Ithemba Linamandla Okusekela
ITHEMBA leqiniso okukhulunywa ngalo eBhayibhelini alisona nje isifiso esingasho lutho, esingase singabi nasisekelo noma amathuba okuthi siyoke sifezeke. Futhi ithemba lingaphezu nje kokulindela okuthile, ngoba into elindelwe ayibi into efiselekayo njalo.
IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi iningi labantu alinalo ithemba langempela elinesisekelo esiqinile; isintu siyafa, futhi asibi nalo ithemba ngekusasa uma singazi ngelungiselelo elivela kuNkulunkulu. USolomoni wathi uma uNkulunkulu engangeneli ezindabeni zabantu, isimo sabo siba “yize leze!”—UmShumayeli 12:8.
Abantu abangenalo ithemba kuNkulunkulu nasesithembisweni sakhe sovuko lwabafileyo bavame ukusho amazwi afana nalawo ayeshiwo izakhamuzi zaseJerusalema ezingalaleli. Kunokuba zibonise ukuphenduka nokudabuka lapho uNkulunkulu ethi uzozahlulela ngokubhubhisa umuzi wazo, iJerusalema, zavele zazinikela ezinjabulweni zenyama. Zathi: “Makudliwe futhi kuphuzwe ngoba kusasa sizokufa.” (Isaya 22:13) Umphostoli uPawulu uxwayisa ngokuthonywa yilokhu kucabanga kwabantu abangenathemba.—1 Korinte 15:32, 33.
UPawulu wayengaphiki ukuthi kunamathemba athile aqondakalayo abantu abanawo, amanye awo aze abe mahle imbala. Kunalokho, wayebonisa ukuthi ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu, amathemba omuntu awasho lutho; empeleni, agcina ebe yize leze.
UMthombo Wethemba
UJehova uNkulunkulu unguMthombo wethemba leqiniso futhi ukwazi ukugcwalisa zonke izithembiso zakhe, agcwalise namathemba abantu abathembele kuye. Ngomusa wakhe ongafanelwe, uye wanikeza isintu ‘induduzo nethemba elihle.’ (2 Thesalonika 2:16) EmiBhalweni YesiHebheru kunamazwi amaningi abonisa ithemba, ukuthembela kuJehova nokumethemba. Ngenxa yomusa wothando ayenawo ngabantu bakhe ngisho nalapho beya ekudingisweni ngenxa yokungalaleli kwabo, uNkulunkulu wathi kubo: “Mina ngiyazi kahle imicabango engiyicabangayo ngani, . . . imicabango yokuthula, hhayi eyenhlekelele, ukuba ngininike ikusasa nethemba.”—Jeremiya 29:11.
Isithembiso sikaJehova senza ama-Israyeli athembekile ahlala enokholo futhi enethemba phakathi nokudingiselwa kwawo eBhabhiloni; sawaqinisa kakhulu amadoda anjengoHezekeli noDaniyeli, ngoba uJehova wayethe: “Likhona ithemba ngekusasa lakho, . . . futhi amadodana ngokuqinisekile ayobuyela endaweni yawo.” (Jeremiya 31:17) Lelo themba lagcwaliseka lapho insali ethembekile engamaJuda ibuyela eJerusalema ngo-537 B.C.E. iyokwakha kabusha iJerusalema nethempeli lalo.—Ezra 1:1-6.
Inceku kaNkulunkulu isuke ingaphethwe ubugovu lapho yethemba ukuthi izothola umvuzo. Ukuze umuntu abe nombono wangempela futhi amqonde ngendlela efanele uNkulunkulu, kumelwe azi ukuthi umusa wothando nobubele yizimfanelo zikaNkulunkulu ezivelele; umuntu kumelwe angagcini ngokukholelwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu ukhona, kodwa nokuthi “uba umvuzi walabo abamfuna ngobuqotho.”—Hebheru 11:6.
Ithemba Libalulekile Ekubeni Nokholo
Ithemba libalulekile nasokholweni; liyisisekelo sokholo. (Hebheru 11:1) Ukholo lona lube selwenza ithemba ligqame futhi liqine. Ukuze aqinise amaKristu, umphostoli uPawulu ube esekhuluma ngesibonelo esihle sika-Abrahama.
Lapho, ngokombono womuntu, u-Abrahama nomkakhe uSara bengasenamathemba okuthi bayoke babe nabantwana, kuthiwa: “Nakuba ayengasenathemba, nokho ngokusekelwe ethembeni waba nokholo, ukuze abe nguyise wezizwe eziningi ngokuvumelana nalokho okwashiwo kuthiwa: ‘Iyoba ngako inzalo yakho.’” U-Abrahama wayazi ukuthi umzimba wakhe nokaSara ‘yayisifile’ ngokuqondene nokuzala abantwana. Kodwa ukholo lwakhe aluzange lube buthakathaka. Ngani? “Ngenxa yesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu akazange antengantenge ngokuntula ukholo, kodwa waba namandla ngokholo lwakhe.”—Roma 4:18-20.
