Teolojia ya Kireformed na Mafundisho ya Neema — Sehemu ya 7: Kuhesabiwa Haki kwa Imani Peke YakeReformed Theology and the Doctrines of Grace — Unit 7: Justification by Faith Alone

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Basi twahesabu kwamba mtu huhesabiwa haki kwa imani pasipo matendo ya sheria." (Warumi 3:28, SUV)"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law." (Romans 3:28, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

Utakapomaliza kipindi hiki, utaweza:When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Kufafanua kuhesabiwa haki kama tamko la kisheria la Mungu na kulitofautisha na utakaso.1. Define justification as a legal declaration by God and distinguish it from sanctification.

2. Kueleza kuhesabiwa kwa haki ya Kristo kwa mwamini na kwa nini kunategemea kazi ya Kristo peke yake.2. Explain the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the believer and why it rests on Christ's work alone.

3. Kueleza kwa nini imani ni chombo, na si msingi, wa kuhesabiwa haki.3. Explain why faith is the instrument, and not the ground, of justification.

4. Kueleza pingamizi la Kikatoliki, la "Mtazamo Mpya" na la Yakobo 2 kwa haki, na kutoa jibu la Matengenezo kwa kila moja.4. State the Roman Catholic, the "New Perspective" and the James 2 objections fairly, and give the Reformed answer to each.

5. Kujibu shtaka kwamba kuhesabiwa haki kwa imani peke yake kunaleta maisha ya uzembe.5. Answer the charge that justification by faith alone leads to careless living.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya utamaduni wa Matengenezo na Kipresbiteri, kwa wanafunzi wanaoutumikia. Ni ya kihafidhina na ya kiungamo. Tunashikilia kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lililoongozwa na Roho na lisilokosea, na tunaungama Ungamo la Ubelgiji, Katekisimu ya Heidelberg, Kanuni za Dort, au Viwango vya Westminster. Wakristo wengine husoma vifungu fulani tofauti, nasi tunaeleza mitazamo yao kwa haki kabla ya kujibu. Maandiko yanasema, "Jaribuni mambo yote; mkaze lile lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21).This course is written from inside the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition, for students who belong to it. It is conservative and confessional. We hold the Bible to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and we confess the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of Dort, or the Westminster Standards. Other Christians read some passages differently, and we state their views fairly before we answer. Scripture says, "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Kwa Nini Fundisho Hili Ni MuhimuWhy This Doctrine Matters

Matengenezo ya karne ya kumi na sita yalikuwa, katikati yake, kurudisha fundisho hili. Kozi ya 1 ilieleza historia, nasi hatuirudii hapa. Swali ambalo Watengenezaji waliuliza lilikuwa swali la kila dhamiri ya mwanadamu: mwenye dhambi anawezaje kusimama mbele ya Mungu mtakatifu? Jibu la Maandiko ni kwamba mwenye dhambi anatangazwa kuwa mwenye haki, si kwa sababu ya matendo yake mwenyewe, bali kwa sababu ya kazi ya Kristo, inayopokelewa kwa imani peke yake.The Reformation of the sixteenth century was, at its center, a recovery of this doctrine. Course 1 told the history, and we do not repeat it here. The question the Reformers asked was the question of every human conscience: how can a sinner stand before a holy God? Scripture's answer is that the sinner is declared righteous, not because of his own works, but because of Christ's work, received by faith alone.

Kwa mchungaji, hili si jambo la kiufundi. Ndilo unalomwambia mtu anayekufa, mtu aliyeangamizwa na hatia, na mtu mwenye kiburi anayedhani yeye ni mwema vya kutosha. Katekisimu ya Heidelberg, katika jibu lake kwa swali jinsi ulivyo mwenye haki mbele ya Mungu, inatoa jibu la Matengenezo: kwa imani ya kweli tu katika Yesu Kristo. Hakuna kingine kinachotoa amani kwa dhamiri.For a pastor, this is not a technical matter. It is what you say to a dying man, to a person crushed by guilt, and to a proud person who thinks he is good enough. The Heidelberg Catechism, in its answer to the question how you are righteous before God, gives the Reformed reply: only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Nothing else gives peace to the conscience.

