To sin or not to sin is the decision you make in life. Every person is responsible for his or her own life and decides to believe God and His Word (Ibhayibheli) and walk in the will of God or not. Just like the Father, Jesus gave a command to sin no more but it was up to the people to give heed to his command or not. Let’s look at the story of the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda and the woman who committed adultery and was caught in the act.
The healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda
KuJohane 5:1-15, UJesu welapha indoda, owayenobuthakathaka ngenxa 38 iminyaka ekanye. Lendoda eyisishosha yalala embhedeni echibini laseBethesda.
When Jesus saw the lame man, He went to him and asked him if he wanted to get well. Isishosha saphendula uJesu, that he didn’t have anyone to bring him to the water to get healed.
Khona-ke uJesu wayala indoda ukuba isukume ithathe uhlaka lwayo ihambe. The man obeyed the words of Jesus and stood up and walked. Indoda eyayiyisishosha yaphulukiswa uJesu! But what did Jesus say to him about the decision to sin or not to sin?
Why did Jesus say to Sin no more?
When Jesus met the man who was healed of his infirmity in the Temple in Jerusalem, UJesu wayala indoda ukuthi ingaphinde yona. Why did Jesus say to sin no more? Lest a worse thing would come unto him.
UJesu wayiphulukisa le ndoda ekuguleni kwayo (ubuthakathaka bakhe). Umuntu wasinda futhi umbuso kaNkulunkulu wawusufikile kuye.
Umbuso wobumnyama wawumthumbile umuntu 38 iminyaka ekanye. But when Jesus came and the power of the Kingdom of heaven came upon him, indoda yakhululwa ebugqilini bayo.
Ngemva kwalokho uJesu wamthola ethempelini, wathi kuye, Bheka, uphilisiwe: ungabe usona, hlezi kwehlelwe okubi kakhulu
UJohane 5:14
UJesu wakhulula indoda ejele lobumnyama elingokomoya
Jesus released this lame man from this spiritual prison of darkness. Now that this man was released from this spiritual prison of darkness, Jesus commanded the healed man to no violate the spiritual laws by sinning.
Ngamanye amazwi; Jesus told the man to keep the commandments and do the intando kaNkulunkulu and stay obedient to God instead of obeying and doing the will of the devil (osebenza enyameni) ngokona.
Because if the man decided to reject the commandment of Jesus and disobey God and sin, he would be taken captive again by the forces of darkness and worse things would happen to him.
UJesu wayixwayisa indoda, because the man was carnal. He didn’t see the spiritual realm and couldn’t discern the spirits. But Jesus was spiritual and knew the spirit realm and the spiritual laws and revealed it to him through His word.
Jesus knew the Kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of darkness. He wanted this man to stay free and not become a prisoner of the devil and darkness again.
Ngakho-ke, UJesu wayala indoda ukuthi ingaphinde yona.
UJesu wathi, Go and sin no more to the woman that committed adultery
KuJohane 8:1-11, we read about a woman that was caught in the act of adultery. The woman that committed adultery was brought unto Jesus. Ababhali nabaFarisi basola owesifazane ngokuphinga futhi batshela uJesu ngalokho ayekwenzile.
They suggested to stone her according to the Umthetho kaMose. But the words of these men didn’t come from a good conscience. They only wanted to tempt Jesus, so that they could accuse Him.
Jesus wrote on the ground with His finger and said to them, “He who’s sinless among you, makabe ngowokuqala ukuphonsa itshe phezu kwakhe“.
Jesus knew that the people that belonged to the old generation of fallen man were carnal. They were trapped in the sinful nature of the flesh.
Instead of stoning the adultrous woman, the men left one by one until there was no one left except Jesus and the adultrous woman.
Ngaleso sikhathi, Jesus had the power to condemn the woman and stone her. Because Jesus walked in the authority of the Kingdom of God (Njengendalo entsha) and was sinless.
Nokho, Jesus said to the woman that He wouldn’t condemn her either. Since it was not Jesus’ time to judge but to save.
KODWA… uJesu awuvumanga of her work of adultery. Jesus commanded the woman to go her way and ungabe usona.
UJesu wathi kuye, Nami angikulahli: hamba, futhi asisesona
UJohane 8:11
Indalo entsha ihlukaniswe nezwe
When you repent and become born again in Christ and enter the Kingdom of God, you leave the kingdom of darkness and are separated from the world. You have been forgiven, hlengiwe, and made whole and righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ.
You’ve become new creation and as a result of this spiritual transformation, uzokwenza kanjalo khipha ikhehla lakho nemikhuba yakhe yakudala.
You will no longer walk the way you walked before your repentance, because you repented from that lifestyle and its works (okwenyama).
Kubalulekile ukuqaphela lokho Awuseyona isoni. You have become a saint through regeneration in Christ.
If you don’t realize and believe this, you will always think and live as a sinner. You’ll be stuck in your sins and never be freed from your sins.
Lapho usuzelwe kabusha, wasuka komunye umbuso womoya wangena komunye (AbaseKolose 1:13-14)
In your old life, you thought like the world and walked in sin (sin = disobedience to God. It’s everything that goes against the Word of God that represents the will of God) and you were of the devil.
The nature of the devil will do his will
You had the character and nature of your father the devil. In your fallen state, anikwazanga ukuzithoba kuNkulunkulu futhi nenze intando Yakhe. Kunalokho, you lived after the will of the flesh in rebellion.
