubo bonke abayosamukela. (Efesu 1:7; Roma 5:18) LeyoNdodana, uJesu Kristu, yathi: “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangaka, waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba yilowo nalowo okholwa yiyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe-nokuphila okuphakade.” (Johane 3:16) Ukusindiswa okwenziwa kube nokwenzeka ngesihlengo kuphakeme kangangokuthi akukho ndlela umuntu angenza ngayo imisebenzi ukuze akuzuze, ngisho nemisebenzi eyayenziwa ngaphansi koMthetho kaMose. Ngakho, uPawulu wabhala: “Umuntu akalungisiswa ngemisebenzi yomthetho, kuphela ngokukholwa nguKristu Jesu.”—Galathiya 2:16; Roma 3:20-24.

Ukholo Nemisebenzi

 3. UJakobe wathini ngokholo nemisebenzi?

³ Ukusindiswa kuza ngokholo, kodwa ukholo nokwazisa ngakho konke uNkulunkulu akwenzile kufanele kusishukumisele esenzweni. Kufanele kusishukumisele ekwenzeni izinto ezibonisa ukholo lwethu. Umfowabo kaJesu ngomzali oyedwa uJakobe wabhala: ‘Ukukholwa, uma kungenayo imisebenzi, kufile ngokwakho.’ Waqhubeka wathi: “Ngibonise ukukholwa kwakho ngaphandle kwemisebenzi, nami ngizakukukhombisa ukukholwa ngemisebenzi yami.” UJakobe waveza ukuthi ngisho namademoni “ayakholwa, athuthumele,” kodwa ngokusobala amademoni awayenzi imisebenzi yokwesaba uNkulunkulu. UAbrahama, ngakolunye uhlangothi, wayenakho kokubili ukholo nemisebenzi. “Ukukholwa kwasebenza kanye nemisebenzi yakhe [futhi] ukukholwa kwapheleliswa ngemisebenzi.” UJakobe waphinda: ‘Ukukholwa ngaphandle kwemisebenzi kufile.’—Jakobe 2:17-26.

 4. UJesu wathi yini okufanele yenziwe yilabo abafuna ukumlandela?

⁴ UJesu naye wabonisa ukubaluleka kwemisebenzi elungile, ethi: “Makukhanye ukukhanya kwenu phambi kwabantu ukuba babone imisebenzi yenu emihle, badumise uYihlo osezulwini.” “Uma umuntu ethanda ukuza emva kwami, makazidele, athabathe [isigxobo sakhe sokuhlushwa, NW] imihla ngemihla, angilandele.”a Uma ‘sizidela,’ siyeka eziningi zezinto esizithandayo. Siqaphela ukuthi sikweleta uNkulunkulu ngakho konke, ngakho sizinikela kuye njengezinceku zakhe, sifuna ukufunda nokwenza intando yakhe, njengoba uJesu enza.—Mathewu 5:16; Luka 9:23; Johane 6:38.

Ukuphila Kuyathinteka

 5. (a) Yini uPetru abonisa ukuthi kufanele ithinte yonke indlela yethu yokuphila? (b) Imiphi imisebenzi emihle ayitusa?

⁵ UPetru waveza ukuthi “igazi [eliyigugu, NW]” likaKristu elinikelwe ngenxa yethu, linenani elikhulu kakhulu kangangokuthi ukulazisa kwethu kufanele kubonakale kuyo yonke indlela yethu yokuphila. Lomphostoli wabala izinto eziningi ukwazisa kwethu okufanele kusishukumisele ukuba sizenze. Waluleka: “Lahlani ububi bonke.” “Langazelelani ubisi olungokomoya olungenakonakala.” “Nishumayele ubukhosi balowo owanibiza niphume ebumnyameni, ningene ekukhanyeni kwakhe okumangalisayo.” ‘Nidede ebubini, nenze okuhle.’ “Nihlale ningabalungele ukubaphendula bonke abanibuza isizathu sethemba elikini.” “Ngesikhathi esiseleyo nisesenyameni ningabe nisahlala ngezinkanuko zabantu kodwa ngentando kaNkulunkulu.”—1 Petru 1:19; 2:1, 2, 9; 3:11, 15; 4:2.

 6. (a) AmaKristu ekhulu lokuqala leminyaka alubonisa kanjani ukholo lwawo? (b) Yisiphi isibonelo lokhu okufanele kusibekele sona?

