Achichepere Akufunsa Kuti . . .

Kodi Ndibatizidwe?

SUSANA wazaka khumi ndi zitatu zakubadwa anali m’nyengo zomalizira za kansa pamene anapezeka ku msonkhano wake womalizira wa Mboni za Yehova. Iye sanadziŵe kuti akamwalira m’masiku khumi okha. Komabe, ngakhale kansa sinakhoze kumletsa kukwaniritsa chikhumbo chake chokondeka koposa: kubatizidwa monga Mboni yodzipatulira ya Yehova ndi wophunzira wa Yesu Kristu.

Susana anali kokha m’modzi wa achichepere zikwizikwi pakati pa Mboni za Yehova m’zaka zaposachedwapa amene akonda mwaŵi wa kukhala wobatizidwa. Koma mwinamwake mumapeza chiyembekezo cha kutenga kaimidwe kolimba mtima kameneka kukhala chochititsa mantha. Sikuti simumazikhulupirira zowonadi za Baibulo zimene mwaphunzitsidwa ayi. Inu mungakhale mukupezeka nthaŵi zonse pa misonkhano Yachikristu ndipo mungakhale mukukhala ndi phande m’kugaŵana zowonadi Zabaibulo ndi ena. Komabe, ponena za kupatulira moyo wanu kwa Mulungu, mungakaikekaike. Pamenepa, kodi ubatizo ngofunika motani? Ndipo kodi nchifukwa ninji achichepere ambiri amauwopa?

Chipembedzo Chopanda Kudzipatulira

M’Dziko Lachikristu, funso la ubatizo wa achichepere kaŵirikaŵiri limayankhidwa ndi makolo awo. Magulu ena ampatuko amalimbikitsa makolo kubatizitsa ana awo monga makanda. Ndipo ngakhale pamene mwambo wa ubatizo ukhala wa akulu okha, achichepere kaŵirikaŵiri amayembekezeredwa kutsatira chipembedzo cha makolo awo monga njira yongotsatira, osati chosankha chawo.

Komabe, mosangalatsa, kufufuza kwa mu Gallup mu United States kunavumbula kuti pamene kuli kwakuti “pafupifupi amsinkhu wapakati pa 13 ndi 19 onse (96 peresenti) amakhulupirira kuti Mulungu aliko,” 39 peresenti okha ankapemphera mobwerezabwereza. Ndipo 52 peresenti okha anali ndi chidaliro m’chipembedzo cholinganizidwa. Diane wachichepere ali woterodi mwakunena kuti: “Ndimakhulupirira mwa Mulungu ndi zonsezo, koma ndimakhulupirira kwambiri kungoyesera kukhala munthu wabwino kuposa kuŵerenga mzera uliwonse wa Baibulo.”

Inde, chipembedzo chingakhaledi chochepa mphamvu pamene makolo achilamula pa wachichepere. Phunziro lopangidwa pa achichepere opulupudza Achikatolika likusonyezanso zimenezi. Theka lawo ankapezeka ku tchalitchi. Ambiri anadziŵa ziphunzitso zazikulu za chikhulupiriro chawo. Ndipo pafupifupi 90 peresenti ya iwo sanavomereze kuba. Komabe, oposa pa mbali ziŵiri mwa zitatu a iwo anali mbala! Bukhu lakuti The Adolescent linachitira ndemanga kuti: “Chifukwa china chingakhale chakuti kudzipereka kwachipembedzo kwa anyamatawo kunali kwakunja. Onse anabadwa Akatolika; kudzipereka kwawo koyambirira kunachitidwa ndi makolo awo. Chipembedzo chawo sichinali chawochawo.”

Ubatizo—Chifukwa Chake Uli Chiyeneretso cha Mkristu

Chotero, pa chifukwa chabwino, Baibulo limafuna kuti inu—osati makolo anu—mupange kudzipatulira kwaumwini kwa Mulungu.a ‘Chabwino,’ inu mungatero, ‘koma ngati kudzipatulira kuli nkhani yaumwini, pakati pa Mulungu ndi ine, kodi nchifukwa ninji ndiyenera kubatizidwa?’