Kuhesabiwa Haki Kunamaanisha NiniWhat Justification Means

Katika Biblia, neno "kuhesabia haki" ni neno la kisheria. Halimaanishi "kufanya mwenye haki" kwa maana ya kubadilisha tabia ya mtu. Linamaanisha "kutangaza mwenye haki." Biblia inaliweka kinyume cha "kuhukumu." Paulo anaandika, "Ni nani atakayewashtaki wateule wa Mungu? Mungu ndiye mwenye kuwahesabia haki; ni nani atakayehukumu?" (Warumi 8:33-34). Hakimu anayehesabia haki hamfanyi mtu kuwa mwema. Anatangaza kwamba sheria haina madai dhidi yake.In the Bible, the word "justify" is a legal word. It does not mean "to make righteous" in the sense of changing a person's character. It means "to declare righteous." The Bible sets it against "condemn." Paul writes, "Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns?" (Romans 8:33-34). A judge who justifies does not make the person good. He declares that the law has no claim against him.

Hii ndiyo sababu teolojia ya Matengenezo hutenganisha kwa uangalifu kazi mbili za Mungu.This is why Reformed theology carefully separates two works of God.

Kuhesabiwa haki (Justification) ni tendo la Mungu, mara moja kwa wakati wote, ambalo kwalo anatusamehe dhambi zetu na kutukubali kuwa wenye haki machoni pake. Ni tamko kuhusu msimamo wetu mbele za Mungu. Linakamilika wakati tunapoamini na halikui.Justification is God's act, once for all, in which He pardons our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight. It is a declaration about our standing before God. It is complete at the moment we believe and does not grow.

Utakaso (Sanctification) ni kazi ya Mungu ndani yetu, ambayo kwayo tunafanywa upya katika mtu mzima na kukua katika utakatifu. Huanza katika kuzaliwa upya, ambako Kipindi cha 6 kilieleza, na hukua katika maisha yote. Haikamiliki katika maisha haya.Sanctification is God's work in us, by which we are renewed in the whole person and grow in holiness. It begins at the new birth, which Unit 6 explained, and it grows throughout life. It is incomplete in this life.

Hayo mawili daima huenda pamoja, kwa kuwa kila aliyehesabiwa haki pia anatakaswa. Lakini si kitu kimoja. Kuhesabiwa haki hutupa msimamo sahihi, na utakaso hutupa maisha yaliyobadilika. Yanapochanganywa, mwamini anaachwa akiuliza kama amekuwa mtakatifu vya kutosha kukubaliwa, na swali hilo halina amani ndani yake.The two always go together, since everyone who is justified is also being sanctified. But they are not the same. Justification gives us a right standing, and sanctification gives us a changed life. When they are mixed together, the believer is left asking whether he has become holy enough to be accepted, and that question has no peace in it.

Kuhesabiwa: Haki ya Kristo Inahesabiwa Kuwa YetuImputation: Christ's Righteousness Counted as Ours

Mungu anawezaje kumtangaza mwenye dhambi kuwa mwenye haki bila kusema uongo na bila kupuuza sheria? Maandiko yanajibu kupitia wazo la kuhesabiwa (imputation), linalomaanisha "kuhesabu" au "kuweka katika akaunti." Mabadilishano mawili makuu yanafundishwa.How can God declare a sinner righteous without lying and without ignoring the law? Scripture answers through the idea of imputation, meaning "to count" or "to credit." Two great exchanges are taught.

Dhambi yetu inahesabiwa kwa Kristo. Paulo anaandika, "Maana yeye asiyejua dhambi alimfanya kuwa dhambi kwa ajili yetu; ili sisi tupate kuwa haki ya Mungu ndani yake" (2 Wakorintho 5:21). Kristo alichukua hatia na adhabu ya dhambi yetu msalabani.Our sin is counted to Christ. Paul writes, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Christ took the guilt and penalty of our sin on the cross.

Haki ya Kristo inahesabiwa kwetu. Paulo anaandika kwamba "kama kwa kuasi kwake mtu mmoja wengi walifanywa kuwa wenye dhambi, kadhalika kwa kutii kwake yeye mmoja wengi watafanywa kuwa wenye haki" (Warumi 5:19). Katika Wafilipi 3:9, Paulo anasema anataka kuonekana ndani ya Kristo, asiwe na haki yake mwenyewe iliyo ya sheria, bali ile iliyo kwa imani ya Kristo.Christ's righteousness is counted to us. Paul writes that "as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by One Man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:19). In Philippians 3:9, Paul says he wants to be found in Christ, not having a righteousness of his own from the law, but the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ.

