MORE ON THE BIBLE AND FAITH!

We see in 1 Corinthians 12:9 that faith is a gift of the Spirit. When we first believe in the Lord Jesus, the Spirit is the One who is given in order to believe, that is, the gift of faith is given as the gospel is presented! Salvation comes when ‘you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead.’ Romans 10:9. So faith is based on Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected and that He lives!

It also says in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” So it appears that our faith can increase as we hear more of the Word! So initially faith brings us to God and then it makes us believe in all the ways of God so that we walk in the right way, in God’s will! Some of these ways of God are knowing God as Savior, Healer, Deliverer, Provider, Protector, to name a few, and as such asking Him to present Himself like these in our lives!

In Hebrews 11:1 it says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In my initial walk, I would hear this Scripture a lot and not quite understand it! But basically it is saying that anything is possible when we believe. Of course it should be based on the Word!

According to theologian Millard J Erickson, in what concerns salvation and the walk after that, “ the evangelical position holds that salvation is a total change in an individual that progresses through sanctification toward glorification”. So there is a point where we take the step of faith, that is believing, which comes as a gift from the Spirit, to say yes to Jesus by just saying, ‘Jesus, come into my life and be my Lord and Savior.’ This is where conversion takes place! So there is a transformation that takes place and it continues through our walk with the Lord, as we hear the Word; as we believe according to the will of God, we can achieve all the possibilities God has for us!

LUFUTULO KWIINDA muli JESU KLISTU!

Aawo makani aachiKkilisito naakali kuyaa kuyaambele, zina lyakuti ‘Jesu’ lyakali kuzibikana kuti ‘Yahweh Lufutuko’. Kuzwa kumizeezo yaChizuminano Chakale ya Mwami, Munununi, Mufutuli, Leza, bupanduluzi oobu bwakapegwa kuli Jesu akuti Banakristo bakali kumusyoma biyeni. 1 Masimpe, musule, twamubona lino Jesu kali Mufutuli aMufutuli kuzwa kucinyonyoono amudima wakumuuya, ooyo wakatila bulowa aachiingano kuchitila kuti abbadele zinyonyoono zyesu, kuti twasyoma! Alimwi akuti Nguwe alike nzila iisika kuli Leza! Mpawo ngu Mufutuli wesu!

Lino tweelede kuba aluzibo lwakuzyalwa lubo kuchitila kuti tube achilongwe anguwe! Muli Johani 3:3,16 lwaamba kuti: “ ‘Jesu wakaingula kuti, ‘ncobeni, ndikwaambila kuti, ikuti muntu katazyalwi alimwi, takonzyi kubona Bwami bwa Leza’….’Nkaambo Leza wakayandisya nyika cakuti wakapa Mwanaakwe simuzyalwaalikke, kutegwa kufumbwa uumusyoma atafwidilili pe pele abe abuumi butamani’ “Alimwi Johani 12-26: waamba kuti: “Jesu wakati kulinguwe, ‘Ndime bubuke abuumi. Ooyo uundisyoma, nikuba kuti wafwa, ulapona. Alimwi kufumbwa uupona akusyoma mulindime takooyoofwa pe. Sena ulasyoma eezi?’ “

Aboobo tweelede kusyoma akweempwa kuzibi zyesu kuchitila kuti lino tube achilongwe aLeza chiboola kwiinda mukuzyalwa lubo aJesu Mufutuli wesu aMwami wesu! “Matalikilo aabuumi bwabuna Kkilisito ayanda kuzyiba bubi bwamuntu akukakatila kuleka buumi bwakuliyanda.”2

MANOTI

1Sinclair B. Ferguson, David F. Wright a J.I. Packer, basikulemba, Bbuku lyamabala lipya lyabukombi, (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1988), 610.
2Millard J. Erickson, Bukombi bwa Bunakristo, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006),959.

AMWAAMBA MUPAILO UUTOBELA KUTI UZYALWE BUYO:
“Jesu ndisyoma kuti wakafwa achiingano,
kutila bulowa bwako kuti ndilekelelwe zinyonyoono zyangu;
Mpawo wakabuka mubuzuba bwatatu!
Ndilizi kuti ndili sizibi. Ndalomba undilekelele zibi zyangu;
Ndalomba kuti unjile mumoyo wangu!
Koboola ube Mufutuli wangu aMwami wabuumi bwangu!
Ndalumba Jesu”