Ukwethembeka Ezweni Elingaphelele

“OKUHLE engikufisayo angikwenzi, kodwa okubi engingakufisi yikho engikwenza umkhuba.” Ingabe uthola ukuthi kunjalo nangawe? Makukukhuthaze ukwazi ukuthi nomphostoli uPawulu wayenenkinga efanayo; kodwa wayeyindoda engumKristu oqotho ngokuphawulekayo. Akuziphikisi yini lokhu? Encwadini ayeyibhalele amaKristu aseRoma, uPawulu wahlaziya lenkinga: “Manje, uma engingakufisi kuyikho engikwenzayo, akusemina okwenzayo, kodwa isono esihlezi kimi.” Yisiphi isono abhekisele kuso, futhi wasinqoba kanjani ukuze abe indoda eqotho?—Roma 7:19, 20.

Ngaphambidlana encwadini yakhe, uPawulu wabhala: “Ngomuntu oyedwa isono sangena ezweni nokufa kwangena ngesono, futhi kanjalo ukufa kwasakazekela kubantu bonke ngenxa yokuthi bonke bonile.” Lowo “muntu oyedwa” ngu-Adamu. (Roma 5:12, 14) Isono sika-Adamu—isono somuntu wokuqala—siyimbangela yokungapheleli kohlanga lwesintu okuwufuzo futhi siyisizathu esiyisisekelo esenza ukugcina ubuqotho kube inselele yangempela.

Umbono kaPawulu ‘wesono sokuqala,’ njengoba sasiye sibizwe kanjalo, awamukelwa kabanzi namuhla ngenxa yokuthi ukulandisa kweBhayibheli kwendalo kuye kwaphikwa yizigungu zezazi zemfundiso yenkolo zisekela izinkolelo-mbono zokuziphendukela kwemvelo. Enye incwadi yanamuhla ehlaziya eyabaseRoma 5:12-14 ithi: “Izazi ziye zayigudluzela eceleni yonke lendima.” Nokho eminyakeni eyikhulu edlule, izincwadi ezihlaziya iBhayibheli zazingaguquki ekuchazeni ukuthi “lapho u-Adamu ona . . . wangcolisa yonke inzalo yakhe ngaleso sono nemiphumela yaso.”a

Ukulahleka Kobuqotho Ekuqaleni

Njengoba nje abaningi namuhla bekuphika ukuba khona kuka-Adamu, umuntu wokuqala, noSathane uDeveli kuthiwa uyinganekwane.b Kodwa igunya elivelele, uJesu Kristu, lisitshela ukuthi “akazange eme eqinile eqinisweni,” ngamanye amazwi, akathembekanga. (Johane 8:44) Futhi kwabangelwa uSathane ukuba u-Adamu nomkakhe, u-Eva, bavukele uJehova futhi baphule ubuqotho babo lapho bevivinywa.—Genesise 3:1-19.

Ngenxa yokuthi sonke siyinzalo ka-Adamu, sonke sizuza ukuthambekela kwesono njengefa. Indoda ehlakaniphile uSolomoni yathi: “Akukho-muntu emhlabeni olungileyo kangaka ukuba enze okuhle, angoni.” (UmShumayeli 7:20) Noma kunjalo, noma yimuphi umuntu angaba othembekile. Kungenzeka kanjani lokhu? Ngenxa yokuthi akudingeki ukuba umuntu abe ophelele ukuze agcine ubuqotho.

Isisekelo Sobuqotho

INkosi uDavide yakwa-Israyeli yenza amaphutha amaningi, kuhlanganise nokuphinga noBati-Sheba okunobufakazi. (2 Samuweli 11:1-27) Amaphutha kaDavide amaningi abonisa ukuthi wayengaphelele nakancane. Nokho, yini uJehova ayeyibona kulendoda? Ekhuluma nendodana kaDavide, uSolomoni, uJehova wathi: “[Hamba] phambi kwami njengokuhamba kukaDavide uyihlo, ngenhliziyo engenacala nangobuqotho.” (1 AmaKhosi 9:4, omalukeke sizenzele.) Naphezu kwamaphutha kaDavide amaningi, uJehova wayekuqaphela ukwethembeka kwakhe okuyisisekelo. Ngani?

