UMoya uyamukelwa ngokukholwa
1O nina maGalathiya angaqondiyo! Ngubani oniloyileyo nina enalotshelwa phambi kwamehlo enu umfanekiso kaJesu Kristu ebethelwe esiphambanweni na? 2Yilokhu kuphela engithanda ukukwazi kinina ukuthi: Namukeliswa uMoya ngemisebenzi yomthetho noma ngezwi lokukholwa na? 3Niwulekile kangaka na? Niqalile kuMoya seniyakugcina enyameni na? 4Nahlupheka kangaka ngeze na? uma kambe kungeze. 5Ngakho yena oninikayo uMoya noveza imisebenzi yamandla phakathi kwenu ukwenza ngemisebenzi yomthetho noma ngezwi lokukholwa na?
Umuntu uyalungisiswa ngokukholwa
6Njengalokho u-Abrahama wakholwa nguNkulunkulu, kwabalelwa kuye ukuthi ngukulunga. 7Yazini-ke ukuthi abokukholwa yibona abangamadodana ka-Abrahama. 8Kepha umbhalo, ubona ngaphambili ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzakulungisisa abezizwe ngokukholwa, walishumayela ngaphambili ivangeli ku-Abrahama, wathi: “Izizwe zonke ziyakubusiswa kuwe.” 9Njalo-ke abokukholwa bayabusiswa kanye no-Abrahama okholwayo.
10Ngokuba bonke abemisebenzi yomthetho baphansi kwesiqalekiso, ngokuba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Baqalekisiwe bonke abangemi njalo kukho konke okulotshiweyo encwadini yomthetho ukuba bakwenze.” 11Kepha ukuthi ngomthetho akukho muntu olungisiswayo phambi kukaNkulunkulu kusobala, ngokuba olungileyo uzakuphila ngokukholwa; 12ngokuba umthetho awusiwo owokukholwa, kodwa owenza lokho uyakuphila ngakho. 13UKristu wasihlenga esiqalekisweni somthetho, ebenziwe isiqalekiso ngenxa yethu, ngokuba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Baqalekisiwe bonke abalenga emthini,” 14ukuba isibusiso sika-Abrahama ngoKristu Jesu sifike kubo abezizwe, ukuze samukeliswe isithembiso sikaMoya ngokukholwa.
Isithembiso asichithwa ngumthetho
15Bazalwane, ngikhulumisa okwabantu: nokuba kuyintando yokugcina yomuntu eyaqiniswayo, akakho oyichithayo noma enezele kuyo. 16Manje-ke izithembiso zanikwa u-Abrahama nenzalo yakhe; akasho ukuthi: “Ezinzalweni,” kungathi ngeziningi, kepha kungathi ngeyodwa ukuthi: Nasenzalweni yakho enguKristu. 17Kepha ngisho lokhu ukuthi isivumelwano esaqiniswa nguNkulunkulu ngaphambili, umthetho owavela emva kweminyaka engamakhulu amane namashumi amathathu, awusesuli, uze usichithe isithembiso; 18ngokuba uma ifa likhona ngomthetho, alikho ngesithembiso; kepha uNkulunkulu umnikile lona u-Abrahama ngesithembiso.
19Pho, umthetho uyini na? Wenezelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko, kuze kufike inzalo enikiwe isithembiso, umisiwe ngezingelosi, ngesandla somlamuleli. 20Kepha umlamuleli kasiye owamunye; kepha uNkulunkulu munye.
21Pho-ke, umthetho uphambene nezithembiso zikaNkulunkulu na? Qha nakanye. Ngokuba uma wawunikiwe umthetho onamandla okuphilisa, ngempela ukulungisiswa ngakuya ngomthetho. 22Kepha umbhalo uvalele konke phansi kwesono, ukuze isithembiso ngokukholwa nguJesu Kristu siphiwe abakholwayo.
Umthetho ongumlayi uyisa kuKristu
23Kepha kungakafiki ukukholwa, sasigcinwa phansi komthetho, sivalelwe kuze kufike ukukholwa obekuzakwambulwa. 24Njalo-ke umthetho sewaba ngumlayi wethu wokusiyisa kuKristu, ukuze silungisiswe ngokukholwa. 25Kepha-ke sekufikile ukukholwa, asisephansi komlayi.
26Ngokuba nonke ningabantwana bakaNkulunkulu ngokukholwa kuKristu. 27Ngokuba nonke enabhapathizelwa kuKristu nembatha uKristu. 28Akakho umJuda nomGreki, akakho oboshiweyo nokhululekileyo, akakho owesilisa nowesifazane, ngokuba nina nonke nimunye kuKristu Jesu. 29Kepha uma ningabakaKristu, seniyinzalo ka-Abrahama, niyizindlalifa ngokwesithembiso.