“Masinya nje ngemva kokufa, imiphefumulo yalabo abafa belesono iya esihogweni lapho efika ijeziswe khona, ‘emlilweni ongapheliyo,’” kutsho ibhuku elithiwa yi-Catechism of the Catholic Church. Abanye abakhokheli bamasonto bathi abasesihogweni bayabe behlukene ngokupheleleyo loNkulunkulu njalo bekhatshana laye.

“Umphefumulo owonayo yiwo ozakufa.” (UHezekheli 18:4) Abafileyo “kabazi lutho.” (UmTshumayeli 9:5) Nxa umphefumulo usifa njalo abafileyo bengazi lutho, bangajeziswa njani “emlilweni ongapheliyo” kumbe bangabuzwa njani ubuhlungu bokwehlukaniswa loNkulunkulu phakade?

EBhayibhilini, amabala esiHebheru lesiGiriki ajayele ukuhunyutshwa ngokuthi “isihogo” atsho ingcwaba labantu bonke. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho uJobe ehlaselwa ngumkhuhlane obuhlungu wathandaza wathi: “Aluba ungangifihla ethuneni [“esihogweni,” Douay-Rheims Version].” (UJobe 14:13) UJobe wayefuna ukuphumula ethuneni hatshi endaweni yokujeziswa okukhulu kumbe eyokwahlukaniswa loNkulunkulu.

Isihluku asenzi ukuthi simthande uNkulunkulu kodwa senza simbalekele. URocío ohlala eMexico uthi, “Ngisesemncane ngangifundiswa imfundiso yesihogo. Ngangisesaba kakhulu okokuthi ngangingakaze ngicabange ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulezimpawu zobuntu ezinhle. Ngangicabanga ukuthi wayehlala ezondile lokuthi kabekezeli.”

Ukucaca kwamavesi aseBhayibhilini mayelana lokwahlulela kukaNkulunkulu kanye lokuthi kuyini okwenzakalayo umuntu angafa kwantshintsha indlela uRocío ayembona ngayo uNkulunkulu. Uthi: “Ngazizwa sengikhululekile, okokuthi kwakungani ngethulwe inkalakatha yomthwalo. Ngaqalisa ukuba lethemba lokuthi uNkulunkulu usifisela okuhle kakhulu, uyasithanda njalo lami ngingamthanda. Unjengobaba ohamba ebambe abantwabakhe ngezandla njalo abafisele izinto ezinhle.”​—U-Isaya 41:13.

Abanengi bazama ngamandla ukuthi bakhuthale esontweni ngenxa yokwesaba umlilo wesihogo, kodwa uNkulunkulu kafuni ukuthi simkhonze ngenxa yokuthi siyamesaba. Kanti njalo uJesu wathi: “Thanda iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho.” (UMakho 12:29, 30) Okuhle kakhulu yikuthi nxa sesikwazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu kabenzi ububi lamuhla, singayithemba indlela azakwahlulela ngayo esikhathini esizayo. Lathi njengomngane kaJobe u-Elihu, singakutsho ngesibindi ukuthi: “Kakube khatshana laye uNkulunkulu ukwenza ububi, khatshana kukaSomandla ukona.”​—UJobe 34:10.