1, 2. Nguwuphi umsebenzi wokwakha owenzayo, kwaye kutheni kubalulekile nje ukuba ube kumgangatho ophezulu?

MASITHI uxakekile wakha into. Sele unexesha elide usenza lo msebenzi, kwaye useza kuqhubeka. Lo msebenzi ubunzima, kodwa ke ubusanelisa. Uzimisele ukuba ungawuyeki nokuba sekumnyam’ entla, kuba umgangatho wawo uza kuchaphazela ubomi bakho, mhlawumbi nekamva lakho. Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba le nto uyakhayo nguwe!

² Umfundi uYude wayibethelela into yokuba sifanele sizakhe. Xa wayebongoza amaKristu ukuba ‘azigcine kuthando lukaThixo,’ watyhila neyona nto engundoqo ukuze enze oko esithi: “Ngokuzakha kolwenu ukholo olulolona lungcwele.” (Yude 20, 21) Ziziphi ezinye zeendlela onokuzakha ngazo, wenze ukholo lwakho lomelele ukuze uhlale kuthando lukaThixo? Makhe singene kwiinkalo ezintathu zomsebenzi wokwakha ngokomoya omele uwenze.

3-5. (a) USathana ufuna ukuba uyijonge njani imithetho kaYehova? (b) Sifanele siyijonge njani imithetho kaThixo, yaye oko kuya kusenza sizive njani? Zekelisa.

³ Okokuqala, sifanele siyithembe imithetho kaThixo. Xa ubufunda le ncwadi, uye wabona iindlela eziliqela uYehova afuna siziphathe ngazo. Wena uyibona njani le milinganiselo? USathana ufuna ukukwenza ucinge ukuba imithetho, imigaqo nemilinganiselo kaYehova ingqongqo, yaye iyacinezela.  Ebesoloko esebenzisa eli qhinga ukususela oko lasebenzayo e-Eden. (Genesis 3:1-6) Ngaba eli qhinga liya kusebenza kuwe? Kuya kuxhomekeka kwisimo sengqondo sakho.

⁴ Ngokomzekelo: Masithi uhamba epakini entle, yaye ubona ucingo oluphakamileyo olubiyele inxalenye yale paki. Le paki ibonakala intle ngaphaya kolu cingo. Ekuqaleni, unokuvakalelwa ukuba lungumqobo kwinkululeko yakho. Kodwa ke, xa ujonga ngaphaya kolu cingo, ubona ingonyama ichwechwela inyamakazi! Ngoku uyasibona isizathu sokuba le ipaki ibiyelwe—kukukhusela abantu. Ngaba sikho isilwanyana esinoburhalarhume esikuzingelayo sithethanje? ILizwi likaThixo liyasilumkisa lisithi: “Hlalani nithe qwa, nilindile. Utshaba lwenu, uMtyholi, luhambahamba njengengonyama egqumayo, efuna ubani engamqwengayo.”—1 Petros 5:8.

⁵ USathana usisilwanyana esinoburhalarhume esizingelayo. Ngenxa yokuba uYehova engafuni ukuba sibe ngamaxhoba akhe, usibekele imithetho esikhusela ‘kumaqhinga’ ongendawo. (Efese 6:11) Ngenxa yoko, nanini na sicamngca ngemithetho kaThixo, sifanele siyijonge njengendlela uBawo wethu wasezulwini abonisa ngayo ukuba uyasithanda. Xa imithetho kaThixo siyijonga ngaloo ndlela, iya kusikhusela ize isenze sivuye. Umfundi uYakobi wabhala wathi: “Umntu oqondela kumthetho ogqibeleleyo wenkululeko, nalowo uzingisayo kuwo . . . uya kuba noyolo ekuwenzeni kwakhe.”—Yakobi 1:25.