⁶ AmaKristu ekhulu lokuqala leminyaka aphila ngokuvumelana nokholo lwawo. Lwaguqula umbono wawo nobuntu bawo, luwashukumisela ukuba avumelanise ukuphila kwawo nentando kaNkulunkulu. Athunjwa, akhandwa ngamatshe, ashaywa, aboshwa, abulawa ngisho nokubulawa kunokuba ephule ukholo lwawo. (IzEnzo 7:58-60; 8:1; 14:19; 16:22; 1 Korinte 6:9-11; Efesu 4:22-24; Kolose 4:3; Filemoni 9, 10) Isazi-mlando esidumile esingumRoma uTacitus, esazalwa cishe ngo-56 C.E., sithi amaKristu “anqunyelwa ukuphonswa emalangabini futhi ashiswa, ukuze abe yizinkanyiso zasebusuku, lapho sekuhlwile.” Nokho awazange antengantenge!—The Annals, INcwadi ye-XV, isigaba 44.

 7. Abanye abantu bangazithola bekusiphi isimo?

⁷ Kwamanye amabandla ungathola abantu abaye baba khona emihlanganweni iminyaka eminingi. Bayayithanda inhlangano kaJehova, bacabanga ukuthi abantu bakhe bangabantu abakahle kakhulu abake bababona, bakhuluma kahle ngeqiniso, futhi bayalivikela kwabangaphandle. Kodwa kunokuthile okubavimbayo, kunokuthile okubabambayo. Abakasithathi isinyathelo esihle esathathwa abangu-3 000 ngosuku lwePentekoste, leso umEtiyopiya okholwayo abuza ngaso, noma leso uAnaniya anxusa uSawulu ukuba asithathe ngokushesha ngemva kokuba lona owayengumshushisi eseqaphele ukuthi uJesu ngempela wayenguMesiya. (IzEnzo 2:41; 8:36; 22:16) Yini entulekayo kwabanjalo namuhla? Kungani bengakasithathi isinyathelo iBhayibheli elisibiza ngokuthi “ukucela kuNkulunkulu unembeza omuhle”? (1 Petru 3:21) Uma uzithola ukulesisimo—ulazi iqiniso kodwa unqikaza ukwenza okuthile ngalo—thatha lesihloko njengesilungiselelwe wena ngothando olukhethekile.

Ukunqoba Izithiyo Zokuba Ubhapathizwe

 8. Uma ungakaze ube umfundi okahle, iyiphi inkambo okungaba ukuhlakanipha ukuyithatha manje?

⁸ Yini okungenzeka ukuthi ikuvimbele? Isihloko esandulelayo sibonisile ukuthi abanye bangase bathole isifundo somuntu siqu siyinkinga. UNkulunkulu wasinika izingqondo ezimangalisayo, futhi ulindele ukuba sizisebenzise ekumkhonzeni. Abanye abantu ababengakufundanga ngisho nokuzifundela bazinikela kulowomsebenzi ukuze bafunde okwengeziwe ngoNkulunkulu nangezinjongo zakhe. Kuthiwani ngawe? Uma ukwazi kakade ukuzifundela, ingabe utadisha ngempela, njengoba kwenza abaseBereya ‘uhlolisisa imiBhalo imihla ngemihla’ ukuze ubone ukuthi lezizinto zinjalo yini? Ingabe uye wabuhlola “ububanzi, nobude, nokuphakama, nokujula” kweqiniso? Ingabe uye wamba ngokujulile eZwini likaNkulunkulu? Ingabe ubonile indlela okujabulisa ngayo ngempela? Ingabe uye waba nesifiso sangempela sokwazi intando kaNkulunkulu? Ingabe ulilambele ngempela iqiniso?—IzEnzo 17:10, 11; Efesu 3:18.

