LELO LITHEMBA ELIHLE KAKHULU! UMdali wethu uthembise ukusinika ukuphila okungapheliyo khonapha emhlabeni. Kodwa kwabanye kunzima ukuthi bakukholwe lokhu. Bathi, ‘Wonke umuntu kumele afe njalo kuyingxenye yemvelo ukuthi siphile futhi sife.’ Abanye bathi kungenzakala ukuthi siphile phakade kodwa hatshi lapha emhlabeni. Bathi ukuphila okungapheliyo kutholakala kuphela nxa umuntu angafa abesesiya ezulwini. Wena uthini?

Ungakawuphenduli umbuzo lo, qala uhlole izimpendulo zemibuzo le emithathu: Indlela umuntu adalwa ngayo itshengisa ukuthi kwakumele aphile isikhathi esinganani? UNkulunkulu wayevele ehloseni ngesikhathi edala umhlaba labantu? Ukufa kwangena njani ebantwini?

Kuzo zonke izinto ezadalwa nguNkulunkulu emhlabeni, abantu badalwa batshiyana lokunye konke. Njani? IBhayibhili litshengisa ukuthi ngabantu kuphela abadalwa “ngomfanekiso” kaNkulunkulu njalo ‘bamfuza.’ (UGenesisi 1:26, 27, The Holy Bible in Ndebele.) Kutshoni lokhu? Kutsho ukuthi abantu balezimpawu zobuntu ezinjengezikaNkulunkulu ezifanana lothando kanye lokwahlulela kuhle.

Kanti njalo abantu bayenelisa ukucabanga, ukuzwisisa, ukwahlukanisa okuhle kokubi futhi balesifiso sokwazi uNkulunkulu babe lobuhlobo obuhle laye. Siyenelisa ukubuka izimanga zendalo njalo siyenelisa lokudweba, ukuhlabela lokuhaya inkondlo. Okuqakatheke kakhulu yikuthi abantu bayenelisa ukukhonza uMdali. Konke lokhu kwenza kube lomehluko omkhulu phakathi kwabantu lezinto ezidaliweyo ezisemhlabeni.

Cabanga ngalokhu: Aluba uNkulunkulu wayefuna abantu baphile iminyaka emilutshwane kambe wayengabadala belobuntu obuhle njalo besenelisa lokubuthuthukisa? Iqiniso yikuthi uNkulunkulu wadala abantu belobuntu obuhle futhi besenelisa ukwenza izinto ezinengi ukuze bakholise ukuphila lapha emhlabeni kuze kube nini lanini.

Abanye bathi uNkulunkulu wayengahlosanga ukuthi abantu baphile lapha emhlabeni kuze kube phakade. Bathi umhlaba ayisilo khaya lethu kodwa yindawo lapho umuntu ahlolwa khona ukuze abonakale ukuthi uyafanela yini ukuya ezulwini ayephila loNkulunkulu kuze kube nini lanini. Nxa lokhu kuliqiniso, kuyabe sekusitsho ukuthi uNkulunkulu  nguye obangela ububi lokuhlupheka okugcwele emhlabeni. Kodwa lokhu kuyabe kuphikisana lobuntu bakhe uNkulunkulu. IBhayibhili lithi: “Zonke izindlela zakhe zilungile. UNkulunkulu othembekileyo ongenzi okubi, uqotho njalo ulungile yena.”​—UDutheronomi 32:4.

IBhayibhili likubeka kucace ukuthi ekuqaleni uNkulunkulu wayehloseni ngomhlaba. Lithi: “NgakaJehova amazulu angaphezu kwakho konke, kodwa umhlaba wawunika umuntu.” (IHubo 115:16) UNkulunkulu wadala umhlaba waba muhle, waba likhaya labantu njalo wafaka konke esikudingayo ukuze sikholise impilo engapheliyo kuwo.​—UGenesisi 2:8, 9.

