Lona omunye wemiBhalo eyaziwa kakhulu necashunwa kakhulu eBhayibhelini. Kuthiwa alikho elinye ivesi “elifingqa kahle ubuhlobo bukaNkulunkulu nabantu nendlela yokusindiswa.” Ngenxa yalokho, kwamanye amazwe kuye kubhalwe lo mBhalo noma ukuthi “Johane 3:16” emicimbini yomphakathi, ezintweni ezinanyathiselwa ezimotweni, emibhalweni esezindongeni nakwezinye izindawo.

Kungenzeka ukuthi labo ababhala lo mBhalo bayaqiniseka ngokuthi uthando lukaNkulunkulu luqinisekisa ukusindiswa kwabo kwaphakade. Kuthiwani ngawe? Lusho ukuthini uthando lukaNkulunkulu kuwe? Ucabanga ukuthi yini uNkulunkulu ayenzile ebonisa ukuthi uyakuthanda?

Abantu abaningi bayavuma ukuthi uNkulunkulu wadala indawo yonke, imvelo nabantu ngokwabo. Izinto eziphilayo ziyinkimbinkimbi futhi zenziwe kahle, ngakho kumelwe ukuba kukhona othile onokuhlakanipha okukhulu owazidala. Abantu abaningi babonga uNkulunkulu nsuku zonke ngesipho sokuphila. Bayaqaphela nokuthi bancike ngokuphelele kuNkulunkulu ukuze bathole izidingo zokuphila—njengomoya, amanzi, ukudla nemijikelezo yemvelo—ukuze baqhubeke bephila futhi bejabulela abakwenzayo.

Kuhle simbonge uNkulunkulu ngazo zonke lezi zinto, ngoba ngempela unguMenzi noMsekeli wethu. (IHubo 104:10-28; 145:15, 16; IzEnzo 4:24) Singalwazisa uthando uNkulunkulu analo ngathi lapho sicabanga ngakho konke akwenzayo ukuze sikwazi ukuphila. Umphostoli uPawulu ukubeka  ngale ndlela: “[UNkulunkulu] unika bonke abantu ukuphila nomoya nazo zonke izinto. Ngoba ngaye siyaphila siyanyakaza futhi sikhona.”—IzEnzo 17:25, 28.

Nokho uthando lukaNkulunkulu alubonakali nje kuphela ngokusinakekela kwakhe ngokwenyama. Uye wasiphakamisa wasinikeza isithunzi ngokusinika isifiso sokumkhonza futhi uyasisiza ukuba sisanelise. (Mathewu 5:3) Lokho kwenza ukuba abantu abalalelayo babe nethemba lokuba ingxenye yomkhaya kaNkulunkulu, “abantwana” bakhe.—Roma 8:19-21.

Njengoba uJohane 3:16 esho, uNkulunkulu wabonisa uthando lwakhe ngokuthumela iNdodana yakhe, uJesu, emhlabeni ukuze isifundise ngoNkulunkulu wayo noYise nokuba isifele. Nokho abaningi bayavuma ukuthi abaqondi ngokuphelele ukuthi kungani kwakudingeka ukuba uJesu afele isintu nokuthi ukufa kwakhe kulubonakalisa kanjani uthando uNkulunkulu analo ngathi. Ake sibone indlela iBhayibheli elisichaza ngayo isizathu sokufa kukaJesu nokubaluleka kwako.

Abantu abaphili phakade, bayagula, baguge futhi bafe. Kodwa lokhu kwakungeyona into uJehova uNkulunkulu ayeyihlosile ekuqaleni. Wanika abantu bokuqala ithemba lokuphila phakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi. Kodwa kunento eyodwa okwakumelwe bayenze: Kwakumelwe bamlalele. UNkulunkulu wathi uma bekhetha ukungamlaleli babeyokufa. (Genesise 2:17) Umuntu wokuqala wavukela igunya likaNkulunkulu futhi walethela yena nenzalo yakhe ukufa. Umphostoli uPawulu uyachaza: “Ngomuntu oyedwa isono sangena ezweni nokufa kwangena ngesono, futhi kanjalo ukufa kwasakazekela kubantu bonke ngenxa yokuthi bonke bonile.”—Roma 5:12.

