1. Luyintoni olona phawu luphambili lukaThixo, ibe lukwenza uvakalelwe njani ngaye?

IBHAYIBHILE ithi “uThixo uluthando.”(1 Yohane 4:8) Kodwa oku kuthetha ukuthini? Uthando asilophawu nje oluphakathi kwezinye iimpawu ezintle uYehova anazo. Lulolona phawu lwakhe luphambili. Akanalo njee uthando. Ululo uthando. Uthando lulawula yonke into ayenzayo. Siyambulela nyhani uYehova ngokuba uthando lwakhe lwenze wadala yonke into ephilayo!

2. Uthando lukaThixo lusenza siqiniseke ngantoni? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.)

² UYehova uyiphatha ngobubele indalo yakhe. Uthando analo, lusenza siqiniseke ukuba injongo yakhe iza kuzaliseka nakanjani. Baza konwaba nyhani abo bamthobelayo. Ngokomzekelo, ngenxa yothando, uYehova “umise imini anenjongo ngayo yokuba agwebe umhlaba omiweyo ngobulungisa ngendoda ayimiseleyo,” uYesu Kristu. (IZenzo 17:31) Siqinisekile ukuba lo mgwebo uza kubakho. Abantu abathobelayo uza kubazisela ikamva eliqaqambileyo likanaphakade.

3. Ngebunjani ubomi ukuba uThixo ebengasithandi?

³ Beliza kuba njani ikamva loluntu ukuba uthando ibingelophawu lukaThixo luphambili? Abantu bebeza kuqhubeka belawula yaye bephenjelelwa nguthixo okhohlakeleyo nongenaluthando, uSathana. (2 Korinte 4:4; 1 Yohane 5:19; funda iSityhilelo 12:9, 12.) Ngelilibi ngeyona ndlela ikamva ukuba uYehova ebengasithandi!

4. Kwakutheni ukuze uYehova avume luvukelwe ulawulo lwakhe?

⁴ Xa uSathana wavukela ulawulo lukaThixo, waphembelela nabazali bethu bokuqala ukuba nabo bavukele. Wakujongela phantsi ukufaneleka kukaThixo njengoMongami weNdalo iphela. USathana wathi angalawula bhetele kunoThixo. (Genesis 3:1-5) Ngobulumko, uYehova uye wamvulela ithuba uSathana ukuba azibonakalise njengomlawuli. Kodwa kucace mhlophe ukuba uSathana okanye abantu abakwazi ukulawula.

5. Yintoni eye yatyhilwa yimbali?

⁵ Iimeko zehlabathi ziya ziqatsela. Bangaphezu kwezigidi eziyi-100 abantu abaye babulawa emfazweni kule minyaka eyi-100 idluleyo. IBhayibhile ithi “ngemihla yokugqibela”: “Abantu abangendawo namabhedengu baya kuhambela phambili ebubini.” (2 Timoti 3:1, 13) Iphinda ithi: “Ndazi kakuhle, Yehova, ukuba ayikho semntwini wasemhlabeni indlela yakhe. Asikokomntu ohambayo ukwalathisa inyathelo lakhe.” (Yeremiya 10:23) Izinto ezenzekileyo ukutyhubela imbali, ziwangqine eyinyani loo mazwi. UYehova akazange abadale abantu bakwazi okanye banelungelo lokuzimela geqe kuye.

6. Kutheni uThixo evumele ubungendawo?

⁶ Ukuvumela kukaYehova ubungendawo ixesha elide kangaka, kwenze kwacaca nokuba lulawulo lwakhe lodwa olunokuphumelela. Kwixesha elizayo uThixo uza kubasusa bonke abangendawo. Emva koko, ukuba kungakho umntu ovukela indlela alawula ngayo ngothando, uThixo uya kumshenxisa ngoko nangoko loo mntu. Unokukhomba kwimbali yokuzilawula kwabantu njengobungqina bokuba abantu abavukelayo bafanele batshatyalaliswe kamsinya. Akusayi kuphinde kubekho ubungendawo.

7, 8. UYehova ulubonakalise njani uthando lwakhe?

⁷ UYehova ulubonakalise ngeendlela ezininzi uthando lwakhe. Khawucinge ngobungakanani nobuhle besibhakabhaka. Kuso kukho iibhiliyoni zeegalaksi, yaye kwigalaksi nganye kukho iibhiliyoni zeenkwenkwezi neeplanethi. Kwigalaksi yethu iMilky Way, enye yeenkwenkwezi ezikhoyo, lilanga. Ngaphandle kwelanga, ngekungekho nto iphilayo apha emhlabeni. Konke nje oku, kungqina ukuba uYehova unguMdali wethu ibe kubonisa neempawu zakhe ezinjengamandla, ubulumko nothando. Ngokwenene, ‘iimpawu zikaThixo  ezingabonakaliyo zibonwa ngokucacileyo ukususela ekudalweni kwehlabathi kuse phambili, ngenxa yokuba ziqondeka ngezinto ezenziweyo, kwanamandla angunaphakade nobuThixo bakhe.’—Roma 1:20.

