1, 2. Abantu baphenjelelwa njani yindlela abakhuliswa ngayo nendawo abakhulela kuyo?

WONKE umntu uyaphenjelelwa yindlela akhuliswa ngayo nendawo akhulela kuyo. Abantu baneendlela zabo zokunxiba; bathanda ukutya okuthile, baze benze izinto ngendlela ethile. Kutheni kunjalo nje? Phakathi kwezinye izinto, baphenjelelwa ngabantu abaphila nabo kunye neemeko abaphila phantsi kwazo.

² Noko ke, kukho izinto ezithile ezibaluleke ngakumbi kunohlobo lokutya nendlela yokunxiba esiyithandayo. Ngokomzekelo, sikhuliswa ngendlela yokuba sizazi izinto ezifanelekileyo nezamkelekileyo nokuze siphephe ezo zingafanelekanga nezingafunwayo. Abantu bayahluka nakwindlela abenza ngayo kwezinye zezi nkalo, kuxhomekeka kukhetho lomntu ngamnye. Ukhetho esilwenzayo lude lutyhile nobunjani besazela sethu. IBhayibhile iyavuma ukuba ‘abantu beentlanga abangenawo umthetho badla ngokwenza ngemvelo izinto zomthetho.’ (Roma 2:14) Ngaba oku kuthetha ukuba lo gama nje kungekho mthetho ungqalileyo kwiLizwi likaThixo, singenza nantoni na silandela imilinganiselo esikhuliswe ngayo neqhelekileyo ekuhlaleni?

3. Ziziphi izizathu ezibini ezenza amaKristu angalandeli umndilili?

³ Ubuncinane kukho izizathu ezibini ezibalulekileyo zokuba kungabi njalo kumaKristu. Esokuqala sesokuba, iBhayibhile ithi: “Kukho indlela ethe tye phambi komntu, kodwa ukuphela kwayo ziindlela zokufa.” (IMize. 16:25) Ngenxa yokungafezeki kwethu, asikwazi ngokupheleleyo ukugqiba ngeyona nto iza kusinceda. (IMize. 28:26; Yer. 10:23) Esesibini, iBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba imikhwa nemilinganiselo yehlabathi iphenjelelwa ize ilawulwe nguSathana, “uthixo wale nkqubo yezinto.” (2 Kor. 4:4; 1 Yoh. 5:19) Ngoko ke, ukuba sifuna ukukholisa uYehova aze asisikelele, simele sithobele isibongozo esikwincwadi eya kwabaseRoma 12:2.—Yifunde.

4. Yiyiphi imibuzo esiza kuyihlolisisa kweli nqaku?

 ⁴ Ziliqela izinto ezibalulekileyo esifanele sizihlolisise kule ncwadi yabaseRoma 12:2. (1) Kutheni simele “siguquke” okanye sitshintshe? (2) Yintoni le kufuneka siyitshintshe? (3) Sinokwenzani ukuze sitshintshe? Makhe sihlolisise le mibuzo.

5. Ayebhalelwe oobani ngokukhethekileyo amazwi kaPawulos akweyabaseRoma 12:2?

⁵ Amazwi ompostile uPawulos akwincwadi eyayisiya kwabaseRoma ayengabhalelwa abantu abangakholwayo okanye abantu ngokubanzi, kodwa ayesiya kumaKristu athanjisiweyo. (Roma 1:7) Wawabongoza ukuba atshintshe aze ayeke “ukumilisa okwale nkqubo yezinto.” KumaKristu aseRoma ngelo xesha, malunga nonyaka ka-56, ‘inkqubo yezinto’ yayiquka imilinganiselo, izithethe, indlela yokwenza izinto nemikhwa eyayixhaphakile eRoma. Ukusebenzisa kukaPawulos igama elithi “musani” kubonisa ukuba amanye amaKristu ayesaphenjelelwa yiloo nkqubo yezinto. Yiyiphi impembelelo eyayinayo loo nkqubo kubazalwana noodadewethu ngelo xesha?

6, 7. Indlela ekwakuphilwa nekwakunqulwa ngayo eRoma ngomhla kaPawulos yayilucelomngeni njani kumaKristu?