Nokho uNkulunkulu “ungumthandi wobulungisa.” (IHubo 37:28) Ngisho noma ayengeke akushalazelele ukona ngamabomu komuntu wokuqala, uNkulunkulu akazange ajezise bonke abantu ngokuhlupheka nokufa kuze kube phakade ngenxa yokungalaleli komuntu oyedwa. Ngokuphambene nalokho, ngokusebenzisa isimiso esingokomthetho esithi “umphefumulo ngomphefumulo,” uye wenza ngobulungisa wabangela ukuba abantu abalalelayo bakwazi ukuphinde bathole ukuphila okuphakade. (Eksodusi 21:23) Umbuzo uwukuthi, Ukuphila okuphelele okwalahlwa u-Adamu kwakungaphinde kutholwe kanjani? Impendulo: Kwakudingeka othile anikele ngokuphila kwakhe njengomhlatshelo, ukuphila okunenani elilingana nokuka-Adamu—ukuphila komuntu ophelele.

Kusobala ukuthi akekho enzalweni ka-Adamu engaphelele owayenganikela ngalelo nani, kodwa uJesu wayengakwazi. (IHubo 49:6-9) UJesu wazalwa engenasici sesono esizuzwe njengefa, wayephelele njengo-Adamu. Ngakho ngokunikela ngokuphila kwakhe, uJesu wahlenga isintu ebugqilini besono. Ngokwenza kanjalo, wanika inzalo yombhangqwana wokuqala ithuba lokuthola ukuphila okuphelele  okufana nalokho u-Adamu no-Eva ababeke baba nakho. (Roma 3:23, 24; 6:23) Ingabe ikhona into okudingeka siyenze ukuze sizuze kuleso senzo esikhulu kangaka sothando?

Incwadi kaJohane 3:16 iphinde ithi, “yilowo nalowo okholwa [uJesu] angabhubhi‚ kodwa abe nokuphila okuphakade.” Lokhu kusho ukuthi ukuthola isipho sokuphila okuphakade kunemibandela. Uma sifuna ukuthola ‘ukuphila okuphakade,’ kudingeka sikholelwe kuJesu futhi simlalele.

Ungase uzibuze: ‘Kungena kanjani ukulalela kule ndaba? Kanti uJesu akashongo yini ukuthi “yilowo nalowo okholwa yiyo” uyothola ukuphila okuphakade?’ Yebo, ukholo lusemqoka. Nokho kubalulekile ukukhumbula ukuthi ngokweBhayibheli, ukukholelwa nje kuJesu akwanele. Ngokwe-Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, igama elisetshenziswe uJohane olimini lokuqala lisho “ukuncika kokuthile, hhayi nje ukukukholelwa.” Ukuze umuntu athole umusa kaNkulunkulu, kudingeka okungaphezu kokwazi ukuthi uJesu unguMsindisi. Umuntu okholwayo kumelwe azikhandle ngobuqotho ekusebenziseni lokho uJesu akufundisa. Ngaphandle kwesenzo, ukusho komuntu ukuthi unokholo kuyize. IBhayibheli lithi: ‘Ukholo ngaphandle kwemisebenzi lufile.’ (Jakobe 2:26) Ngamanye amazwi, umuntu okholwayo kudingeka abonise ukholo kuJesu—okusho ukuthi kumelwe aphile ngokuvumelana nalokho akukholelwayo.

UPawulu uchaza leli phuzu ngale ndlela: “Uthando uKristu analo luyasiqhubezela, ngoba yilokhu esikubonile, ukuthi umuntu oyedwa [uJesu] wafela bonke . . . futhi wafela bonke ukuze labo abaphilayo bangabe besaziphilela bona, kodwa baphilele lowo owabafela wabuye wavuswa.” (2 Korinte 5:14, 15) Ukwazisa ngobuqotho umhlatshelo kaJesu kufanele kusishukumisele ukuba senze izinguquko ekuphileni kwethu—siyeke ukuziphilela thina kodwa siphilele uJesu owasifela. Lokho kusho ukuthi, ukwenza lokho uJesu akufundisa kudingeka kuze kuqala ekuphileni kwethu. Ushintsho olunjalo luyothinta indlela esiphila ngayo, izinqumo zethu nakho konke esikwenzayo. Bayozuzani labo abanokholo kuJesu nabalubonisa ngezenzo?