 9. Yini okufanele uyenze uma unenkinga nothile ebandleni?

⁹ Ngezinye izikhathi abantu bazindela ngenxa yenkinga yangempela noma abayicabangelayo abaye baba nayo nothile ebandleni. Ingabe kukhona othile oye wakucasula kakhulu? Khona-ke landela isiqondiso esiboniswa amazwi kaJesu: “Hamba umsole ninodwa naye.” (Mathewu 18:15) Ungase umangale ukuthola ukuthi lowomuntu ubengazi nokwazi ukuthi wacasuka. Kodwa ngisho noma azi, ‘usengamzuza umzalwane wakho,’ njengoba uJesu asho. Ungase umsize futhi ukuba agweme ukukhubekisa omunye umuntu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uma ungacabanga ngakho, ubani ngempela omkhonzayo—ingabe yilowomuntu noma uNkulunkulu? Ingabe uthando lwakho ngoNkulunkulu lulinganiselwe kangangokuthi ungavumela noma yiliphi iphutha lomuntu ongaphelele luluphazamise uthando lwakho ngaYe?

10, 11. Yini okufanele uyenze uma isono esiyimfihlo besilokhu sikubambile?

¹⁰ Isono sangasese singambamba umuntu ukuba angabhapathizwa. Lokhu kungaba okuthile okwenzeka esikhathini esidlule, noma kungaba indlela eqhubekayo engalungile. Uma unalenkinga, ingabe akusona isikhathi sokuba ulungise indaba? (1 Korinte 7:29-31) Abaningi babantu bakaJehova kuye kwadingeka benze izinguquko ekuphileni kwabo. IBhayibheli lithi: “Ngalokho phendukani, niguquke ukuba kuhlangulwe izono zenu, ukuze kufike izikhathi zokuhlunyelelwa ezivela ebusweni beNkosi.”—IzEnzo 3:19, 20.

¹¹ Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi wenzani esikhathini esidlule, ungaphenduka, ushintshe, futhi ucele intethelelo kuNkulunkulu. “Ngakho-ke bulalani amalungu enu asemhlabeni, ubufebe, nokungcola, nokuhuheka, nokukhanuka, nesangabe . . . nikhumulé umuntu omdala kanye nezenzo zakhe, nembethe omusha, owenziwa-musha abe-nokwazi ngokomfanekiso walowo owamdalayo.” Ungavumelanisa ukuphila kwakho nezindlela zakhe, ujabulele unembeza ohlanzekile, futhi ube nethemba lokuphila okuphakade ezweni lakhe elisha lokulunga. Ingabe lokho akuwufanele noma yimuphi umzamo okungawudinga?—Kolose 3:5-10; Isaya 1:16, 18; 1 Korinte 6:9-11; Heberu 9:14.

12. Yini okufanele uyenze uma ugwayi noma ukusebenzisa kabi utshwala, noma izidakamizwa eziluthayo kukuvimbela ukuba ube nonembeza ohlanzekile?

¹² Ingabe ukubhema, ukusebenzisa kabi utshwala, noma ukuluthwa izidakamizwa kukuvimbela ukuba ube nonembeza ohlanzekile? Ingabe imikhuba enjalo esongela ukuphila ayibonisi ukudelela isipho esimangalisayo sikaNkulunkulu sokuphila? Uma imikhuba enjalo ikuvimbela, ngokuqinisekile yisikhathi sokuba uyilungise. Ingabe lemikhuba ikufanele ukuphila kwakho? UPawulu wathi: “Masizihlambulule ekungcoleni konke kwenyama nokomoya, siphelelise ubungcwele ngokumesaba uNkulunkulu.” Ingabe izindlela zikaNkulunkulu ezinhlanzekile nezilungile uzazisa ngokwanele ukuba wenze lokho?b—2 Korinte 7:1.

Izinto Ezibonakalayo

13, 14. (a) ImiBhalo ithini ngemigomo yezinto ezibonakalayo? (b) Kungani kubalulekile ukubeka izinto ezingokwasezulwini kuqala?

¹³ Izwe lanamuhla libeka ukuphumelela “nokuzigabisa ngalokhukuphila” ngaphambi kwanoma yini enye. Kodwa uJesu wayifanisa ‘nameva’ aminyanisa izwi likaNkulunkulu “iminako yalesisikhathi, nokukhohlisa kwengcebo.” Futhi wabuza: “Kuyakumsizani umuntu, uma ezuza izwe lonke, onakalelwe ukuphila kwakhe, na?”—1 Johane 2:16; Marku 4:2-8, 18, 19; Mathewu 16:26.