You were rebellious towards God and His Word and obedient to the words and will of the devil (intando, inkanuko, and desire of your flesh), futhi waphila esonweni. IBhayibheli lithi, ukuthi uma ona, you have the devil as father and do the lust thereof (UJohane 8:44).
When you decided ukuphenduka, washo ngokungaqondile ukuthi awusafuni ukuba nosathane njengoyihlo. Awuzange ufune ukulalela amazwi akhe futhi uhambe entandweni yakhe. Wasuthiswa ukuphila kwakho ngaphansi kwegunya lakhe.
Lapho uzwa amazwi evangeli futhi wahlangana noJesu Kristu, wakholwa Kuye futhi wamamukela njengoMsindisi neNkosi yakho.
Nanifuna uNkulunkulu njengoYihlo esikhundleni sikadeveli futhi nilalele amazwi Akhe futhi nihambe entandweni Yakhe. Awuzange ufune ukulalela amazwi kadeveli futhi uhambe entandweni yakhe.
Isimo sikaNkulunkulu sizokwenza intando yaKhe
From the moment you are born again and receive the nature of your Father God, you will long for Him and the things of His Kingdom. There must be a desire to do the will of God and to walk according to what God says.
A real father knows what is good for his child. A real father wants the best for his child. Uma ubaba wasemhlabeni efunela izingane zakhe okungcono kakhulu, kakhulu kangakanani uYihlo osezulwini.
Yingakho ke, God revealed His will to us in His Word (Ibhayibheli).
God revealed to us not only what pleases Him and what displeases Him, but He also revealed the way of salvation, kanjani ube yindalo entsha and how to walk as the new creation in His will.
God revealed it all in the Bible which is His Word. Ukuze, Indlela yakhe iba yindlela yakho futhi His thoughts becomes your thoughts.
Did the people choose to sin or not to sin?
UJesu watshela indoda, owaphulukiswa ebuthakathakeni bakhe kanye nowesifazane, owayebanjwe ephinga, ngeke usasona. Ngakho-ke, these people had the power to sin no more. They had the power to say ‘no to sin’. But did they obey the commandment of Jesus and choose to sin no more or not?
UJesu wathi kuye, Wothanda uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakho, langomphefumulo wakho wonke, nangayo yonke ingqondo yakho. Lo ngumyalo wokuqala no omkhulu. Okwesibili kufana nakho, Uyothanda umakhelwane wakho njengoba uzithanda wena. Kule miyalo emibili ilengisa wonke umthetho nabaprofethi (Mathewu 22:37-40)
Owesifazane wayenamandla okuthi ‘cha’ ukuphinga, ngoba kungenjalo, UJesu wayengeke amnikeze umyalo wokuthi angabe esona. Umbuzo uwukuthi, ingabe owesifazane wasabela kuJesu’ umyalo wokuthi ungabe usona?
Did the adulterous woman obey the commandment of Jesus or did she let her feelings, inkanuko yakhe, and her desire rule over the words of Jesus and give in to her feelings of lust and desire?
Khumbula, lapho uJesu elaya ukuthi ungabe usona, His crucifixion and the ukuthululwa kukaMoya oNgcwele had not taken place yet.
So these people were not born again. Babeseyindalo endala. However the old creation had the power to say ‘no’ ukona, ungabe usona.
Nawe unamandla okungabe usona. Unquma ukona noma ukungoni.
Ngokusebenzisa umsebenzi wokuhlenga kaJesu Kristu, senziwe ngcwele futhi nilungile. Manje njengoba sewenziwe ngcwele futhi ulungile, ubizelwe futhi ukuba uphile ebungcweleni nasekulungeni (2 AbaseKorinte 5:21).
Usindisiwe ngomusa nokwenza imisebenzi kaMoya
Awusindiswanga ngemisebenzi, but by grace. Kodwa ukuba ngaphansi komusa akusho ukuthi uvunyelwe ukuqhubeka ukona. Ngoba uma inyama yakho ifile kuKristu lapho uzalwa ngokusha, ungayenza kanjani imisebenzi yenyama?
Wothanda uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakho, nangawo wonke umphefumulo wakho, nangayo yonke ingqondo yakho, futhi wothanda umakhelwane wakho njengoba uzithanda wena (Mathewu 22:37-40)
When you are saved and born again, you see the nature and effect of sin, Yisiphi isithelo sokufa. You will hate sin, NjengoNkulunkulu. Uyokuzonda ukuphila kwakho kwangaphambili njengesoni futhi ngeke ubuyele kukho. (Funda futhi: Ungaqhubeka ukona ngaphansi komusa?)
Uma u thanda uNkulunkulu ngenhliziyo yakho yonke, umphefumulo, ingqondo, namandla uzowathanda ukwenza intando Yakhe.
You shall spend time with God and renew your mind with the Word of God (Ibhayibheli) and apply His words into your life, ukuze ube umenzi wamazwi kaNkulunkulu futhi wenze imisebenzi kaMoya. Akudingeki, kodwa uyafuna, ngoba wenziwe ngomfanekiso wakhe futhi uyamthanda uNkulunkulu.
Lapho iZwi noMoya oNgcwele behlala ngaphakathi kuwe, uzohamba emva kukaMoya ngokulalela iZwi. Uzohamba othandweni, ubungcwele, nokulunga, nenza intando kaBaba, nimphakamise, nimdumise.
‘Yibani usawoti womhlaba”