⁸ UYehova wawudala umhlaba ngokukhethekileyo ukuze sikwazi ukuphila kuwo. Yonke into esemhlabeni yenzelwe ingenelo yabantu nezilwanyana. UThixo wenza umyezo omhle ukuze abantu bahlale kuwo, wabadala benengqondo nemizimba efezekileyo ukuze baphile ngonaphakade. (Funda iSityhilelo 4:11.) Ngaphezu koko, “unika inyama yonke ukutya kuba ububele bakhe bothando bukho ukusa kwixesha elingenammiselo.”—INdumiso 136:25.

9. Nangona uYehova enguThixo onothando, yintoni ayicaphukelayo?

⁹ UYehova nguThixo oluthando, kodwa uyakucaphukela okubi. Ngokomzekelo, iNdumiso 5:4-6 ithi ngoYehova: “AkungoThixo oyoliswayo bubungendawo. . . Ubathiyile bonke abo baqhelisela okwenzakalisayo.” Uyamcekisa ‘nomntu ophalaza igazi nonenkohliso.’

10, 11. (a) Kuza kwenzeka ntoni kubantu abangendawo? (b) UYehova uza kubavuza njani abantu abamthobelayo?

¹⁰ Ngexesha elililo, uYehova uza kubususa bonke ubungendawo kwindalo yonke, kuba unguThixo oluthando nobucaphukelayo ububi. ILizwi likaThixo lisithembisa ukuba: “Abenzi bobubi baya kunqunyulwa, kodwa abathembela kuYehova baya kuwudla ilifa umhlaba. Kusele ithutyana, angabikho ongendawo.” Iintshaba zikaYehova ‘ziya kuphela njengomsi.’—INdumiso 37:9, 10, 20.

¹¹ ILizwi likaThixo lisithembisa nokuba: “Amalungisa aya kuwudla ilifa umhlaba, ahlale kuwo ngonaphakade.” (INdumiso 37:29) Abantu abanyanisekileyo ‘baya kuziyolisa ngokugqibeleleyo ngobuninzi boxolo.’ (INdumiso 37:11) Ngoba? Kaloku uThixo wethu oluthando usoloko ebenzela okuhle abakhonzi bakhe abanyanisekileyo. IBhayibhile ithi: “Uya kuzisula zonke iinyembezi emehlweni abo, kungabi sabakho kufa, kungabi sabakho kuzila nakukhala nantlungu kwakhona. Izinto zangaphambili zidlule.” (ISityhilelo 21:4) Elinjani ukumangalisa ikamva kubantu abathobelayo nabaluxabisayo uthando lukaThixo!

12. Ngobani ‘abangenakusoleka’?

¹² IBhayibhile ithi: “Mlinde ongenakusoleka uze umkhangele othe tye, kuba ikamva laloo mntu liya kuba leloxolo. Kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo abanxaxhayo baya kubhujiswa ndawonye; ikamva labantu abangendawo liya kunqunyulwa.” (INdumiso 37:37, 38) ‘Abangenakusoleka’ baye bamazi uYehova noNyana wakhe baza bathobela, benza ukuthanda kukaThixo. (Funda uYohane 17:3.) Bayakholelwa ngokwenene ukuba “ihlabathi liyadlula nenkanuko yalo, kodwa lowo wenza ukuthanda kukaThixo uhleli ngonaphakade.” (1 Yohane 2:17) Ekubeni ihlabathi liza kupheliswa kungekudala, kungxamisekile  ukuba ‘sithembele ngoYehova sigcine indlela yakhe.’—INdumiso 37:34.

13. Sisiphi esona senzo sikhulu sikaThixo sothando?

¹³ Nangona singafezekanga, sinako ukumthobela uThixo. Sinako nokuba nobuhlobo obusondeleyo naye ngenxa yedini lentlawulelo likaYesu, esona senzo sikhulu sikaThixo sothando. UYehova ulungiselele intlawulelo ukuze abantu abathobelayo bakhululwe esonweni nasekufeni. (Funda amaRoma 5:12; 6:23.) UYesu wayethembekile kuThixo kangangexesha elide emazulwini, ngoko ke uYehova wayeqinisekile ukuba uza kuhlala ethembekile naxa esemhlabeni. NjengoBawo onothando, uYehova wakhathazeka ngeyona ndlela xa wabona ukuphathwa kakubi koNyana wakhe. Sekunjalo, uYesu wayeyithemba indlela uThixo alawula ngayo waza wabonisa nokuba umntu ofezekileyo unako ukuhlala enyanisekile kuThixo nakwezona meko zinzima.

14, 15. Ukufa kukaYesu kubanike liphi ithuba abantu?