¹⁴ UJesu waveza ukuthi uNkulunkulu wahlelela izinyoni ukuba zithole ukudla neminduze ukuba iqhakaze kahle. Wayesebuza: ‘Nina nizidlula, kangakanani izinyoni? [UNkulunkulu] uyakunembathisa.’ Ngokuhlakanipha, uJesu wasitshela ukuba ‘singakhathazeki’ ngezinto ezibonakalayo. Wathi: “Funani umbuso [kaNkulunkulu], khona konke lokho kuyakwenezelwa nina.” Waveza ukuthi kufanele sibeke izinto zasezulwini kuqala ngoba ‘lapho kukhona khona ingcebo yethu, izinhliziyo zethu ziyakuba lapho.’—Luka 12:22-31; Mathewu 6:20, 21.

Inkonzo Yokwesaba UNkulunkulu Ngosizo Lwakhe

15. Yisiphi isikhuthazo esihle isibonelo samaKristu ekhulu lokuqala leminyaka esisinika sona?

¹⁵ Ingabe ukufakaza kwabanye kubonakala kuyinkinga kuwe? Ingabe ukuba namahloni kukubangela ukuba uzindele? Uma kunjalo, kubalulekile ukukhumbula ukuthi amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala ayenemizwa enjengeyethu namuhla. UNkulunkulu akazange akhethe abaningi abahlakaniphile nabanamandla, kodwa ‘wakhetha izinto ezibuthakathaka zezwe ukuba ajabhise izinto ezinamandla.’ (1 Korinte 1:26-29) Abaholi benkolo abanamandla babaphikisa labantu ‘abayimifunda’ futhi babayala ukuba bayeke ukushumayela. Yini amaKristu ayenza? Athandaza. Acela isibindi kuNkulunkulu, futhi wabanika sona. Ngenxa yalokho, isigijimi sawo sagcwala eJerusalema, futhi kamuva sazamazamisa lonke izwe!—IzEnzo 4:1-4, 13, 17, 23, 24, 29-31; 5:28, 29; Kolose 1:23.

16. Yini esiyifunda ‘efwini’ elikhulu “lawofakazi” elichazwe kumaHeberu isahluko 11?

¹⁶ Ngakho, ukwesaba abantu akufanele kusivimbele ukuba senze inkonzo kaNkulunkulu. AmaHeberu isahluko 11 akhuluma ‘ngefu’ elikhulu “lawofakazi” elesaba uNkulunkulu, hhayi abantu. Kufanele sibonise ukholo olufanayo. Umphostoli wabhala: “Lokhu sinefu elingaka lawofakazi elisihaqileyo, masilahle konke okusindayo nesono esithandela kangaka kithi, sigijime ngokubekezela kulokhu kuncintisana esikumiselweyo.”—Heberu 12:1.

17. Yisiphi isikhuthazo uNkulunkulu asinikeza ngoIsaya?

¹⁷ UNkulunkulu anganika izinceku zakhe usizo olumangalisayo. UMdali wendawo yonke watshela uIsaya: “Abamethemba uJehova bayathola amandla amasha, bayakhuphuka ngamaphiko njengezinkozi, bagijime bengakhathali, bahambe bengapheli amandla.”—Isaya 40:31.

18. Ungakunqoba kanjani ukwesaba ukuze uhlanganyele ekushumayeleni ngoMbuso?

¹⁸ OFakazi abanesibindi nabajabulayo obabona ebandleni lakini bamane bayingxenye encane nje yezinceku ezishisekayo ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezintathu nengxenye emhlabeni wonke. Bayajabula ngokuba nengxenye emsebenzini uJesu Kristu ngokwakhe awubikezela ngalamazwi: “Lelivangeli lombuso liyakushunyayelwa ezweni lonke, kube-ngubufakazi ezizweni zonke, andukuba kufike ukuphela.” Uma ukuhlanganyela ekushumayeleni ngoMbuso kuyinkinga kuwe ngisho noma ukufanelekela, kungani ungaceli uFakazi ophumelelayo enkonzweni ukuba uhambe naye ukuze uhlanganyele emsebenzini wokushumayela? UNkulunkulu uyawanikeza ngempela ‘amandla [angaphezu kwavamile, NW],’ futhi ungase umangale ukuthola ukuthi lenkonzo yokwesaba uNkulunkulu ijabulisa kanjani ngempela.—Mathewu 24:14; 2 Korinte 4:7; bheka futhi neHubo 56:11; Mathewu 5:11, 12; Filipi 4:13.