Chifukwa chakuti ubatizo umaloŵetsamo ‘kupulumutsidwa kwa moyo wanu.’ (1 Petro 1:9) Mulungu ali ndi cholinga cha “kubwezera chilango kwa iwo osamdziŵa Mulungu, ndi iwo osamvera Uthenga Wabwino wa Ambuye wathu Yesu; amene adzamva chilango, ndicho chiwonongeko chosatha.” (2 Atesalonika 1:8, 9) Zisonyezero zonse nzakuti chiwonongeko chimenechi chidzadza m’tsiku lathu.b

Chikhalirechobe, chifuniro cha Mulungu nchakuti “anthu onse apulumuke.” (1 Timoteo 2:4) Iye akufuna kuti inu mupulumuke mapeto a dongosolo lino la zinthu ndi kukhala ndi moyo kosatha m’Paradaiso pa dziko lapansi! (Chibvumbulutso 21:3, 4) Koma kodi ndimotani mmene mungadzidziŵikitsire kukhala womvera mbiri yabwino? Sikokwanira kungokhulupirira zowonadi za Baibulo zimene mwaphunzitsidwa, ndipo sikokwanira kungotsagana ndi makolo anu kupita ku misonkhano Yachikristu. (Yerekezerani ndi Yakobo 2:19.) Awo okhumba chipulumutso ayenera kudzipatulira kwa Mulungu ndi kuchita chifuniro chake. Mtumwi Paulo pa Aroma 12:1 akuti: “Chifukwa chake ndikupemphani inu, abale, mwa zifundo za Mulungu, kuti mupereke matupi anu nsembe yamoyo, yopatulika, [“yodzipatulira,” The New English Bible] yokondweretsa Mulungu, ndiko kupembedza kwanu koyenera.”

Komabe kudzipatulira sikungakhale nkhani yachinsinsi kotheratu. Ndiiko komwe, kodi wophunzira wachinsinsi angakhale wodzipereka, wodzipatulira kwenikweni motani? (Yerekezerani ndi Yohane 19:38.) Kodi mungakhulupirire mnzanu amene akafuna kusunga ubwenzi wanu kukhala wachinsinsi? Chotero, mwanzeru Mulungu amafuna onse ‘kupanga chilengezo chapoyera kaamba ka chipulumutso.’ (Aroma 10:10, NW) Izi zimayamba pa ubatizo. Panthaŵiyo, wina amapanga chilengezo chamawu cha chikhulupiriro chake. Kenaka, ubatizo wa m’madzi nkutsatira. (Mateyu 28:19, 20) Komabe, kodi ndi phindu lotani limene lingakhalepo, m’kumizidwa m’madzi?

Ubatizo suli kusamba wamba; iwo uli kuikidwa m’manda kophiphiritsira. Pamene muloŵa kunsi kwa madzi a ubatizo, chimatanthauza kuti mwafa ku njira yanu yamoyo wakale. Kumbuyoko, zofuna zanu zaumwini, zonulirapo, ndi zikhumbo zinatenga malo oyamba m’moyo wanu. Koma Yesu ananena kuti ophunzira ake ‘akadzikana okha.’ (Marko 8:34) Chotero pamene muvuulidwa, mumakumbutsidwa kuti tsopano muli wamoyo kuchita chifuniro cha Mulungu. Kachitidwe kapoyera, kolimba mtima kameneka kali mbali yofunika kwambiri yokuikani chizindikiro kaamba ka chipulumutso!—Ezekieli 9:4-6; yerekezerani ndi 1 Petro 3:21.

‘Ndiwopa Kuti Ndingadzachotsedwe’

Pamenepa, ngati ubatizo uli woyenera ndi wofunika kwambiri chotero, nchifukwa ninji achichepere ena amaupeŵa? Galamukani! anafunsa funso limodzimodzilo kwa unyinji wa achichepere Achikristu. Msungwana wina anati: “Ambiri amalingalira kuti adzakhala ndi ufulu wowonjezereka ngati sali obatizidwa. Amalingalira kuti ataloŵa m’vuto, sadzakhala athayo kwambiri.” Wachichepere wotchedwa Robert anamveketsa ndemangayi mwakuti: “Ndiganiza kuti achichepere ambiri amazengereza kubatizidwa chifukwa chowopa kuti liri sitepe lomalizira limene sangatulukemo. Amalingalira kuti atachita chinachake cholakwa, adzachotsedwa mumpingo.”

Nzowona kuti wina sangatulukemo m’kudzipatulira kwa Mulungu. (Yerekezerani ndi Mlaliki 5:4.) Munthu wodzipatulira kwa Mulungu amatenga thayo lalikulu kwambiri. Iye amakakamizika kuyenda “koyenera [Yehova, NW] kukamkondweretsa monsemo.” (Akolose 1:10) Munthu wochita cholakwa chachikulu amadziikadi pa ngozi ya kupitikitsidwa mumpingo Wachikristu.—1 Akorinto 5:11-13.

