Msalaba ni mahali pa upatanisho na mahali pa ukombozi na neema. The cross is a place to die and where your new life begins. Yesu Christ was the perfect Lamb of God (bila lawama na doa), that took all the iniquities and sins of the world upon Him. Jesus became your Substitute and hang on the cross, ambayo inapaswa kuwa mahali pako. Unapaswa kuwa umepachika hapo, Kwa sababu ya uovu wako na dhambi. Lakini kwa sababu ya upendo mkubwa wa Mungu, God gave His only Son Jesus Christ to become your Substitute. Jesus took your punishment upon Him, Kwa hivyo, you don’t have to carry it anymore. Yesu alikabiliwa na kifo, so that you won’t have to face death and the eternal punishment in hell anymore. Hata hivyo, many Christians don’t consider the cross a place to die but a place to keep sinning.
Je! Neno 'linavuka nini’ maana?
Neno msalaba hutoka kwa neno la Kiyunani: Stauros (Stow-Ros), Inatoka kwa msingi wa hapana. G2476(Concordance kali) na maana ya ;
- mti au chapisho (Kama kuweka wima),
- hiyo ni, (haswa) mti au msalaba (kama chombo cha adhabu ya mtaji)
- Mfiduo wa mfano kwa kifo, hiyo ni, Kujikana mwenyewe;
- Kwa kuashiria upatanisho wa Kristo: – msalaba.
What did Jesus say about the cross in the Bible?
Jesus said the following about the cross: He that takes not his cross, na kunifuata mimi, Haifai kwangu (Mathayo 10:38)
Kama kuna mtu atakuja baada yangu, ajikane mwenyewe, na kuuchukua msalaba wake, na nifuateni Mimi. Kwa maana mtu atakaye kuiokoa nafsi yake, ataiangamiza: na yeyote atakayepoteza maisha yake kwa ajili yangu atayapata. (Mathayo 16:24,25)
Yeyote atakuja baada yangu, ajikane mwenyewe, na kuuchukua msalaba wake, na nifuateni Mimi (Weka alama 8:34).
Chukua msalaba wako, na nifuateni Mimi (Weka alama 10:21)
Kama kuna mtu atakuja baada yangu, ajikane mwenyewe, na kuubeba msalaba wake kila siku, na nifuateni Mimi (Luka 9:23)
Yeyote ambaye hajabeba msalaba wake, na mnifuate, Haiwezi kuwa mwanafunzi wangu (Luka 14:27)
Katika aya hizi, Yesu yuko wazi sana. Yesu alisema, that if you really want to Fuata Yesu Kristo, you should take up your cross and follow Him.
Inamaanisha nini kuchukua msalaba wako?
Vizuri, kujibu swali hili, Lazima tuangalie kile kilichofanyika msalabani. Jesus was crucified on the cross. Alikataa mwenyewe, kwa kuwa mtiifu kabisa kwa mapenzi ya Mungu.
Yesu angeweza kufanya mapenzi yake mwenyewe na kumtii Mungu. Yesu angeweza kufurahiya maisha yake duniani, Labda Yesu alikuwa mzee sana. Lakini Yesu hakufanya hivyo.
He crucified His will by becoming fully obedient to the will of His Father.
Yesu alikuwa na kitu kimoja tu akilini na hiyo ilikuwa kufanya mapenzi ya baba yake, lay down His life, and fulfill God’s plan for His life.
God’s plan was to die for mankind and take the sins of the world upon Him, and become an atonement for mankind, and take back the authority that was taken by the devil and reconcile man back to God.
Yesu anakuambia ufanye vivyo hivyo. Unapaswa kuchukua msalaba wako kila siku, ambayo inamaanisha kwamba unapaswa kusulubisha mapenzi yako na ufanye mapenzi yake.
It means to be obedient to Jesus Christ and do the Father’s will and fulfill His purpose for your life.
