Bible Society of South Africa
Izicwangciso zokufunda
Blessed assurance
Blessed assurance – Day 9
Xanthe Hancox

Blessed assurance – Day 9

Onward Christian soldiers

Itekisi yeBhayibhile

2 KUTIMOTI 2

3Yiba nenxaxheba nawe ezinzingweni njengejoni elithembekileyo likaKrestu Yesu. 4Ijoni elisemsini alizixakekisi ngezinto zentlalo yemihla-ngemihla. Kufuneka libe soloko lilinde ukuyalelwa ngumphathi walo. 5Kwakhona imbaleki ayinako ukuthiwa jize ngembasa ingayithobeli imigaqo.

2 KUTIMOTI 2:3-5XHO96Vula kumfundi weBhayibhile

KWABASE-EFESE 6

Abantwana nabazali

1Bantwana, bathobeleni abazali benu nimanywe neNkosi nje, kuba kulunge kanye ukwenjenjalo. 2“Beka uyihlo nonyoko.” Lo ngumyalelo wokuqala onesithembiso esithi: 3“Uya kuba namathamsanqa, nemihla yakho yolulwe emhlabeni.”

4Nina ke, bazali, abantwana musani ukubaphatha gadalala, bade babe nenzondo, koko banikeni ingqeqesho nemiyalo yobuKrestu.

Izicaka nabaphathi

5Nina zicaka, bathobeleni abaphathi benu balapha emhlabeni, ninentlonipho, niqhutywa kukunyaniseka, ngokungathi nikhonza uKrestu ngenkqu. 6Ningatshakazi nenze izinto ngenjongo yokuzithandekisa ebantwini, koko yenzani ukuthanda kukaThixo ngomxhelo wenu wonke, njengezicaka zikaKrestu. 7Umsebenzi wenu wenzeni ngemincili, ngokungathi niwenzela iNkosi, aniwenzeli mntu.

8Ze nikhumbule ukuba umntu ngamnye uya kuvuzwa yiNkosi ngomsebenzi omhle, nokuba loo mntu sisicaka nokuba akasiso.

9Nani baphathi yenzani kwangokunjalo ngokubhekiselele kwizicaka zenu. Yekani ukusoloko nizigrogrisa. Khumbulani ukuba nina kwakunye nezicaka zenu ningabeNkosi enye esezulwini, egweba wonke umntu ingenamkhethe.

UmKrestu edabini

10Elokuphetha ndithi njengokuba nimanywe neNkosi nje, yomelelani nincedwa ngamandla ayo. 11Nxibani sonke isikrweqe eninokusifumana kuThixo, ukuze nibe nako ukumelana nabo bonke ubuqhokolo bukaSathana. 12Kuba kweli dabi lethu asilwi nabantu, kodwa silwa nemimoya ekhohlakeleyo esesibhakabhakeni, izilawuli, nabasemagunyeni, kunye nemimoya engcolileyo yeli phakade lobumnyama. 13Ngoko ke xhobani ngezikrweqe zikaThixo, ukuze nibe nako ukuxhathisa xa kunyembelekile, nize nifeze konke nimile ngxishi.

14Ngoko ke hlalani niqulile. Bhinqani ngenyaniso; ninxibe ubulungisa ukukhusela isifuba. 15Ezinyaweni nxibani inkuthalo yokuhlala nichophele ukuvakalisa iindaba ezimnandi zoxolo. 16Ngamaxesha onke ukukholwa makube likhaka lenu; ngokholo noba nako ukuzicima zonke iintolo ezivuthayo zikaSathana. 17Entloko thwalani usindiso. Phathani ilizwi likaThixo libe likrele enilinikwa nguMoya. 18Zinikeleni ngokupheleleyo ekuthandazeni. Thandazani maxa onke niqhutywa nguMoya. Ngesi sizathu ke hlalani nithe qwa, ningancami, nisoloko nibathandazela abantu bakaThixo. 19Nam ndithandazeleni, ukuze uThixo andiphe udaba xa ndithethayo, ndibe nesibindi sokuyivakalisa injongo yakhe eyayifihlakele, ndixela iindaba ezimnandi. 20Mna ndingunozakuzaku obanjiweyo ngenxa yazo. Ndithandazeleni ukuze ndithethe ngesibindi, njengoko kufuneka ndenjenjalo kakade.

Imibuliso yokwahlukana

21Njengoko kuyimfanelo ukuba nive ngemeko nempilo yam, uTikiko uya kunazisa ngazo zonke ezo ndaba. Yena nguwethu othandekayo, isicaka esithembekileyo emsebenzini weNkosi. 22Yiyo ke le nto ndimthuma kuni: ndenzele ukuba anazise ngayo yonke imeko yam, anivuselele.

23Wanga uThixo uYise neNkosi uYesu Krestu angawapha uxolo nothando nokholo onke amawethu. 24Lwanga ubabalo lukaThixo lungahlala kubo bonke abayithanda ngothando olungatshitshiyo iNkosi uYesu Krestu.

KWABASE-EFESE 6XHO96Vula kumfundi weBhayibhile

“Onward, Christian Soldiers” was written in 1865 with no intention of ever being published. Rev Sabine Baring-Gould, the author, was at that time the curate of a parish in Yorkshire County in the north of England, and his own account of how and why he wrote it still survives:

“It was written in a very simple fashion. Whit Monday is a great day for school festivals in Yorkshire, and one Whit Monday, it was arranged that our school should join its forces with that of a neighbouring village. I wanted the children to sing when marching from one village to the other, but couldn’t think of anything quite suitable, so I sat up at night and resolved to write something myself. ‘Onward, Christian Soldiers’ was the result. It was written in great haste and I am afraid some of the rhymes are faulty. Certainly, nothing has surprised me more than its great popularity.”

The hymn has a militaristic theme and a rousing marching melody for which is has been criticised. Some church denominations have removed it from their hymn books entirely.

But are we not in a war? The words of the hymn make it clear that the focus is on this spiritual battle – that our foe is Satan, not men, and that our King and Commander-in-Chief is the eternal, omnipotent Christ whose kingdom cannot fail.

“Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
 with the cross of Jesus going on before.
 Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
 forward into battle, see his banners go!”

The Bible teaches us that Satan has waged war against God and those who follow him. It may not be a physical war, but it is no less real and there is no middle ground. All Christians are on a spiritual battlefield. In his letter to Timothy, Paul uses military language to describe the extent of our commitment to this spiritual battle. Once we’re enlisted, we must be willing to fully surrender our will – we must accept the given task and prepare for deployment. In Ephesians 6, he instructs the church to “put on the whole armour of God” because we wrestle against the spiritual forces of evil.

Many are willing to carry the banner, but not all are willing to make it their life’s pursuit. Are you in? Are you committed? Are you willing to rise up and fight for Christ Jesus? Onward, Christian solider!

Bible Society of South Africav.4.27.6
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