Ingxenye yokugcina kaJohane 3:16 isho isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu kulabo ababonisa ukholo elungiselelweni lomhlatshelo wesihlengo nabaphila ngokuvumelana nemithetho kaNkulunkulu. UNkulunkulu uhlose ukuba labo abanokholo ‘bangabhubhi kodwa babe nokuphila okuphakade.’ Nokho labo abazuza othandweni lukaNkulunkulu banamathemba okuphila ezindaweni ezingafani.

UJesu wathembisa iqembu lokuqala ukuphila okuphakade ezulwini. Watshela abafundi bakhe abathembekile ukuthi wayeyobalungiselela indawo ukuze babuse kanye naye ezulwini. (Johane 14:2, 3; Filipi 3:20, 21) Labo abavuselwa ekuphileni kwasezulwini “bayoba ngabapristi bakaNkulunkulu nabakaKristu, babuse njengamakhosi kanye naye iminyaka eyinkulungwane.”—IsAmbulo 20:6.

Bambalwa abalandeli bakaKristu abayothola lelo lungelo. Empeleni uJesu wathi: “Ungesabi, mhlambi omncane, ngoba uYihlo ukwamukele ukuba aninike umbuso.” (Luka 12:32) Ungakanani lowo “mhlambi omncane”? IsAmbulo 14:1, 4 sithi: “Ngabona, bheka! iWundlu [uJesu Kristu ovusiwe] limi eNtabeni iZiyoni [ezulwini], kumi kanye nalo abayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi amane nane kulotshwé igama lalo negama likaYise emabunzini abo. . . . Laba bathengwa kubantu njengolibo kuNkulunkulu neWundlu.” Uma beqhathaniswa nezigidigidi zabantu ezake zaphila, abangu-144 000 bakha nje “umhlambi omncane.” Njengoba laba bebizwa ngokuthi amakhosi, bayobusa bani?

UJesu wakhuluma ngeqembu lesibili labathembekile eliyothola izinzuzo eMbusweni wasezulwini. Njengoba kulotshiwe kuJohane 10:16, uJesu wathi: “Nginezinye izimvu, ezingezona ezalesi sibaya; nazo kumelwe ngizilethe, zilalele izwi lami, futhi ziyoba mhlambi munye, nomalusi munye.” Lezo “zimvu” zibheke phambili ekuphileni okuphakade emhlabeni—ithemba elifana nalelo u-Adamu  no-Eva ababenalo ekuqaleni. Sazi kanjani ukuthi ziyophila emhlabeni?

IBhayibheli likhuluma kaningana ngePharadesi elizayo emhlabeni. Ukuze uzibonele ngokwakho, vula iBhayibheli lakho ufunde la mavesi: IHubo 37:9-11; 46:8, 9; 72:7, 8, 16; Isaya 35:5, 6; 65:21-23; Mathewu 5:5; Johane 5:28, 29; IsAmbulo 21:4. La mavesi abikezela ukuphela kwezimpi, indlala, ukugula nokufa. Akhuluma ngesikhathi lapho abantu abalungile beyozakhela izindlu zabo, balime amasimu abo futhi bakhulise izingane zabo emhlabeni onokuthula. * Ngeke yini wakujabulela ukuphila ngaphansi kwezimo ezinjalo? Sinesizathu esihle sokukholelwa ukuthi lezo zithembiso zizogcwaliseka maduze.

Uma uzinika isikhathi sokucabangisisa ngakho konke uNkulunkulu akwenzele kona nakwenzele sonke isintu, kuyacaca ukuthi kuningi kakhulu asekwenzile. Sinokuphila, ukuhlakanipha, isilinganiso esithile sempilo kanye nezinto eziyisidingo zokusekela ukuphila. Ngaphezu kwalokho, isipho sikaNkulunkulu sesihlengo ngoJesu owasifela, singasilethela izibusiso ezinkulu nakakhulu njengoba kusho uJohane 3:16.

Ukuphila phakade ngokuthula, ngaphansi kwezimo ezinhle, kungasekho ukugula, impi, indlala noma ukufa, ngokuqinisekile kuyovula ithuba lokuthola injabulo nezibusiso ezingapheli. Ukuthola kwakho lezo zibusiso kuxhomeke ngokuphelele kuwe. Umbuzo osalayo uthi, Wena umenzelani uNkulunkulu?