6. Yiyiphi eyona ndlela ibhetele enokusenza siyithembe imithetho nemigaqo kaThixo yobulungisa? Zekelisa.

⁶ Ukuphila ngemiyalelo kaThixo yeyona ndlela ibhetele yokomeleza ukholo lwethu kuMniki-mthetho size siyithembe imithetho yakhe ukuba yeyobulumko. Ngokomzekelo, “umthetho kaKristu” uquka umyalelo kaYesu othi sifundise abantu “zonke izinto [asiyalele] zona.” (Galati 6:2;  Mateyu 28:19, 20) AmaKristu ayawuthobela nomyalelo othi ahlanganisane ukuze anqule yaye akhane. (Hebhere 10:24, 25) Omnye umyalelo kaThixo uthi, sithandaze kuye rhoqo nangokunyaniseka. (Mateyu 6:5-8; 1 Tesalonika 5:17) Njengoko siphila ngale miyalelo, siya sicacelwa ukuba yenzelwe ukusikhokela ngothando. Xa siyithobela siba novuyo nolwaneliseko esingenakuze silufumane kweli hlabathi lineenkathazo. Ngaba ukholo lwakho alomeleli ngakumbi xa ucinga ngendlela oye wangenelwa ngayo ngokuphila ngemithetho kaThixo?

7, 8. ILizwi likaThixo libaqinisekisa njani abo banexhala lokuba abayi kukwazi ukuqhubeka bengamalungisa ekuhambeni kwethuba?

⁷ Maxa wambi, abanye abantu baye babe nexhala lokuba kuya kuba nzima ukugcina imithetho kaYehova ekuhambeni kwethuba. Banexhala lokuba basenokuyaphula. Ukuba nawe ukhe uvakalelwe ngaloo ndlela, khumbula la mazwi: “Mna, Yehova, ndinguThixo wakho, Lowo ukufundisa okuyingenelo kuwe, Lowo ukubangela unyathele endleleni ofanele uhambe ngayo. Owu ukuba nje kuphela okunene ubunganikela ingqalelo kwimiyalelo yam! Ngoko uxolo lwakho beluya kuba njengomlambo, nobulungisa bakho njengamaza  olwandle.” (Isaya 48:17, 18) Ngaba wakha wacinga ngendlela akhuthaza ngayo la mazwi?

⁸ Apha uYehova uyasikhumbuza ukuba sithi abangenelwayo xa simthobela. Usithembisa ngokusisikelela ngezinto ezimbini ukuba siyamthobela. Okokuqala, uxolo lwethu luya kuba njengomlambo—luya kuzola, lube luninzi yaye luhlale lukho. Okwesibini, ubulungisa bethu buya kufana namaza olwandle. Xa umi kunxweme lolwandle yaye ubukele amaza esiza elandelelana, uye uqonde ukuba aya kuhlala ekho. Uyazi ukuba amaza aya kuhlala elatyuza, aze kubetha elunxwemeni ngonaphakade. UYehova uthi ubulungisa bakho—ukwenza kwakho izinto ngendlela efanelekileyo—bunokuba njalo nabo. Ukuba uhlala uthembekile kuye, akasoze akuphoxe! (Funda iNdumiso 55:22.) Ngaba ezi zithembiso azikwenzi ube nokholo ngakumbi kuYehova yaye uyithembe imiyalelo yakhe yobulungisa?

9, 10. (a) Kutheni kuyinto entle ukuba umKristu azibekele usukelo lokuqola? (b) Ukujonga izinto ngeliso lokomoya kunokusinceda njani sonwabe?

⁹ Into yesibini omele uyakhe ichazwe kula mazwi aphefumlelweyo athi: “Masixhinele ekuqoleni.” (Hebhere 6:1) Kuhle ukuba umKristu azibekele usukelo lokuqola. Ngokwahlukileyo kwimfezeko, esingenakukwazi ukuyifikelela okwangoku, sinako ukulufikelela usukelo lokuqola. Ngaphezu koko, amaKristu akuvuyela nangakumbi ukukhonza uYehova njengoko esiya eqola. Kutheni kunjalo nje?

¹⁰ UmKristu oqolileyo ujonga izinto ngendlela uYehova azibona ngayo. (Yohane 4:23) UPawulos wabhala wathi: “Abo bavumelana nenyama babeka iingqondo zabo kwizinto zenyama, kodwa abo bavumelana nomoya bazibeka kwizinto zomoya.” (Roma 8:5) Ukujonga izinto ngeliso lenyama akukwenzi wonwabe, kuba udla ngokuzicingela wedwa, akuphangalali kwaye uthi swii zizinto eziphathekayo.  Umntu ojonga izinto ngeliso lokomoya uyonwaba, kuba usoloko ecinga ngoYehova, ‘uThixo onoyolo.’ (1 Timoti 1:11) Usoloko efuna ukukholisa uYehova yaye uyonwaba naxa evavanywa. Ngoba? Kaloku iimvavanyo zisinika ithuba lokumngqina elixoki uSathana, nelokugcina ingqibelelo size senze uBawo wethu wasezulwini abe nemihlali.—IMizekeliso 27:11; funda uYakobi 1:2, 3.