Komabe, wina sangalingalire kuti malinga ngati sanabatizidwe, zonse ziri bwino. Popeza kuti “kwa iye amene adziŵa kuchita bwino, ndipo sachita, kwa iye kuli chimo”—akhale wobatizidwa kapena wosabatizidwa! (Yakobo 4:17) Wina angapewe kupitikitsidwa mumpingo, koma wina sangathaŵe chiweruzo cha Yehova. “Musadzinyenge konse,” Paulo akuchenjeza tero, “simungamunyodole Mulungu m’pang’ono pomwe; popeza kuti munthu adzatuta chimodzimodzicho chimene akufesa.”—Agalatiya 6:7, Byington.

Kaŵirikaŵiri mantha a kuchotsedwa amaphimba chikhumbo chamseri cha kuchita cholakwa. Mkazi wachichepere wotchedwa Natalie mowona mtima anachitira ndemanga kuti: “Ndinakulira m’dziko la Satana ndipo ndidziŵa mmene lirili. Koma achichepere ambiri amafuna kukaloŵamo ndi kuwona zimene ziliko kunjako.” M’malo molola zikhumbo zolakwika kukuletsani kubatizidwa—kapena kuzilekerera kukhala machitidwe olakwa—bwanji osapeza thandizo, mwinamwake kuzilankhula ndi kholo kapena Mkristu wofikapo?—Yakobo 1:14, 15.

Kwenikwenidi, ufulu umene dziko la Satana limapereka uli chinyengo chabe. Monga mmene mtumwi Petro ananenera za ena amene anasokeretsedwa m’tsiku lake kuti: “Ndi kuwalonjezera iwo ufulu, pokhala iwo okha ali akapolo a chivundi; pakuti iye amene munthu agonjedwa naye, ameneyo adzakhala kapolo wake.” (2 Petro 2:19) Kodi ulidi ufulu pamene kuganiza kwanu, machitidwe, ndi makhalidwe zilamuliridwa ndi ena? Kodi ulidi ufulu kudziloŵetsa m’machitidwe otsogoza ku nthenda, m’nyozo, ndipo pomalizira, ku imfa?—Miyambo 5:8-14.

Wachichepere wa ku Japan wotchedwa Hitoshi anayang’anizana ndi mafunso amenewo. Iye analeredwa ndi makolo Achikristu ndipo akukumbukira kuti: “Pamene ena ankaseŵera, ine ndinafunikira kupita ku misonkhano. Ndinafuna ufulu wokulirapo. Ndinaganiza kuti ndinali kumanidwa chinachake.” Inde, mofanana ndi wamasalmo Asafu, iye anachitira “nsanje” ochita zoipa. (Salmo 73:2, 3) Koma pambuyo popenda nkhaniyo ndi maganizo okhazikika, malingaliro a Hitoshi anasintha. Iye akuti: “Ndinazindikira chimene moyo wanga ukanakhala popanda chowonadi—ndinkadziwona ndikukhala ndi moyo kwa zaka 70 kapena 80 kenaka nkumwalira. Koma Yehova akupereka moyo wosatha!” Motero Hitoshi anadzipatulira kwa Mulungu ndipo anabatizidwa.—Yerekezerani ndi Salmo 73:19-28.

Kodi muli wosonkhezeredwa kuchita zofananazo? Wachichepere wotchedwa David anatero. Iye akukumbukira kuti: “Kubatizidwa ndikali wang’ono kunali chitetezo kwa ine. . . . Amsinkhu wapakati pa 13 ndi 19 ena osabatizidwa mumpingo anadzimva omasuka ku ulamuliro wa akulu ndipo monga chotulukapo anagwera m’machitidwe oipa. Koma ine nthaŵi zonse ndinakumbukira kuti ndinapatulira moyo wanga kwa Mulungu.” Ngakhale nditero, mwinamwake, simuli wotsimikiza ngati mulidi wokonzekera kutenga sitepe limeneli. Chidziŵitso chokuthandizani chaperekedwa m’nkhani yotsatira.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Chithunzi patsamba 13]

Kutumikira Mulungu kuli chosankha chimene inu nokha mungachipange. Ubatizo umazindikiritsa munthu monga wophunzira wodzipatulira wa Kristu Yesu