Inamaanisha kujikana, Kufa kwa ajili ya nafsi, kufa kwa tamaa na tamaa za mwili. Dying is a painful process. Sio rahisi, Lakini ni muhimu ili kumfuata Yesu.
Una chaguo
Ikiwa hutaki kuweka maisha yako ya zamani na tabia zake, Kwa sababu unasema ni ngumu sana, Au huwezi kuifanya, Kwa sababu hauna nguvu ya kuifanya, then honestly you don’t hate your old life as a sinner yet. You still love doing the things you do and don’t want to say goodbye to these things. Hauoni madhara yoyote kwa kuifanya.
Watu wengi wanataka kutegemea maisha yao ya zamani na kuongeza inayoitwa 'tabia ya Kikristo'. They become a member of the church, nenda kanisani, be friendly, fanya misaada inafanya kazi, soma Biblia 5 au 10 Dakika kabla ya kwenda kulala, Sema sala ya haraka na hiyo ndio.
Acha nikuambie, the more you hate sin and your old life and its habits, Ni rahisi kuchukua msalaba wako na kumfuata Yesu.
Ndiyo, Itakugharimu kila kitu. Itakugharimu maisha yako. But your life becomes so much better!
Ni mchakato wa kufa kwa ubinafsi. Lakini ikiwa unataka kweli, basi inawezekana. Yote ni juu yako. Roho Mtakatifu yuko kukusaidia, kukufundisha, kukuongoza, strengthen you and warn you.
Maisha yako yatakuwa adventure moja nzuri na Roho Mtakatifu.
Yesu alifanya nini sivyo sema juu ya msalaba ?
Yesu hakusema kwamba msalaba ni:
- Kibali cha kuendelea kufanya dhambi,
- Kutumika kuendelea kufanya kile unachotaka kufanya,
- an excuse to keep living in sin and say that you are too weak and therefore keep coming back to the cross over and over again.
The cross is not a place to rest and not a place to camp, Lakini msalaba ni hatua yako ya kuanza.
Acha niwe wazi, Sisemi kwamba lazima usahau msalaba. Hapana, Huwezi kusahau msalaba!
The cross is the place where you die and you lay down your life
The cross is the place where Jesus Christ became your Substitue. It’s the place where you identified yourself with Christ and got born again. Msalaba ndio mahali, where all of your iniquities and sins were taken away from you. It’s the place where you were reconciled with the Father, katika Yesu Kristo.
But the cross must not become a camping place. Mahali, where you stay and get stuck in between your old and new life and stay there. Yote kwa sababu, you can’t say farewell to your old habits, dhambi zako. (Soma pia: Vita na udhaifu wa mzee)
Wengi hutembea, ambaye nimekuambia mara nyingi, Na sasa kukuambia hata kulia, kwamba wao ni maadui wa msalaba wa Kristo: Ambaye mwisho wake ni uharibifu, ambaye Mungu ni tumbo lao, na utukufu wake uko katika aibu yao, ambao wanafikiria vitu vya kidunia(Wafilipi 3:18)
If you keep doing your will and if your mind is set on the things of the world, Wewe ni adui wa msalaba.
Ikiwa mambo ya ulimwengu na mapenzi yako, are more important than doing the will of God and walking after the Spirit, Halafu Bibilia inasema kwamba wewe ni adui wa msalaba.
Tena, Una chaguo. Lakini yote ni au hakuna, Hakuna njia kati ya.
Hauwezi kutumikia miungu miwili. Ama utapoteza maisha yako hapa duniani au utapoteza maisha yako kuzimu.
Paulo alisema nini juu ya msalaba?
Paul said the following about the cross, Lakini Mungu akataze kwamba nipaswa utukufu, Okoa msalabani wa Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo, ambaye ulimwengu umesulubiwa kwangu, Na mimi kwa ulimwengu. Maana katika Kristo Yesu kutahiriwa hakufai kitu, wala kutotahiriwa, bali kiumbe kipya (Wagalatia 6:14,15)
Maisha ya Paulo yalisulubiwa na Yesu Kristo. Alichukua msalaba wake, maana, that Paul denied himself and obeyed Christ.