⁶ Namhlanje, abo bakhenkethela eRoma badla ngokubona amabhodlo eetempile, amangcwaba, amatye ezikhumbuzo, amabala emidlalo, njalo njalo. Zimbi izakhiwo zala mabhodlo zazisele zikho ngenkulungwane yokuqala. La mabhodlo asinceda siqonde indlela ekwakuphilwa nekwakunqulwa ngayo apho eRoma mandulo. Kwiincwadi zembali yayo siva ngemidlalo yabantu ababesilwa ngamakrele, imidyarho nezinye iintlobo zomculo, maxa wambi iquka ukuziphatha okubi. IRoma yayikwaliziko eliphambili lezorhwebo, ngoko ayemaninzi amathuba okuba sisityebi.—Roma 6:21; 1 Pet. 4:3, 4.

⁷ Nakuba zaziyinyambalala iitempile ezinoothixo ababenqulwa apho, amaRoma ayesenza nje uphela sonwabe engabi nalwalamano nabo thixo bawo. Kuwo unqulo lwaluyinto nje efuneka kwizinto ezifana nokuzalwa kosana, xa kutshatwa okanye kungcwatywa. Unokuyicingela ingxaki eyayibangelwa seso simo sengqondo kumaKristu aseRoma. Amaninzi kuwo ayekhulele kuloo meko, ngoko kwakufuneka atshintshe ukuze abe ngamaKristu okwenene, ibe kwakufuneka ahlale ephucula nasemva kokuba ebhaptiziwe.

8. Ihlabathi lilucelomngeni njani kumaKristu namhlanje?

⁸ Njengalapho eRoma, ihlabathi esiphila kulo namhlanje lizisa ucelomngeni kumaKristu azahluleleyo. Kwenzeka njani oko? Kaloku umoya weli hlabathi ubonakala ngeendlela ezininzi. (Funda eyabase-Efese 2:2, 3; eyoku-1 kaYohane 2:16.) Ekubeni sichanabeka mihla le kwiminqweno, indlela yokucinga, imilinganiselo nendlela yokuziphatha yeli hlabathi, sihlala sisengozini yokuphenjelelwa lilo. Ngenxa  yoko, sinezizathu eziliqela zokuthobela esi sibongozo siphefumlelweyo sokuba ‘siyeke ukumilisa okwale nkqubo yezinto size sitshintshe.’ Yintoni esimele siyenze?

9. Ngaphambi kokufanelekela ukubhaptizwa, luluphi utshintsho abaye balwenza abaninzi?

⁹ Njengokuba umntu efundisisa aze aphile ngokuvisisana nenyaniso yeBhayibhile, uye asondele ngakumbi kuThixo. Uye enze utshintsho ebomini ngenxa yezinto azifundileyo. Uzilahla phaya zonke izinto ezinokuthanani nonqulo lobuxoki kuquka ezo zenyanyekayo aze ambathe ubuKristu. (Efe. 4:22-24) Siyavuyiswa kukubona minyaka le inyambalala yabantu isenza inkqubela ize ifanelekele ukubhaptizwa njengoko izahlulela kuYehova uThixo. Kumvuyisa gqitha uYehova oku. (IMize. 27:11) Noko ke, kuya kuba kuhle ukuhlolisisa oku: Ngaba lolu tshintsho kuphela olufunekayo?

10. Nguwuphi umahluko okhoyo phakathi kokutshintsha nokwenza inkqubela?

¹⁰ Enyanisweni, ukutshintsha akupheleli nje ekwenzeni inkqubela okanye ukuphucula. Xa kuthengiswa imveliso ethile kusenokuthiwa iye “yaphuculwa,” ngoxa kungekho nto ingako itshintshiweyo. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba yinto nje enye eye yongezwa kuyo yaza yahonjiswa ngakumbi. Ngokuphathelele eli gama ukutshintsha, enye incwadi ithi: “Kule ncwadi iya kwabaseRoma 12:2 kuboniswa umahluko phakathi kokumilisa okwale nkqubo yezinto nokutshintsha kweengcinga ngenxa yamandla oMoya Oyingcwele.” Ngoko ke, utshintsho ekufuneka lwenziwe ngumKristu alupheleli nje ekuyekeni imikhwa emibi, intetho engahlambulukanga okanye ukuziphatha kakubi. Bakho nabanye abantu abangazi nto ngeBhayibhile kodwa nabo abafuni nokuyibona le mikhwa yaye bambi bazabalazela ukwahlukana nayo. Yintoni ke, efunekayo ukuze umKristu atshintshe?

