U-Abrahamu usibonelo sokukholwa
1Alo, sizakuthi yini ezuzwe ngu-Abrahamu ukhokho wethu ngokwenyama na? 2Yeke nangabe u-Abrahamu walungisiswa ngemisebenzi, khona-ke unakho angazigqaja ngakho kodwana ingasi phambi kwakaZimu. 3Umtlolo uthini na? Kanti awuthi: “U-Abrahamu wakholwa uZimu, nje-ke kwabalelwa kuye njengokulunga.”
4Nje-ke kiloyo osebenzako, umrholo awuthathwa njengesipho kodwana kuyinto eyifanelo yakhe. 5Kodwana kiloyo othi ngaphandle kwemisebenzi athembele kiloyo olungisisa abangakalungi, ukukholwa okunjalo kubalelwa bona kukulunga. 6Ngokunjalo uDavida ukhuluma ngokubusiseka kwalabo uZimu ababalele ukulunga ngaphandle kwemisebenzi wathi:
7“Babusisiwe labo abalitjalelwe iimphambeko zabo,
abazono zabo ziditjizesiwe.
8Ubusisiwe loyo uSomnini angeze asambalela isono.”
9Alo kghani isibusiswesi siphezu kwabasokileko kwaphela namkha naphezu kwabangakasoki na? Thina sithi: Ukukholwa kwabalelwa u-Abrahamu njengokulunga. 10Alo-ke lokhu kwabalelwa njani kuye na? Bekungaphambi kobana asoke namkha ngemva kokusoka na? Bekungasi ngemva kokusoka kwakhe kodwana bekungaphambili. 11Wamukela itshwayo lokusoka njengesigibo sokulunga abe nakho ngokukholwa lokha nangakabi ukusoka. Ihloso bekukumenza ukhokho wabo boke abakholwa ngaphandle kobana basokwe, ngalokho-ke kwabalelwa kibo ukulunga. 12Yeke unguyise wabasokileko, iye, abangakasoki kwaphela kodwana ababuye balandele isibonelo sokukholwa ukhokho wethu u-Abrahamu aba nakho ngaphambi kobana asokwe.
Isithembiso sakaZimu sifunyanwa ngokukholwa
13Isithembiso sokobana uzokuzuza iphasi azange size ku-Abrahamu namkha eenzukulwaneni zakhe ngomthetho kodwana seza ngokulunga okuza ngokukholwa. 14Nakube ngabanamathela emthethweni abazokuba ziindlalifa, khona-ke ukukholwa kulilize nesithembiso sidududu. 15Umthetho ubanga itukuthelo, kodwana lapha kunganamthetho khona, nokweqa akukho.
16Ngalokho-ke sekuya ngokukholwa ukuze isithembiso sinzinze emseni besiqinisekiswe kizo zoke iinzukulwana zakhe, ingasi kwaphela labo abanamathele emthethweni kodwana nakilabo abahlanganyela ukukholwa kwaka-Abrahamu (ngombana ungubaba wethu soke, 17njengombana kutloliwe kwathiwa: “Ngikwenze uyise wezizwe ezinengi.”) phambi koZimu amkholwako, onikela abafileko ipilo abe abize izinto ezingekho ngokungathi zikhona. 18Kwathi kunganathemba, yena waba nethemba, wakholwa bona uzokuba, “nguyise wezizwe ezinengi,” njengombana kwatjhiwo kuye kwathiwa: “Sizakuba njalo-ke isizukulwana sakho.”
19Azange abe buthakathaka ekukholweni lokha naqala umzimbakhe ebesele sewufana newofileko (ngombana besele pheze aneminyaka elikhulu ubudala) iye, nalokha nacabanga bona uSara uyinyumba. 20Akunasiqabo esamenza bona azaze isithembiso sakaZimu, kodwana waqina amandla ekukholweni kwakhe, wadumisa uZimu, 21anesiqiniseko ngokuzeleko bonyana uZimu unamandla wokwenza lokho akuthembisileko. 22Ngalokho-ke ukukholwa kwakhe “kwabalelwa kuye njengokulunga.” 23Nje-ke amezwi athi: “Kwabalelwa kuye”, ayengakatlolelwa yena yedwa, 24kodwana thina soke. Kuzakubalelwa kithi thina esikholwa kuye owavusa uJesu iKosethu ekufeni, 25owanikelwa ekufeni ngebanga leemphambeko zethu bewavuswa mayelana nokulungisiswa kwethu.