“NgakaJehova amazulu angaphezu kwakho konke, kodwa umhlaba wawunika umuntu.”​—IHubo 115:16

IBhayibhili liyacaca nxa likhuluma ngenjongo kaNkulunkulu ngabantu. UNkulunkulu watshela u-Adamu lo-Eva wathi: ‘Wugcwaliseni umhlaba, liwubuse. Busani phezu kwezidalwa zonke ezihambayo emhlabathini.’ (UGenesisi 1:28) Imuli le yayilesibusiso esikhulu sokuthi inakekele futhi iqhelise iPharadayisi emhlabeni wonke. Yikho u-Adamu lo-Eva kanye lenzalo ababezakuba layo babezaphila kuze kube phakade emhlabeni hatshi ezulwini.

Manje kungani sisifa? IBhayibhili lithi eyinye ingilosi kaNkulunkulu eyahlamukayo, eyabizwa ngokuthi uSathane uDeveli, yazama ukuphambanisa inhlelo zikaNkulunkulu e-Edeni. Njani?

USathane wakhohlisa abazali bethu bokuqala u-Adamu lo-Eva ukuthi labo bahlamukele uNkulunkulu njengaye. Ngesikhathi uSathane esithi uNkulunkulu uyabancitsha okuhle okutsho ilungelo labo lokuzikhethela okuhle lokubi, bakhetha ukuhlamukela uNkulunkulu, basekela uSathane. Kwaphetha ngani? Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi bafa njengoba uNkulunkulu wayebaxwayisile. Balahlekelwa yikuphila okungapheliyo emhlabeni oliPharadayisi.​—UGenesisi 2:17; 3:1-6; 5:5.

Ukuhlamuka kuka-Adamu lo-Eva kwabangela izinhlupho ebantwini bonke. ILizwi likaNkulunkulu lithi: “Isono sangena emhlabeni ngomuntu oyedwa [u-Adamu], lokufa ngesono, njalo ngale indlela ukufa kwafika ebantwini bonke.” (KwabaseRoma 5:12) Siyafa ngoba sathola isono lokufa ebazalini bethu bokuqala, ayisikho ukuthi kwakuyikuhlela kukaNkulunkulu okungazwisisekiyo.

Ukuhlamuka okwenzakala e-Edeni akuzange kuphambanise injongo kaNkulunkulu ayelayo ngabantu lomhlaba. Uthando lukaNkulunkulu olupheleleyo kanye lokwahlulela kwakhe okuhle kwamfuqa ukuthi asilungisele indlela yokusikhulula esonweni lasekufeni esakuthola kubazali bethu. Umphostoli uPhawuli wathi: “Umvuzo wesono yikufa, kodwa isipho sikaNkulunkulu siyikuphila okungapheliyo kuKhristu uJesu iNkosi yethu.” (KwabaseRoma 6:23) Yikho uNkulunkulu wasithanda waze “wanikela iNdodana yakhe iyiyo yodwa [uJesu Khristu] ukuze kuthi loba ngubani okholwa kuyo angabhubhi kodwa abe lokuphila okungapheliyo.” (UJohane 3:16) Ukuvuma kukaJesu ukusihlenga kwenza wabuyisela konke okwakulahlwe ngu-Adamu. a

Sekuseduze ukuthi isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu somhlaba olipharadayisi sigcwaliseke. Ikusasa lelo lingaba ngelakho nxa ungalalela amazwi kaJesu athi: “Ngenani ngesango elincinyane ngokuba likhulu isango lendlela ibanzi eya ekubhujisweni, njalo banengi abazangena ngalo. Kodwa lincinyane isango lendlela ilukhonjwana eya ekuphileni, njalo balutshwana abayifumanayo. Ngenani ngesango elincane ngokuba libanzi isango lendlela ivulekile eya ekubhujisweni.” (UMathewu 7:13, 14) Ikusasa lakho lisezandleni zakho. Uzakwenzani?