Paulo alitumwa kuhubiri injili. Not in words, Lakini kwa nguvu. Paulo hakuhubiri falsafa za wanadamu na hekima ya mwili wa ulimwengu, Lakini Paul alihubiri msalaba, ambayo ni nguvu ya Mungu.
Kwa maana Kristo alinipeleka sio kubatiza, lakini kuhubiri injili: Sio kwa hekima ya maneno, isije msalaba wa Kristo usiwe na athari yoyote. Kwa kuhubiri kwa msalaba ni kwao ambayo hupotea upumbavu; Lakini kwetu ambayo tumeokolewa ni nguvu ya Mungu (1 Wakorintho 1:17-18)
You’re reconciled with God through the cross, through the blood of Jesus. Kwa hiyo, you have peace because you’re reconciled. The blood of Jesus made you righteous.
Katika Kristo Yesu umekuwa mwadilifu, takatifu, isiyoweza kutabirika na isiyoweza kufikiwa.
Thsaa He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, kuwa na uadui kwa hivyo (Waefeso 2:16)
Na, baada ya kufanya amani kupitia damu ya msalaba wake, na yeye kupatanisha vitu vyote kwake; na yeye, Nasema kuwa, ikiwa ni vitu duniani, au vitu mbinguni.
Na wewe, ambazo wakati mwingine zilitengwa na maadui katika akili yako kwa matendo maovu, lakini sasa amepatanishwa in mwili wa mwili wake kupitia kifo, Kukuonyesha watakatifu na wasio wazi na wasioweza kutabirika mbele yake (Wakolosai 1:20-1:22)
Dhambi zako zote, Makosa yako yote, wamesamehewa
Na wewe, mkiwa mmekufa kwa sababu ya dhambi zenu na kutokutahiriwa kwa miili yenu, Amehuisha pamoja Naye, akiwa amewasamehe ninyi makosa yote; Kufutilia mbali mwandiko wa maagizo yaliyokuwa dhidi yetu, ambayo ilikuwa kinyume na sisi, na kuiondoa njiani, akiigongomelea msalabani Wake; Na kwa kuwa wameharibu enzi na mamlaka, Alifanya Whew yao wazi, kuwashinda ndani yake (Wakolosai 2:13-15)
Kufikiria, Karatasi zilizoandikwa kamili ya dhambi zako; kamili ya makosa yako, that would have condemned you unto the death penalty, lakini wamefutwa kazi na kazi msalabani.
Ni kama kuchukua karatasi zote na makosa yako ambayo yangekuhukumu hadi kufa, Na uwatupe wote ndani ya moto.
Yesu alikufanyia hivyo.
Jesus took that blame fully upon Him. Alichukua adhabu yako ya kifo juu yake, ili uweze kutembea kwa haki ndani yake. Bure ya dhambi, bure ya hatia, bure ya kulaaniwa.
Ndiyo, Makosa yako yote yalipachikwa msalabani. Unaanza na karatasi safi.
Wakati wewe kuwa kuzaliwa mara ya pili, Roho yako ni kama mtoto.
Kadiri unavyolisha roho yako, by hearing and studying the Bible (Maneno ya Mungu) and renewing your mind and doing the word of God, the quicker your spirit matures.
Hata hivyo, if you don’t feed your spirit but feed your flesh, your spirit will starve to death and eventually die. Tena, Una chaguo.
Kutakuwa na misimu tofauti katika maisha yako. But if you stay in the will of God and keep hearing and studying His Word and doing His Word, Utasimama kidete na kutembea kama mwana wa Mungu (hii inatumika kwa wanaume na wanawake) duniani.
‘Kuweni chumvi ya dunia”