¹⁴ Kuzo zonke iimbandezelo awazifumanayo, uYesu wahlala ethembekile waza walixhasa ilungelo likaYehova lokulawula. Sifanele sibe nombulelo ngokufa kukaYesu, kuba kusinika ithuba lokuphila ngonaphakade kwihlabathi elitsha likaThixo! Umpostile uPawulos wayichaza indlela uYehova noYesu abalubonakalise ngayo uthando ngentlawulelo. Wathi: “Eneneni, uKristu, wathi ngoxa sasisebuthathaka, wabafela abantu abangenabuthixo ngexesha elimiselweyo. Kuba kungangenkankulu ukuba nabani na afele umntu olilungisa; eneneni, mhlawumbi, uthile angaba nobuganga bokumfela umntu olungileyo. Kodwa uThixo ubonakalisa uthando lwakhe kuthi ngokuthi, ngoxa sasisengaboni, uKristu asifele.” (Roma 5:6-8) Umpostile uYohane wathi: “Kwabonakaliswa ngale nto ukusithanda kukaThixo, ngokuthi uThixo athumele uNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo ehlabathini ukuze sizuze ubomi ngaye. Ngoko ayisithi  esamthandayo uThixo, koko nguye owasithandayo waza wathumela uNyana wakhe njengombingelelo wokucamagushela izono zethu.”—1 Yohane 4:9, 10.

¹⁵ UYesu wathi “uThixo walithanda kakhulu ihlabathi kangangokuba wanikela ngoNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, ukuze wonk’ ubani obonisa ukholo kuye angatshabalali kodwa abe nobomi obungunaphakade.” (Yohane 3:16) Nangona kwakubuhlungu kakhulu kuYehova, wamnikela uNyana wakhe ukuba abe yintlawulelo. Oku kubonisa indlela abathanda ngayo abantu. Ibe uya kuhlala ebathanda ngonaphakade. UPawulos wathi: “Kuba ndeyisekile kukuba nakufa nabomi nazingelosi narhulumente nazinto zilapha ngoku nazinto zizayo namandla nakuphakama nabunzulu naso nasiphi na esinye isidalwa aziyi kuba nako ukusahlula eluthandweni lukaThixo olukuye uKristu Yesu iNkosi yethu.”—Roma 8:38, 39.

16. Buyintoni uBukumkani obungoMesiya, yaye ngubani uYehova amnyule njengoMlawuli wabo?

¹⁶ UBukumkani bukaThixo obungoMesiya, bobunye ubungqina bokuba uYehova uyabathanda abantu. Njani? UYehova sele emnyulile uMlawuli obathandayo abantu nokufanelekayo ukulawula, uYesu Kristu. (IMizekeliso 8:31) UThixo ukhethe abantu abayi-144 000 ukuba balawule noKristu emazulwini. Xa bevuswa baya kuba besakhumbula ukuba kwakunjani ukuphila emhlabeni njengomntu. (ISityhilelo 14:1) Xa uYesu wayelapha emhlabeni, eyona nto wayeshumayela ngayo yayibuBukumkani, ibe wafundisa abafundi bakhe ukuba bathandaze bathi: “Bawo wethu osemazulwini, malingcwaliswe igama lakho. Mabufike ubukumkani bakho. Makwenzeke ukuthanda kwakho nasemhlabeni, njengasezulwini.” (Mateyu 6:9, 10) Sikulangazelela ngeyona ndlela ukuzaliseka kwalo mthandazo, xa uBukumkani bukaThixo buza kuzisela abantu iintsikelelo!

17. Khawuthelekise ulawulo lukaYesu nolwabantu.

¹⁷ Kukho umahluko omkhulu kwindlela uYesu alawula ngayo ngothando kunabantu. Ulawulo lwabantu lubangele iimfazwe eziye zabulala izigidi zabantu. Kodwa uMlawuli wethu uYesu, usithanda ngokungazenzisiyo ibe uxelisa iimpawu zikaThixo ezintle, ingakumbi uthando. (ISityhilelo 7:10, 16, 17) UYesu wathi: “Yizani kum, nonke nina nibulalekayo nenisindwa ngumthwalo, yaye ndiza kunihlaziya. Thabathani idyokhwe yam nize nifunde kum, kuba ndinomoya wobulali, ndithobekile ngentliziyo, kwaye niya kuyifumanela ukuhlaziyeka imiphefumlo yenu. Kuba idyokhwe yam yeyobubele nomthwalo wam ukhaphukhaphu.” (Mateyu 11:28-30) Ngokwenene esi sisithembiso sothando!

18. (a) Yintoni ebisenzeka ukususela ngo-1914? (b) Siza kuthetha ngantoni kwinqaku elilandelayo?

¹⁸ IBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba uBukumkani bukaThixo buqalise ukulawula ezulwini ngo-1914. Ukususela ngoko, kuye kwahlanganiswa abokugqibela abaza kulawula noYesu emazulwini ‘nabesihlwele esikhulu’ abaza kusinda xa kupheliswa eli hlabathi baze bangene kwihlabathi elitsha. (ISityhilelo 7:9, 13, 14) Singakanani isihlwele esikhulu namhlanje? UThixo ulindele ntoni kuso? Kwinqaku elilandelayo siza kuyiphendula le mibuzo.