19. Yimuphi umsebenzi wokufundisa uJesu ayala abalandeli bakhe ukuba bawenze?

¹⁹ UJesu ulindele ukuba labo abazisa isigijimi soMbuso benze ngokuvumelana naso. Wathi: “Ngalokho hambani nenze izizwe zonke abafundi, nibabhapathize egameni likaYise neleNdodana nelikaMoya oNgcwele, nibafundise ukugcina konke enginiyalé ngakho.”—Mathewu 28:19, 20.

20. Uma uthuthuka ngokomoya, yimuphi umbuzo ongaba ngofanelekile ngokushesha?

²⁰ Ingabe ukwazisa kwakho ngezibusiso zikaNkulunkulu, ‘ngegazi [eliyigugu, NW]’ likaJesu, nangethemba elimangalisayo lokuphila okuphakade kukushukumisela esenzweni? (1 Petru 1:19) Ingabe usuye wavumelanisa ukuphila kwakho nezimfuneko zokulunga zikaNkulunkulu? Ingabe uhlanganyela njalo ekwenzeni abafundi? Ingabe usuye wazidela futhi wanikezela ukuphila kwakho kuNkulunkulu? Uma impendulo kuyo yonke lemibuzo inguyebo oqinisekile, kungaba isikhathi sokuba ubuze omunye wabadala ebandleni ohlanganyela nalo umbuzo ofana nalowo umEtiyopiya okholwayo awubuza uFiliphu: “Kwalani ukuba ngibhapathizwe na?”—IzEnzo 8:36.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

Ingabe Uyakhumbula?

◻ Yiziphi izizathu ezikhethekile esinazo zokubonga uNkulunkulu?

◻ Yini ukholo nokwazisa okufanele kusishukumisele ukuba siyenze?

◻ Yiziphi izinkinga ezingasivimba ukuba silalele uNkulunkulu, futhi yini esingayenza ngazo?

◻ Imiphi imibuzo abantu abangakabhapathizwa abangazibuza yona?

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 18]

“Hlobo luni ‘lwenhla-bathi’ engiyilo?”

UJesu wanikeza umfanekiso womuntu owahamba ukuyotshala imbewu. Enye imbewu yawela ngasendleleni yase idliwa izinyoni. Enye yawela emadwaleni anomhlabathi ongengakanani. Lena yamila, kodwa lapho ilanga livela, yabuna futhi yafa. Nenye imbewu yawela phakathi kwameva futhi yaminyaniswa. UJesu wathi lamaqembu amathathu ayemelela: Okokuqala, umuntu “olizwa izwi lombuso engaliqondi”; okwesibili, lowo olamukelayo izwi kodwa abuye axoshwe ukushisa ‘kokuhlupheka nokuzingelwa’; futhi okwesithathu, umuntu okuthi ‘iminako yalesikhathi nokukhohlisa kwengcebo kuminyanise izwi’ kuye.

Kodwa uJesu wabuye walandisa ngenye imbewu eyawela emhlabathini omuhle. Wathi: “Nguye olizwa izwi, aliqonde, athele impela isithelo.”—Mathewu 13:3-8, 18-23.

Kungaba kuhle ukuba sizibuze: “Hlobo luni ‘lwenhlabathi’ engiyilo?”

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 19]

Bafela ukholo lwabo

Ingabe kukhona omaziyo owakhetha ukufa kunokuba aphule ukholo lwakhe? Izinkulungwane zoFakazi BakaJehova ziye zakwenza lokho. Encwadini ethi Nazi State and the New Religions: Five Case Studies in Non-Conformity, uDkt. Christine E. King wabhala: “Oyedwa kubo bonke oFakazi ababili abangamaJalimane waboshwa, oyedwa kwabane wafa.”

Lapho ukwesabeka kwamakamu ekugcineni kuphela ngo-1945, “amanani oFakazi ayenyukile futhi babengekho abahlehla.” Encwadini ethi Nazi Persecution of the Churches, uJ. S. Conway wabhala lokhu ngoFakazi: “Alikho elinye ihlelo elabonisa okuthile okunjengalokho kuzimisela lapho libhekene nokugadla kobuphekula bamaGestapo.”

OFakazi BakaJehova abashushiselwanga ezombangazwe noma uhlanga. Kunalokho, bahlupheka ngenxa nje yothando lwabo ngoNkulunkulu nokwenqaba kwabo ukwephula onembeza babo abaqeqeshwe ngeBhayibheli.