UDavide wanikeza impendulo lapho etshela uSolomoni ukuthi: “UJehova uhlola izinhliziyo zonke, uqonda zonke izizindlo zemicabango.” (1 IziKronike 28:9) UDavide wayewenza amaphutha, kodwa wayethobekile, futhi wayefuna ukwenza okulungile. Wayekwamukela njalo ukusolwa nokulungiswa—empeleni wayekucela. Isicelo sakhe sasiwukuthi: “Ngivivinye, Jehova, ungilinge; [cwengisisa, NW] izinso zami nenhliziyo yami.” (IHubo 26:2) Futhi uDavide wacwengisiswa ngempela. Ngokwesibonelo, izingqinamba ezabangelwa isono sakhe noBati-Sheba zaqhubeka kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe. Noma kunjalo, uDavide akazange azame ukuthethelela ukona kwakhe. (2 Samuweli 12:1-12) Okubaluleke nakakhulu, akazange achezuke ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso. Ngenxa yalesi sizathu, nangenxa yokuzisola nokuphenduka kukaDavide okuqotho nokusuka enhliziyweni, uJehova wayekulungele ukuthethelela izono zakhe futhi amamukele njengendoda eqotho.—Bheka neHubo 51.

Ukwethembeka Kuyavivinywa

UJesu wavivinywa uSathane uDeveli ezama ukuphula ubuqotho bakhe. Kwadingeka agcine ubuqotho bakhe lapho ebhekene nezinkinga nokuhlupheka, ngokungafani no-Adamu, okulalela kwakhe njengendoda ephelele kwavivinywa ngokumane ayalwe ukuba alalele umthetho waphezulu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJesu wacindezelwa nawukwazi ukuthi ukukhululwa komkhaya wesintu kwakuncike ebuqothweni bakhe.—Heberu 5:8, 9.

USathane, ezimisele ukuphula ubuqotho bukaJesu, waya kuye lapho uJesu ebuthakathaka kakhulu—ngemva kokuba echithe izinsuku ezingu-40 ezindla futhi ezile ukudla ehlane. Wamlinga kathathu uJesu—ukuba aguqule amatshe abe izinkwa; agxume embhoshongweni wethempeli, ethi ingelosi yayiyongenela ukuze imsindise futhi kanjalo kube isibonakaliso esiyisimangaliso esifakazela ukuthi unguMesiya; nokuba amukele ukuba umbusi wayo yonke imibuso yalomhlaba ngokwenza “isenzo [esisodwa nje] sokukhulekela” uSathane. Kodwa uJesu wakwenqaba ngakunye lokho kulingwa, wagcina ubuqotho bakhe kuJehova.—Mathewu 4:1-11; Luka 4:1-13.

Ubuqotho BukaJobe

Kwaziwa kakhulu ukuma kukaJobe, ukugcina ubuqotho bakhe lapho evivinywa. Kuyathakazelisa ukuthi uJobe wayengaqondi ukuthi kungani ayehlelwa yinhlekelele. Wayengazi ukuthi uSathane wayethe unezisusa ezingafanele, egomela ngokuthi uJobe ukhonza uNkulunkulu ngenxa yezizathu zobugovu wathi futhi uJobe angabuphula ngokuzithandela ubuqotho bakhe ukuze asindise isikhumba sakhe. UNkulunkulu wavuma ukuba uJobe abhekane nezehlakalo ezivivinya kakhulu ukuze abonise ukuthi uSathane wayenephutha.—Jobe 1:6-12; 2:1-8.

Kwavela abangane bamanga abathathu. Bahlanekezela izindinganiso nezinjongo zikaNkulunkulu ngamabomu. Ngisho nomkaJobe, naye owayengayiqondi impikiswano, akazange amkhuthaze umyeni wakhe lapho ayekudinga kakhulu ukukhuthazwa. (Jobe 2:9-13) Kodwa uJobe wama eqinile. “Angiyikuzaphuca ukuphelela [“ubuqotho,” NW] kwami ngize ngife. Ngibambelela ekulungeni kwami, angikuyeki; inhliziyo yami ayisoli nowodwa wemihla yami.”—Jobe 27:5, 6.

Isibonelo esivelele sikaJobe, kanye nobuqotho bamadoda nabesifazane abaningi, njengoba kulotshwe eBhayibhelini, kwabonisa ukuthi uSathane ungumqambimanga.

Ubuqotho Nenkonzo YobuKristu

Ingabe uJehova wazisa imfanelo yobuqotho ngenxa nje yokuthi yanelisa yena? Cha. Ubuqotho buyasizuzisa thina bantu. Umyalo kaJesu wokuba ‘sithande uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu ngenhliziyo yethu yonke nangomphefumulo wethu wonke nangengqondo yethu yonke’ wawuzozuzisa thina. Lona “umyalo omkhulu kunayo yonke nowokuqala” ngempela, futhi ukuwugcina kudinga indoda, owesifazane, noma ingane eqotho. (Mathewu 22:36-38) Yini ehilelekile, futhi iyini imivuzo?