11, 12. (a) UPawulos wathini ‘ngamandla okuqonda’ omKristu, yaye lithetha ukuthini igama eliguqulelwe ngokuthi ‘ukuqeqesha’? (b) Umzimba umele uqeqeshwe njani ukuze ukhule uze uthambe?

¹¹ Ukuze umntu aqole ngokomoya kufuneka aziqeqeshe. Phawula okuthethwa yile ndinyana: “Ukutya okuqinileyo kokwabantu abaqolileyo, abo bathe ngokuwasebenzisa amandla abo okuqonda bawaqeqeshela ukwahlula okulungileyo nokubi.” (Hebhere 5:14) Xa uPawulos wayethetha ‘ngokuqeqesha’ amandla ethu, wasebenzisa igama lesiGrike ekunokwenzeka ukuba lalisetyenziswa kwiindawo zokujima zenkulungwane yokuqala eGrisi, kuba linokuguqulelwa ngokuthi ‘ukuqeqeshwa njengomntu owenza umdlalo womthambo.’ Khawucinge ngoko kubandakanyekileyo kolo qeqesho.

¹² Ekuzalweni kwethu, imizimba yethu yayingaqeqeshwanga. Ngokomzekelo, usana ludla ngokungayazi ukuba iphi imilenze neengalo zalo. Ngenxa yoko, ludla ngokuphekuza nje ngeengalo zalo, de luzibethe ebusweni, luphinde kwalona lothuke luze lukhale. Ekuhambeni kwethuba, umzimba walo uyaqeqesheka. Usana luyakhasa, lwakukhula lufunda ukuhamba luze ekugqibeleni lubaleke. * Kodwa ke, kuthekani ngomntu owenza umdlalo womthambo? Xa umbukele etsibatsiba yaye esenza uqulukubhede emoyeni  ngobuchule obumangalisayo, uye uqonde ukuba umzimba wakhe uqeqeshwe kakuhle. Ubuchule bakhe abuzanga ngamabona-ndenzile—bekufuneka aziqeqeshe kangangeeyure ezininzi. IBhayibhile ithi ukuwuqeqesha ngolo hlobo umzimba wakho ‘kuyingenelo kancinane.’ Okona kubaluleke ngakumbi kukuqeqesha amandla ethu okuqonda izinto zokomoya.—1 Timoti 4:8.

13. Sinokuwaqeqesha njani amandla ethu okuqonda?

¹³ Kule ncwadi, siye sathetha kakhulu ngezinto eziya kukunceda uqeqeshe amandla akho okuqonda ukuze ukwazi ukuhlala uthembekile kuYehova njengomntu oqolileyo ngokomoya. Yicingisise imigaqo nemithetho kaThixo uze uthandaze ngayo ngaphambi kokuba wenze izigqibo ebomini. Ngaphambi kokuba wenze isigqibo ngasinye, zibuze: ‘Yiyiphi imithetho okanye imigaqo yeBhayibhile esebenzayo kulo mba? Ndinokuyisebenzisa njani? Yintoni eya kumvuyisa uBawo wasezulwini?’ (Funda iMizekeliso 3:5, 6; noYakobi 1:5.) Okukhona usenza izigqibo ngolo hlobo kokukhona eya kuqeqesheka nangakumbi amandla akho okuqonda. Olo qeqesho luya kukunceda uhlale ungumntu oqole ngokwenene ngokomoya.

