By Faith Tests: Not to Expose, but to Confirm
Uma ngisakhumbula kahle, “izivivinyo” zazenzelwe ukuveza amaphutha. Isizathu sezivivinyo zesibizelo kwakungukukhombisa amagama ogawazi. Isizathu sezivivinyo zeMaths kwakungukukhombisa wena izibalo ongakwazi ukuziqeda. Izivivinyo zokuphila komzimba kwakungezoku veza lapho ubuthaka khona umzimba. Izivivinyo zesimilo kwakungezoku bheka ukuthi yini edinga ukulungiswa. Izivivinyo zazingathandwa, futhi izivivinyo ezazenziwa masonto onke zazishayisa novalo ngomzuzu nje uqeda ukubhala esinye.
Kodwa izivivinyo zokukholwa azisebenzi kanjalo. Kukhona isivivinyo sokukholwa esisodwa esisebenza kanjalo—incwadi yesi-2 KwabaseKhorinte 13:5 ikhuluma ngesivivinyo sokuzihlola wena omunye nomunye ekumele asenze ukuzibona ukuthi usekukholweni ngempela na, kodwa nalapho, uPawuli walindele ukuba baphase, hhayo ukuthi bafeyile. Kodwa zonke ezinye izivivinyo zokukholwa—izivivinyo ezinikezwe nguNkulunkulu kubazalwane boqobo–izivivinyo ezizofakazela isimilo esihle esithile, hhayi izivivinyo zokudalula ubuthaka obuthile.
Incwadi kumaHebheru 11:17 ikhuluma ngesivivinyo sokukholwa esikhulu sikaAbrahama asiphumelela ngamalengiso, uma ukhumbula indaba kuGenesisi 22. Kumavesi alandelayo, kumaHebheru 11:19 sibona uhlobo oluphambili lokukholwa kukaAbrahama luvezwa esidlangalaleni ukuba wonke Amakhrestu akwisikhathi seTestamente elisha akubone: uAbrahama wayekholwa emandleni kaNkulunkulu okukwazi ukuvusa abafileyo. Akusiyona into ecace ngokusobala lena kulendaba ethanda ukuba yinde yomlando kaAbrahama encwadini kaGenesisi. Kodwa kuthe uma sesifika isivivinyo kuGenesisi 22, lapho-ke wonke umuntu wazi ukuthi ukukholwa kukaAbhrahama kwasekudlondlobele kakhulu kunokuthi ebambe nje ukuthi “ngizoba nomhlaba nendodana”. Isivivinyo sokukholwa safakazela ukuthi ukukholwa kukaAbrahama kwakujule kangakanani.
Kwincwadi ekaJakobe 1:2-4 esinye isivivinyo sokukholwa sibaluliwe. Lesi asihlukile njengalesi sikaAbrahama; sijwayelekile kumakholwa wonke. Amakhrestu agcwele injabulo ngokwemvelo yokukholwa ngenxa yalokho uKhristu awenzela kona. Kodwa ngesikhathi lapho Amakhrestu ekhombisa ukuthokoza ngezikhathi zezilingo ezinzima zasemhlabeni, lapho-ke ayafakazela ukuthi ukukholwa kwawo akupheleli kwingxoxo kuphela, kodwa kuyama ngaphansi kwezinto zonke. Iqoqwana lamagama achaza umphumela wesivivinyo sezilingo sokukholwa amagama afana nalawa “ukukhuthazela”, “umphumela opheleleyo”, “nibe ngabakhulile”, “nabapheleleyo”, “nabangaswele lutho”!
Incwadi yoku-1 kaPhethro 1:6-7 isho into ethi mayifane naleyo eshiwo ekaJakobe, kodwa yengeza ngesithombe esihle. Izivivinyo zokukholwa kwethu azikho njengezizivivinyo zesibizelo noma sokuhlola ukuphila komzimba; kunalokho anjengezivivinyo zegolide. Izivivinyo zokukholwa akuzona izivivinyo ezivele sishawe ngazo ebusweni ukubona ukuthi sizokwenza kahle noma cha; kunalokho ziyizivivinyo ezenzela ukubonisisa ubunjalo bokukholwa kwethu empeleni. Asingeni kwizivivinyo zokukholwa namazwi okwesaba athi “ngithembe ngizophumelela”, kodwa nathi “ekugcineni bonke bazobona ukuthi ukukholwa kwami kukuNkulunkulu onjani!” uPhethro uyaqhubeka kwisahluko esiku 1 Phethro 1:8-9 nensindiso njengomphumela wesivivinyo sokukholwa. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uNkulunkulu uyasihlenga sonke, labo abanokukholwa, kulomhlaba oqalekiswe ngesono—lowo ngumphumela wokukholwa kwethu okuvivinyiwe.
Kwincwadi yeSambulo 2:10 ukuvivinywa kokukholwa kubala phakathi ijele. Kusona sonke lesosivivinyo awutholi amazwi okusongela noma okusaba, kodwa uthola lamazwi: “Ungakwesabi lokho ozakuhlupheka ngakho” nalawa athi “ngizakukunika umqhele wokuphila”. Isivivinyo sokukholwa kahle-hle yindlela eya kumqhele wokuphila.
Zonke izinto esibhekana nazo nezimo esiba ngaphansi kwazo zasemhlabeni zivivinya ukukholwa kwethu. Lesi akusona isikhathi sokuthemba ukuthi engathi ungenza kahle, kodwa kunalokho isikhathi sokugijima ngesibindi uye kuNkulunkulu, uqalaze umabheke kulelilizwe, bese uyamemezela kulelizwe uthi “qhubeka ubuke, ukukholwa kwami kukuNkulunkulu!”. Njengesivivinyo sikaAbrahama, isivivinyo sakho sokukholwa sizokhombisa kwabanye eminye yemininingwane engaziwa yalokho okholelwa kukho. NjengaMakhrestu uJakobe noPhethro ababewabhalela, isivivinyo sokukholwa kwakho sizofakazela ukuthi wena ungakhuthazela ngakakanani. Ngakho ngokwamazwi eSambulo, ungakwesabi lokho, ngoba ekugcineni kwesivivinyo sakho sokukholwa, uzothola umqhele ofakazela ukuthi ukukholwa bekungokwangempela!
Kwezinye izikhathi sizwa engathi izivivinyo zokukholwa zidalula ubuthaka bethu kanye nokuhluleka kwethu ngokomoya. Asizithokozeli izivivinyo zokukholwa. Futhi kuhlezi kukhona ukukhula okudingakalayo okwenzeka ngesikhathi sezilingo ezivivinya ukukholwa kwethu. Kodwa simelwe ukushintsha indlela esingena ngayo kwizivivinyo zokukholwa. Izivivinyo zokukholwa kwethu zifakazela ukuthi ukukholwa kwethu kukuNkulunkulu Ongakaze ahluleke nakunoma yini futhi Ongenawo amaphutha. Sizophasa; impela singaqhubeka engathi sesiphumelele vele, ngoba indodo isivele isiqoshiwe —ngokukholwa kuJesu, umqhele wokuphila usuvele unalo igama lakho kuwona.
Masingakhathali ngukwenza okuhle, ngokuba siyovuna ngesikhathi esifaneleyo, uma singadangali.
KwabaseGalathiya 6:9