Kei te ora nga wairua! I roto i te ao wairua e kore nei e kitea atu, nga wairua papai, me nga mea kikino. He peretana aianei enei i noho ora i runga i te whenua nei, a ka mate?

Kahore. Ki te mate te tangata, tane, wahine, kahore e pahemo atu ki te ao wairua, i runga inga whakaaro a nga tangata tokomaha. Me pehea e matau ai tatou i tenei? No te mea na te Paipera i whakapuaki mai. Ko te Paipera he pukapuka o te pono, i anga mai i te Atua o te pono, ko Ihowa nei tona ingoa. Na Ihowa i hanga te tangata; ko ia e tino mohio ana ka pehea ina mate ratou.—Nga Waiata 83:18; 2 Timoti 3:16.

Whakaatu mai te Paipera, na te Atua i hanga a Arama, te tangata tuatahi, “he puehu no te oneone.” (Kenehi 2:7) Ka whaka nohoia i roto i te Pararaiha, te kari o Erene. Mehe mea a Arama i whakarongo ki te ture a Ihowa, kahore ke a ia e mate; kei te ora tonu a ia i runga i te whenua nei, tae mai ki tenei ra. Na runga i tana paakaru i te ture a te Atua, ka mea te Atua ki aia: “Hoki noa koe ki te oneone; i tangohia mai nei hoki koe i reira: he puehu hoki koe, a ka hoki ano ki te puehu.”—Kenehi 3:19.

He aha te tikanga o tenei? I hea a Arama i mua atu i tana hangaanga mai e Ihowa i te puehu? Kahore kau a ia. Kahore ia i te wairua hore noa i whanau tia i te rangi. Kahore ano ia. No reira i te meanga o Ihowa kia Arama “hoki noa koe ki te oneone” ko te tikanga e mea ana aia ka mate a Arama. Kahore kau a ia i whakawhiti ki te ao wairua. Ka mate, ka hoki a Arama  ki te ora kore. Ko te mate, kahore te ora.

Pehea oti etahi atu kua mate? Kei te kore noa iho a ratou? Ko ta te Paipera whakautu:

• “E haere ana te katoa [te tangata me nga kararehe] ki te wahi kotahi; no te puehu nei te katoa, ka hoki ano te katoa ki te puehu.”—Te Kaikauwhau 3:20.

• “Ko nga tupapaku ia, kahore o ratou mohio ki tetahi mea.”—Te Kaikauwhau 9:5.

• “Ko to ratou aroha hoki, ko to ratou riri, ko to ratou hae, kua kore.”—Te Kaikauwhau 9:6.

• “Kahore hoki he mahi, kahore he tikanga, kahore he matauranga kahore he whakaaro nui, i te urupa te wahi ka haere atu na koe ki reira.”—Te Kaikauwhau 9:10, NW.

• “Hoki ana [te tangata] ki tona oneone; kore iho ona whakaaro i taua ra pu ano.”—Nga Waiata 146:4.

E pakeke ana tou whakaae ki enei karaipiture? Whakaaro mai:  Inga whanau tokomaha, ko te tane te kai mahi moni, hei awhina i tana whanau. Ka mate te tane, taka ana te whanau ki te rawa kore. I etahi taima tana wahine, ana tamariki, kahore he moni hei hoko kai. Tena te hoa riri o te tane, huri ake ki te taka kino i a ratou. Patai a koe: ‘Mehe mea e ora tonu ana te tane nei i te ao wairua, he aha aia te awhina ai i tana whanau? He aha a ia te tiaki ai i tana whanau e tukino hia nei e te hunga kino?’ No te mea he tika ta te karaipiture. Ko tera tangata he tangata ora kore, kahore e taea i aia tetahi mahi.—Nga Waiata 115:17.

Kahore ranei te tupapaku e ora ake ano? Kahore, kahore rawa. Ka korero tatou i te whakaaranga a konei ake. Ko te tikanga tenei, te hunga kua mate kahore ratou e mohio ki au mahi. Kahore e kite ia koe, e rongo ia koe, kahore e korero ki a koe. Kaua koe e mataku ia ratou. Kahore koe e taea te awhina e ratou, e kore koe e whara ia ratou.—Te Kaikauwhau 9:4; Ihaia 26:14.