14. Yintoni esifanele siyilambele ukuze sikhule ngokomoya, kodwa yintoni esifanele siyilumkele?

¹⁴ Kwanaxa umntu ede wafikelela kwinqanaba lokuqola, kufuneka aqhubeke ekhula ngokomoya. Ukuze akhule kufuneka atye. Ngenxa yoko, uPawulos wathi: “Ukutya okuqinileyo kokwabantu abaqolileyo.” Ukuba ufuna ukwakha ukholo lwakho qhubeka usitya ukutya  okuqinileyo kokomoya. Xa ukusebenzisa oko ukufundileyo, uba sisilumko, yaye iBhayibhile ithi: “Ubulumko yinto eyintloko.” Ngenxa yoko, kufuneka siyilambele inyaniso exabisekileyo evela kuBawo wethu. (IMizekeliso 4:5-7; 1 Petros 2:2) Kakade ke, ukuba nolwazi nobulumko obuvela kuThixo akufanele kusenze sikhukhumale okanye sithwale intshinga. Sifanele sihlale sizihlola ukuze kungathi kanti ikratshi okanye obunye ubuthathaka sele buntshula ezintliziyweni zethu. UPawulos wabhala wathi: “Hlalani nizivavanya enoba niselukholweni kusini na, hlalani nizicikida oko nikuko nina ngokwenu.”—2 Korinte 13:5.

15. Kutheni kubalulekile ukuba sibe nothando ukuze sikhule ngokomoya?

¹⁵ Indlu isenokugqitywa ukwakhiwa, kodwa umsebenzi wokuyigcina ikwimeko entle awupheli. Kubalulekile ukuyigcina ikwimeko entle nokuyilungisa, yaye kusenokufuneka yandiswe xa iimeko zifuna njalo. Yintoni esimele sibe nayo ukuze sikhule ngokomoya size sihlale siqolile? Eyona nto ibalulekileyo luthando. Sifanele siye simthanda ngakumbi uYehova namanye amakholwa. Ukuba asinalo uthando, nolo lwazana nalo misetyenzana siyenzayo ililize—ifana nje nengxolo ecaphukisayo. (1 Korinte 13:1-3) Xa sinothando, sinokuba ngamaKristu aqolileyo size siqhubeke sikhula ngokomoya.

16. USathana ukhuthaza abantu ukuba bacinge njani, yaye sisiphi isixhobo esisilungiselelwe nguYehova ukuze sizikhusele?

¹⁶ Ngoku masingene kwenye into omele uyakhe. Ukuze uzakhe njengomlandeli wenene kaKristu, kufuneka ulumkele indlela ocinga ngayo. USathana, ongumlawuli weli hlabathi, ulichule ekwenzeni abantu bacinge izinto ezingakhiyo, ezidimazayo, bangathembi mntu yaye baphelelwe lithemba. (Efese 2:2) Kuyingozi ukuba umKristu acinge ngolo hlobo, kufana nokungunda kwisakhiwo esenziwe ngamaplanga.  Okuvuyisayo kukuba, uYehova usinike isixhobo sokuzikhusela—ithemba.

17. ILizwi likaThixo likucacisa njani ukubaluleka kwethemba?

¹⁷ IBhayibhile isichazela ngesikrweqe sokomoya esifanele sisisebenzise xa sisilwa noSathana nehlabathi lakhe. Into ebalulekileyo kwesi sikrweqe sisigcina-ntloko, “esilithemba losindiso.” (1 Tesalonika 5:8) Ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile ijoni lalisazi ukuba aliyi kuphila xesha lide edabini ukuba alithwalanga sigcina-ntloko. Isigcina-ntloko esasidla ngokwenziwa ngentsimbi size sigqunywe ngofele, sasiqinisekisa ukuba izithonga ezitsho entloko azilonzakalisi ijoni. Kanye ngendlela isigcina-ntloko esikhusela ngayo intloko, nethemba linoyikhusela ingqondo yakho.

18, 19. UYesu wasimisela wuphi umzekelo wokuhlala sinethemba, yaye sinokumxelisa njani?

¹⁸ UYesu wasimisela owona mzekelo mhle wokuhlala unethemba. Usazikhumbula izinto awazinyamezelayo ngobusuku obungaphambi kokuba afe? Umhlobo wakhe osenyongweni wamngcatsha ngenxa yemali. Omnye umhlobo wakhe wamkhanyela wema ngomlenz’ omnye esithi akamazi. Abanye bamshiya apho baza bacela kwabanentsente. Abantu bakowabo bamjikela, besithi makangcungcuthekiswe ngamajoni aseRoma de afe. Izicacele into yokuba uYesu wahlangabezana neemvavanyo ezinkulu kunezo sinokuhlangabezana nazo thina. Yintoni eyamncedayo? EyamaHebhere 12:2 ithi: “Ngenxa yovuyo olwalubekwe phambi kwakhe wasinyamezela isibonda sentuthumbo, elidela ihlazo, waza wahlala phantsi ngasekunene kwetrone kaThixo.” UYesu wayesoloko ecinga ‘ngovuyo olwalubekwe phambi kwakhe.’

