“Lapho nje abantu befa, imiphefumulo yalabo abenze izono ezifanelwe ukufa yehlela esihogweni, lapho ihlushwa khona ‘emlilweni waphakade.’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church) Abanye abaholi benkolo bathi abantu abasesihogweni bahlukaniswe ngokuphelele noNkulunkulu.

“Umphefumulo owonayo—yiwo oyokufa.” (Hezekeli 18:4) Abafileyo “abazi lutho.” (UmShumayeli 9:5) Uma umphefumulo ufa futhi ungazi lutho, pho ungahlushwa kanjani “emlilweni waphakade” noma uzwe ubuhlungu bokuhlukaniswa phakade noNkulunkulu?

EBhayibhelini amagama esiHebheru nesiGreki avame ukuhunyushwa ngokuthi “isihogo” empeleni abhekisela ethuneni lesintu elivamile. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho uJobe ephethwe isifo esibuhlungu, wathandaza: “Sengathi ungangifihla ethuneni [“esihogweni,” Douay-Rheims Version].” (Jobe 14:13, Holy Bible—Easy-to-Read Version) UJobe wayefuna ukuphumula ethuneni, hhayi endaweni ayezohlushwa kuyo noma ahlukaniswe kuyo noNkulunkulu.

Unya alusenzi simthande uNkulunkulu; luyasiqhelisa kuye. URocío ohlala eMexico uthi: “Kusukela ngisewusana ngafundiswa imfundiso yesihogo somlilo. Ngendlela engangisesaba ngayo, ngangingacabangi ukuthi uNkulunkulu unezimfanelo ezinhle. Ngangicabanga ukuthi uhlale ethukuthele futhi akakwazi ukubekezela.”

Amazwi acacile eBhayibheli ngezahlulelo zikaNkulunkulu nesimo sabafileyo ashintsha indlela uRocío ayebheka ngayo uNkulunkulu. Uthi: “Ngazizwa ngikhululekile—kwaba sengathi kususwe umthwalo omkhulu ongokomzwelo emahlombe ami. Ngaqala ukukholelwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu usifunela okuhle kakhulu, ukuthi uyasithanda nokuthi nami ngingamthanda. Ufana nobaba obamba izingane zakhe ngesandla futhi ozifunela okungcono kakhulu.”—Isaya 41:13.

Abantu abaningi baye bazama ukukhonza uNkulunkulu ngoba besaba isihogo somlilo, kodwa uNkulunkulu akafuni umkhonze ngoba umesaba. Kunalokho, uJesu wathi: “Kumelwe uthande uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho.” (Marku 12:29, 30) Ngaphezu kwalokho, lapho siqaphela ukuthi uNkulunkulu akenzi ngokungabi nabulungisa namuhla, singazethemba nezahlulelo zakhe zesikhathi esizayo. Njengomngane kaJobe u-Elihu, singasho kugcwale umlomo: “Makube kude noNkulunkulu weqiniso ukwenza ngendlela yokukhohlakala, noMninimandla onke ukwenza ngokungabi nabulungisa!”—Jobe 34:10.