11. UPawulos wathi yintoni efunekayo ukuze umntu atshintshe?

¹¹ UPawulos wathi: “Guqukani ngokutshintsha ingqondo yenu.” Xa lisetyenziswa eBhayibhileni, igama elithi “ingqondo” libhekisela kumandla okucinga, utyekelo, isimo sengqondo nengqiqo. Ngaphambilana kule ncwadi iya kwabaseRoma, uPawulos wachaza abantu ‘ababekwimo yengqondo engakholekanga’ ngenxa yokuba ‘nentswela-bulungisa, ubungendawo, inkanuko, ububi.’ ‘Babezaliswe ngumona, ukubulala, imbambano, inkohliso’ nezinye izinto ezenzakalisayo. (Roma 1:28-31) Siyakwazi ukusibona isizathu sokuba uPawulos ababongoze ukuba ‘baguquke baze batshintshe ingqondo’ abantu ababekhulele kuloo meko baza bakhonza uThixo.

12. Yiyiphi indlela yokucinga exhaphakileyo namhlanje, ibe inokuba yingozi njani kumaKristu?

¹² Okubuhlungu kukuba, nathi namhlanje singqongwe ngabantu abafanayo naba bachazwa nguPawulos. Basenokuvakalelwa kukuba kukushiywa lixesha  ukuphila ngemilinganiselo okanye imigaqo ethile, batsho besithi akukho mntu umele anyanzele abanye ukuba baphile ngayo. Ootitshala nabazali abaninzi bavumela abantwana ukuba benze nantoni na abayithandayo. Bade babafundise nento yokuba “banenkululeko” yokuzigqibela ngento elungileyo nephosakeleyo. Bakholelwa ukuba akakho umntu onokuqiniseka ngeyona nto ilungileyo nengalunganga; yonke into ixhomekeke emntwini. Nabaninzi abathi bayakholelwa kuThixo bavakalelwa kukuba banenkululeko yokuzigqibela ngento elungileyo, akukho mfuneko yakuva ngoThixo. (INdu. 14:1) Le ndlela yokucinga inokuba yingozi kumaKristu okwenyaniso. Kunokuba lula kwabo bangalumkanga ukuwajonga ngolo hlobo amalungiselelo kaThixo. Banokusuka bayeke ukuthobela imiyalelo yebandla baze baqalise ukukhalazela yonke into abangayithandiyo. Basenokulithandabuza icebiso leBhayibhile ngokuphathelele iindlela zokuzonwabisa, ukusetyenziswa kweIntanethi nokusukela imfundo enomsila.

13. Kutheni simele sizihlolisise ngenyameko nje?

¹³ Ukuze siphephe ukumilisa okwale nkqubo yezinto, okanye sixonxwe lihlabathi, simele sihlolisise iingcamango neemvakalelo, usukelo nemilinganiselo esinayo. Ezi zizinto ezisenokungabonwa ngabanye. Abanye basenokuthi siqhuba kakuhle. Ukanti, sithi abaziyo xa siye satshintshwa ngokwenene koko sikufunda eBhayibhileni kuze kuqhubeke kusitshintsha kwezi nkalo.—Funda uYakobi 1:23-25.

14. Yintoni enokusinceda senze utshintsho olufunekayo?

¹⁴ Ukutshintsha kubandakanya oko sikuko ngaphakathi, ngoko kufuneka into eza kusichukumisa kumazantsi entliziyo ukuze sitshintshe. Yintoni ke leyo? Xa sifunda iBhayibhile, sitsho sive ukuba uYehova ufuna sibe ngabantu abanjani. Indlela esisabela ngayo isinceda sibone oko kusentliziyweni yethu. Sitsho silwazi utshintsho esimele silwenze ukuze senze ngokuvisisana “nokugqibelela kokuthanda kukaThixo.”—Roma 12:2; Heb. 4:12.

15. Ukubunjwa nguYehova kunokusitshintsha njani?

¹⁵ Funda uIsaya 64:8. Kukho isifundo esisifumanayo kumzekeliso osetyenziswa ngumprofeti uIsaya. UYehova uMbumbi, usibumba njani thina njengodongwe? Akatshintshi imbonakalo yethu yangaphandle, ezama ukusenza sibe nomtsalane. UYehova usiqeqesha ngokomoya. Ukuba siyamvumela asixonxe, siye sitshintshe ngaphakathi, okanye ngokomoya—kanye oko kufunekayo ukuze soyise impembelelo yehlabathi. Usibumba njani uYehova?

16, 17. (a) Chaza into eyenziwa ngumbumbi kudongwe xa esenza isitya esiethe-ethe. (b) ILizwi likaThixo lisinceda njani sitshintshe sibe sisitya esixabisekileyo esinokusetyenziswa nguYehova?