¹⁹ Luluphi uvuyo olwalubekwe phambi kukaYesu? Kaloku, wayesazi ukuba xa enyamezele, wayeya kufak’ isandla ekungcwalisweni kwegama likaYehova elingcwele. Wayeya kuza nobona bungqina buvakalayo bokuba uSathana ulixoki. Alikho elinye ithemba elalinokumvuyisa ngolo hlobo  uYesu! Wayesazi kananjalo ukuba, uYehova wayeya kumsikelela kakhulu ngokuthembeka kwakhe—esazi nokuba kungekudala wayeza kuphinda abonane noYise. UYesu wayesoloko ecinga ngeli themba livuyisayo naxa kunzima. Nathi kufuneka senjenjalo. Nathi kukho uvuyo olubekwe phambi kwethu. UYehova usivave ngelungelo lokuba negalelo ekungcwalisweni kwegama lakhe. Xa sikhetha ukwenza uYehova abe nguMongami wethu, sinokumngqina elixoki uSathana size sihlale sikhuselekile kuthando lukaBawo wethu enoba sijamelana naziphi na iimvavanyo nezilingo.

20. Yintoni enokukunceda uhlale ucinga izinto ezakhayo kwaye ube nethemba?

²⁰ UYehova akaneli nje ukufuna ukubavuza abakhonzi bakhe abathembekileyo—uyakulangazelela ukwenjenjalo. (Isaya 30:18; funda uMalaki 3:10.) Uyayoliswa kukunika abakhonzi bakhe izinto ezilungileyo abazinqwenelayo. (INdumiso 37:4) Ngoko ke, hlala ucinga ngezinto akuthembise zona uThixo. Ungaze ucinge izinto ezingakhiyo, ezilihlazo nezigqwethekileyo zeli hlabathi lidala likaSathana. Ukuba uvakalelwa kukuba umoya wehlabathi uyangena engqondweni okanye entliziyweni yakho, mbongoze uYehova ukuba akunike “uxolo lukaThixo olungaphaya kokuqonda.” Olo xolo luvela kuThixo luya kuyikhusela intliziyo nengqondo yakho.—Filipi 4:6, 7.

21, 22. (a) Liliphi ithemba elizukileyo esinalo “isihlwele esikhulu”? (b) Liliphi elona themba lamaKristu elikuvuyisayo, ibe uzimisele ukwenza ntoni?

 ²¹ Ngokwenene kubangel’ imincili ukucinga ngeli themba! Ukuba ungomnye ‘wesihlwele esikhulu,’ esiya ‘kuphuma embandezelweni enkulu,’ cinga ngobomi oza kubuphila kungekudala. (ISityhilelo 7:9, 14) Xa uSathana needemon zakhe bengasekho, kuya kutsho kuthi qabu uNoqolomb’ efile nje. Ngubani phakathi kwethu owaziyo ukuba kunjani ukuphila ngaphandle kwempembelelo kaSathana eyonakalisayo? Kuya kuba mnandi gqitha ukutshintsha umhlaba ube yiparadesi sisalathiswa nguYesu nabo baza kulawula naye ezulwini abali-144 000, engasekho uSathana! Sivuya ngokwenene xa sicinga ngokuba zonke izigulo ziza kuphela, siza kwamkela izalamane nabahlobo abaphuma emangcwabeni, siphile ngendlela uThixo awayefuna ngayo! Njengoko sisiya sifezeka, siya kusondela ngakumbi ekufumaneni umvuzo ochazwe kwayabaseRoma 8:21—‘inkululeko ezukileyo yabantwana bakaThixo.’

²² UYehova ufuna ufumane inkululeko engakumbi ongenakuze uyithelekelele. Ukuze uyifumane kufuneka uthobele. Ngaba asifanele senze konke okusemandleni ethu ngoku ukuze sithobele uYehova mihla le? Ngoko ke, qhubeka uzakha kolwakho ukholo olulolona lungcwele, ukuze uzigcine kuthando lukaThixo ngonaphakade!