Umphostoli ube esebonisa indlela isibonelo sika-Abrahama sokholo nethemba esisebenza ngayo kumaKristu. Uphetha ngala mazwi: “Masethabe, ngokusekelwe ethembeni lenkazimulo kaNkulunkulu . . . futhi ithemba aliholeli ekudumazekeni; ngoba uthando lukaNkulunkulu luthululelwe ezinhliziyweni zethu ngomoya ongcwele esawuphiwa.”—Roma 5:2, 5.
Ithemba LamaKristu
Ngempela, ithemba lomKristu nelesintu sisonke lixhomeke kuJesu Kristu. Abantu babengenalo ilungelo lokuzuza ukuphila okuphakade ezulwini noma emhlabeni kwaze kwaba yilapho uKristu Jesu ‘enza ukuphila nokungonakali kukhanye ngezindaba ezinhle.’—2 Thimothewu 1:10.
Ithemba lokuphila phakade nokungonakali kulabo ‘abangabahlanganyeli bokubizwa kwasezulwini’ linesisekelo esiqinile futhi kungathenjelwa ngokuqiniseka kulo. (Hebheru 3:1) Lisekelwa izinto ezimbili uNkulunkulu angenakuqamba amanga ngazo, okungukuthi, isithembiso nesifungo sakhe, futhi lelo themba lisekelwe kuKristu manje osemazulwini futhi ongasenakufa. Ngakho, leli themba kuthiwa ‘linjengehange lomphefumulo, liqinisekile liqinile, futhi lingena ngaphakathi kwesihenqo [ngendlela umpristi ophakeme ayengena ngayo eNgcwelengcwele ngoSuku Lokuhlawulelwa], lapho umanduleli eye wangena khona ngenxa yethu, uJesu, oye waba umpristi ophakeme ngokwendlela kaMelkhizedeki kuze kube phakade.’—Hebheru 6:17-20.
Izinzuzo Zokulondoloza Ithemba
Kuyinto egcizelelwa njalo eBhayibhelini ukuthi kudingeka amaKristu abambelele ‘ethembeni elilodwa.’ (Efesu 4:4) Ukuze amaKristu abambelele kulo kudingeka azikhandle ngokuqhubekayo futhi asebenzise inkululeko yokukhuluma “nokuziqhayisa” ethembeni.—Hebheru 3:6; 6:11.
Ithemba liqiniswa ukukhuthazelela usizi; lokhu kwenza umuntu amukelwe uNkulunkulu, okunguyena osinika ithemba. (Roma 5:2-5) Ithemba libalwa kanye nokholo nothando njengenye yezimfanelo ezintathu elibonakala ngazo ibandla lobuKristu selokhu kwaphela izipho zomoya eziyisimangaliso ezazikhona ebandleni lekhulu lokuqala.—1 Korinte 13:13.
Kubaluleke kakhulu ukuba umKristu abe nethemba. Lihambisana nenjabulo, ukuthula namandla omoya ongcwele. (Roma 15:13) Lenza umuntu akhululeke nakakhulu lapho ekhuluma noNkulunkulu ecela umusa wakhe ongafanelwe nesihe sakhe. (2 Korinte 3:12) Lenza umKristu akwazi ukukhuthazela ngenjabulo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ubhekene nani. (Roma 12:12) Njengoba isigqoko sokuzivikela sasivikela ikhanda lesosha, nethemba lensindiso livikela amandla engqondo, lenze umKristu akwazi ukuhlala eqotho.—1 Thesalonika 5:8.
Ithemba lisiza umKristu ukuba aphile ukuphila okuhlanzekile, ngoba uyazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu noKristu, okuyibona abaphethe leli themba, bahlanzekile. Futhi umKristu uyazi ukuthi akanakulindela ukufana noNkulunkulu, athole nomvuzo, uma enza ukungcola nokungalungi. (1 Johane 3:2, 3) Leli themba lihlotshaniswa kakhulu nemfanelo ephakeme, uthando, ngoba lowo omthanda ngeqiniso uNkulunkulu uyozethemba zonke izithembiso zaKhe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uyofisela abafowabo abangokomoya okuhle kodwa, abathande futhi ethembe ukuthi baqotho kuKristu.—1 Korinte 13:4, 7; 1 Thesalonika 2:19.