¹⁶ Ukuze izinto azenzayo zibe kumgangatho ophezulu, umbumbi umele asebenzise udongwe olusemgangathweni. Noko ke, kukho izinto ezimbini amele azenze. Eyokuqala, udongwe lumele luhlanjwe ukuze kususwe nakuphi na ukungcola okukulo. Emva koko, lumele lumanziswe ngendlela efanelekileyo luze luxovwe kakuhle.

¹⁷ Phawula ukuba kusetyenziswa amanzi izihlandlo ezibini xa kuhlanjwa naxa kumanziswa udongwe ukuze luthambe kakuhle ngaphambi kokwenza isitya, nkqu nesiethe-ethe. NeLizwi likaThixo linokudlala indima efana naleyo yamanzi kubomi bethu. Linokusinceda siyeke indlela ebesicinga ngayo xa sasingekamazi uThixo size sitshintshele kwinto  exabisekileyo emehlweni akhe. (Efe. 5:26) Kukangaphi sibongozwa ukuba sifunde iBhayibhile nokuba siye rhoqo kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu, apho kufundwa iLizwi likaThixo? Kutheni sikhuthazwa ukuba senze ezo zinto? Kungenxa yokuba xa sizenza, siya kuba sivumela uYehova asibumbe.—INdu. 1:2; IZenzo 17:11; Heb. 10:24, 25.

18. (a) Kutheni simele sicamngce ukuze iLizwi likaThixo lisitshintshe? (b) Yiyiphi imibuzo enokusinceda?

¹⁸ Ukuba sifuna iLizwi likaThixo lisitshintshe, asimele siphelele nje ekulifundeni. Baninzi abantu abayifundayo iBhayibhile nabaziyo ukuba ithetha ngantoni. Mhlawumbi ukhe wadibana nabantu abanjalo entsimini. Abanye bade bakwazi nokucengceleza eminye imibhalo. * Kodwa olo lwazi alubenzi bafune ukutshintsha indlela abacinga nabaphila ngayo. Ngoba? Kaloku, ukuze iLizwi likaThixo likwazi ukutshintsha umntu, kufuneka yena alivumele libetheleleke entliziyweni yakhe. (Gal. 6:6.) Yiyo loo nto simele siziphe ixesha lokucingisisa ngoko sikufundayo. Kuya kuba kuhle ukuba sizibuze: ‘Ngaba ndeyisekile ukuba le asiyomfundiso nje yecawa? Ngaba ndinabo ubungqina bokuba le yinyaniso? Ngaba ndiyabona ukuba ziza kundinceda phi izinto endizifundayo kunokuba nje ndizifundise abanye abantu? Ngaba kuba ngathi uYehova uthetha nam?’ Xa sicinga size sicamngce ngemibuzo elolu hlobo, siya kutsho sisondele ngakumbi kuYehova. Xa oko sikufundayo kuchukumisa iintliziyo zethu, siya kutsho senze utshintsho oluya kumvuyisa uThixo.—IMize. 4:23; Luka 6:45.

19, 20. Liliphi icebiso leBhayibhile elinokusinceda xa silithobela?

¹⁹ Ukufunda iLizwi likaThixo rhoqo nokucamngca ngalo kuya kusinceda sityhalele phambili ekwenzeni oko kwatshiwo nguPawulos esithi: “Buhlubeni ubuntu obudala kunye noqheliselo lwabo, nize nambathe ubuntu obutsha, obuthi ngolwazi oluchanileyo benziwe bube butsha.” (Kol. 3:9, 10) Ukuba sikuqonda kakuhle oko kufundiswa liLizwi size siphile ngako, siya kufuna ukwambatha ubuntu obutsha bobuKristu, obuya kusikhusela kwimigibe kaSathana.

²⁰ Umpostile uPetros uthi xa esikhumbuza: “Njengabantwana abathobelayo, musani ukumilisa ngokweminqweno enaninayo ngaphambili ekungazini kwenu, kodwa, ngokuvumelana naLowo Ungcwele wanibizayo, yibani ngcwele nani kuyo yonke ihambo yenu.” (1 Petros 1:14, 15) Njengoko siza kubona kwinqaku elilandelayo, xa sizama ngamandla ukulahla indlela yokucinga nesimo sengqondo esasikade sinaso size sivume ukutshintshwa, siya kusikelelwa.