Isahluko 51—Isigidimi seNgelosi Yesibini

AMABANDLA aalayo ukusamkela isigidimi sengelosi yokuqala akugiba ukukhanya okuvela ezulwini. Isigidimi sasithunyelwe ngenceba ukuba siwavuse ukuze azibone imeko yawo yokuthanda ihlabathi nokubuya ngomva, aze afune ukuzilungiselela ukuhlangabeza iNkosi yawo.IL 327.2

Kwa kungenxa yokufuna ukwahlula ibandla likaKristu ezimpembhelelweni ezonakalisayo ukuze sinikwe isigidimi sengelosi yokuqala. Kodwa kwisihlwele, kwa nakwaabo bazibiza ukuba bangamaKristu, iimbhophelelo ezazibabophelele emhlabeni zazomelele ngaphezu kwemitsalane etsalela ezulwini. Banyula ukuphula-phula izwi lobulumko basemhlabeni, basifulathela isigidimi senyaniso esigoca-goca intliziyo.IL 327.3

UThixo ukunikela ukukhanya ukuba kuthotyelwe, kungekuko ukuba kudelwe kucekiswe. Ukukhanya akuthumelayo kujika kube bubumnyama kwaabo bangakuxabisanga. Wakuba uMoya kaThixo uyekile ukuyicinezela inyaniso ezintliziyweni zabantu, konke ukuva kungamampunge, nako konke ukushumayela kungamampunge.IL 327.4

Akuba amabandla elicekisile icebiso likaThixo ngokusaala isigidimi sokubuya kweNkosi, iNkosi yawacekisa. Ingelosi yokuqala yalandelwa yeyesibini, isi- thi,“Iwile, iwile iBabeli, loo mzi mkhulu! ngokuba iseze zonke iintlanga ngewayini yomsindo wobuhenyu laayo.” IsiTyhilelo 14: 8. Esi sigidimi saqondwa ngabaLindi bokuza kukaYesu ukuba sisisaziso sokuwa kwasemoyeni kwamabandla ngenxa yokusicekisa kwawo isigidimi sokuqala. Isimemezo esithi, “Iwile iBabeli,” seenziwa ngehlobo lika-1844, kwaza ngenxa yaso, abantu abamalunga namawaka angamashumi amahlanu baphuma kulamabandla.IL 327.5

Aabo babe sishumayele isigidimi sokuqala babe ngenaluvo nanjongo yokudala uqhekeko emabandleni, okanye elokumisa amaqela ahlukileyo. “Kuko konke ukusebenza kwam,” watsho uWilliam Miller, “andizange ndibe nawo umnqweno okanye ingcamango yokumisa iqela elahlukileyo kulamahlelo asel’ ekho, okanye ndincede elinye ngenxa yokulahlekelwa kwelinye. Ndaacinga ngokuwanceda onke. Ngokucinga ukuba onke amaKristu ayakuchwayitiswa kukulindela ukuza kukaKristu, nokuba aabo bangaboni ngokubona kwam babe ngaz’ ukubathanda nganeno aabo bayamkelayo lemfundiso, andizange ndicinge ukuba kungakho imfuneko yeentlanganiso ezahluka-hlukeneyo. Eyona njongo yam ipheleleyo yayi yeyokuzuzela uThixo imiphefumlo, nokwazisa ihlabathi ngomgwebo ozayo, nokoyisela abazalwana bam ekwenzeni amalungiselelo entliziyo aya kubenza babe nako ukumhlangabeza uThixo wabo beseluxolweni. Iqela elikhulu laabo baguqukayo phantsi kokusebenza kwam bazimanya namabandla ngamabandla akhoyo. Bakuba bezile kum ngabanye ukuba babuze ngemfanelo yabo, bendisoloko ndabatsalela ukuba baye apho baya kuziva besekhaya khona; ndaye ndingazange ndikhethe hlelo lithile ekubacebiseni kwam aabo banjalo.”IL 328.1

Okwexeshana amabandla amaninzi awamkela umsebenzi wakhe, kodwa akuba egqibe ukuba ayichase inyaniso yokubuya kukaYesu, afuna ukuthintela konke ukubonisana ngalomcimbhi. Aabo babe yamkele lemfundiso babekwa ekulingweni okukhulu nasengxakini enkulu. Babe wathanda amabandla abo bengathandi ukuzahlula kuwo; kodwa kwakuba kugculelwa ngabo becinezelwa, bevinjwa ilungelo lokuthetha ngethembha labo, okanye lokuya ezintshuma- yelweni ezingokuza kweNkosi, abaninzi ekugqibeleni besuka bayithula idyokwe eyayibekwe phezu kwabo.IL 328.2

Abalindi bokuza kwesibini kukaYesu, ngokubona ukuba amabandla abucekisile ubunqhina beliZwi likaThixo, ababanga nako ukuwathabatha ngokuba alibandla likaKristu, “intsika nesiseko sayo inyaniso;” kwaza sakuba isigidimi esithi “Iwile iBabeli,” siqalisiwe ukuvakaliswa, baziva kuyimfanelo yabo ukuba bahlukane nonxulumano lwabo lwangaphambhili.IL 329.1

Ukuthabathela ekuchasweni kwesigidimi sokuqala, kwabakho inguqulelo elusizi emabandleni. Yakuba inyaniso ideliwe, ubuxoki buyamkelwa bondliwe. Ukumthanda uThixo nokholo eliZwini lakhe lusuka lubande. Amabandla amhlungisile uMoya kaThixo, waza waroxiswa ngomlinganiselo omkhulu.IL 329.2