Indoda eqotho ayethenjwa abantu kuphela, kodwa okubaluleke nakakhulu, yethenjwa uNkulunkulu. Ubumsulwa benhliziyo yayo bubonakala ezenzweni zayo; ayinabo ubuzenzisi. Ayikhohlisi futhi ayikhohlakele. Umphostoli uPawulu wakubeka ngalendlela: “Siye sazilahla izinto zomshoshaphansi okumelwe sibe namahloni ngazo, njengoba singahambi ngobuqili, futhi singalonakalisi izwi likaNkulunkulu, kodwa ngokulenza libe sobala iqiniso sizitusa kubo bonke onembeza babantu emehlweni kaNkulunkulu.”—2 Korinte 4:2.

Qaphela ukuthi uPawulu uthinta izimo zengqondo ezihlangene nenkonzo yobuKristu. Isikhonzi esingumKristu singabakhonza kanjani abanye uma izandla zaso zingemsulwa, uma singeyona indoda eqotho? Inhloko yehlelo lenkolo lase-Ireland esanda kusula iliveza kahle leli phuzu. Yavuma ukuthi ‘yavumela umpristi onukubeza izingane ngobulili ukuba aqhubeke esebenza nezingane isikhathi eside ngemva kokuba ukunukubeza kwakhe izingane sekwaziwa,’ kusho iphephandaba i-Independent. Indaba yachaza ukuthi lokhu kunukubeza kwaqhubeka iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-24. Lompristi waboshwa iminyaka emine, kodwa cabanga ngokuhlukumezeka ezazibhekana nakho izingane ayezinukubeza phakathi naleyo minyaka ngenxa yokuthi umphathi wakhe wayengeqotho ngokokuziphatha ukuba athathe isinyathelo!

Ubuqotho—Imivuzo

Umphostoli uJohane wayeyindoda enesibindi. Ngenxa yentshiseko yabo enjengomlilo, uJesu wabiza yena nomfowabo uJakobe ngokuthi “amaDodana Okuduma.” (Marku 3:17) Indoda eyayiqotho ngokuphawulekayo, uJohane, ikanye noPetru, yachazela ababusi abangamaJuda ukuthi ‘yayingenakuyeka ukukhuluma’ ngezinto eyayizibonile neyayizizwile ngenkathi inoJesu. Futhi uJohane wayengomunye wabaphostoli abathi: “Kumelwe silalele uNkulunkulu njengombusi kunabantu.”—IzEnzo 4:19, 20; 5:27-32.

Kubonakala sengathi lapho uJohane eseseminyakeni ecela ekhulwini, wadingiselwa esiQhinganeni sasePhatmose “ngenxa yokukhuluma ngoNkulunkulu nangenxa yokufakaza ngoJesu.” (IsAmbulo 1:9) Esekhule kangako, wayengase acabange ukuthi inkonzo yakhe yayisiphelile. Kodwa yindoda eqotho njengaye kuphela eyayingase iphathiswe isabelo sokuloba umbono ovusa amadlingozi wesAmbulo. UJohane wakholeka kulesi sabelo. Yeka ilungelo lokhu okwaba yilo ngaye! Futhi kwakuseza okwengeziwe. Kamuva, ngokusobala eduze nase-Efesu, wabhala ukulandisa kwakhe kweVangeli nezincwadi ezintathu. Yeka amalungelo amakhulu okufinyelela umvuthwandaba wenkonzo yokukholeka nokwethembeka yeminyaka engu-70!

Ukuba umuntu oqotho kunikeza ukwaneliseka okujulile. Ukwethembeka emehlweni kaNkulunkulu kuletha imivuzo ehlala njalo. Namuhla, “isixuku esikhulu” sabakhulekeli beqiniso silungiselelwa ukungena ezweni elisha lokuthula nobunye, sinethemba lokuphila okumi phakade. (IsAmbulo 7:9) Kumelwe kugcinwe ubuqotho ezindabeni ezibalulekile zokuziphatha nokukhulekela, naphezu kwezilingo zalesi simiso sezinto nezinselele eziningi uSathane angase azilethe. Qiniseka ukuthi ngamandla uJehova awanikezayo, ungaphumelela!—Filipi 4:13.

Ekhuluma ngakho kokubili isikhathi samanje nesizayo emthandazweni wokubonga uJehova umhubi uDavide uyasiqinisekisa sonke lapho ethi: “Mina‚ ngenxa yobuqotho bami ungisekelile‚ futhi uyongibeka phambi kobuso bakho kuze kube phakade. Makabongwe uJehova . . . Amen, Amen.”—IHubo 41:12, 13.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

Naphezu kwamaphutha akhe, uDavide wazibonakalisa ekufanelekela ukwethenjwa

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

UJesu wasishiyela isibonelo esihle kakhulu sokwethembeka

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Ukwethembeka kuletha ukwaneliseka okukhulu