Mfano wa Paulo ni Ibrahimu. Katika Warumi 4:3-5, Paulo ananukuu Mwanzo 15:6 kuonyesha kwamba Ibrahimu alimwamini Mungu, ikahesabiwa kwake kuwa haki. Kisha anaeleza kwamba mshahara hulipwa kwa mfanyakazi kama deni, ilhali Mungu humhesabia haki asiyemcha. Kama kuhesabiwa haki kungekuwa mshahara, kungekuwa deni. Paulo anasema ni zawadi.Paul's example is Abraham. In Romans 4:3-5, Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 to show that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. He then reasons that wages are paid to a worker as a debt, while God justifies the ungodly. If justification were a wage, it would be owed. Paul says it is a gift.

Walimu wengi wa Matengenezo huzungumza kuhusu utii "hai" na utii "wa kuteseka" wa Kristo. Utii wake wa kuteseka ni mateso yake na kifo chake, vinavyolipa adhabu ya dhambi zetu. Utii wake hai ni kushika kwake sheria kikamilifu, kunakotoa haki tuliyoikosa. Kwa pamoja ndio msingi wa kukubaliwa kwetu. Si waandishi wote wa Matengenezo wanaotumia istilahi hizi kwa njia ile ile, na kumekuwa na mijadala miongoni mwa wasomi wa Matengenezo kuhusu jinsi hasa ya kueleza kuhesabiwa kwa utii wa Kristo. Lakini makanisa yote ya Matengenezo yanakubaliana kwamba haki yetu mbele ya Mungu ni ya Kristo, si yetu wenyewe.Many Reformed teachers speak of Christ's "active" and "passive" obedience. His passive obedience is His suffering and death, which pays the penalty for our sins. His active obedience is His perfect keeping of the law, which supplies the righteousness we lack. Together they are the ground of our acceptance. Not all Reformed writers use these terms in the same way, and there have been discussions among Reformed scholars about how exactly to express the imputation of Christ's obedience. But all Reformed churches agree that our righteousness before God is Christ's, and not our own.

Imani: Chombo, Si MsingiFaith: The Instrument, Not the Ground

Ikiwa tunahesabiwa haki kwa imani, je, imani yenyewe inapata kitu? Jibu la Matengenezo ni wazi: hapana. Ungamo la Imani la Westminster, sura ya 11, linafundisha kwamba Mungu huhesabia haki, si kwa kumimina haki ndani, bali kwa kusamehe dhambi na kuwahesabu na kuwakubali watu kuwa wenye haki, si kwa jambo lolote lililofanywa ndani yao au nao, bali kwa ajili ya Kristo peke yake. Linafundisha kwamba imani inayompokea Kristo na kumtegemea ndiyo chombo pekee cha kuhesabiwa haki.If we are justified by faith, does faith itself earn something? The Reformed answer is clear: no. The Westminster Confession, chapter 11, teaches that God justifies, not by infusing righteousness, but by pardoning sins and by accounting and accepting persons as righteous, not for anything wrought in them or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone. It teaches that faith receiving and resting on Christ is the alone instrument of justification.

Chombo ni mkono unaopokea zawadi. Mkono wa ombaomba haupati mkate, wala hauongezi thamani ya mkate. Hupokea tu. Paulo anaandika, "Kwa maana mmeokolewa kwa neema, kwa njia ya imani; wala hii haikutokana na nafsi zenu; ni kipawa cha Mungu; wala si kwa matendo, mtu awaye yote asije akajisifu" (Waefeso 2:8-9). Hata imani ni zawadi. Msingi wa kuhesabiwa kwetu haki ni haki ya Kristo. Chombo ni imani. Chanzo ni neema ya Mungu.An instrument is the hand that receives a gift. A beggar's hand does not earn the bread, and it does not contribute to the bread's value. It only receives. Paul writes, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Even the faith is a gift. The ground of our justification is Christ's righteousness. The instrument is faith. The source is God's grace.

Hii ndiyo sababu tunasema "imani peke yake," kwa Kilatini sola fide. Hatumaanishi kwamba imani ni kitu cha upweke. Tunamaanisha kwamba katika jambo la kuhesabiwa haki, imani ndiyo chombo pekee, na hakuna kingine kinachoongezwa kwake.This is why we say "faith alone," in Latin sola fide. We do not mean that faith is a lonely thing. We mean that in the matter of justification, faith is the only instrument, and nothing else is added to it.

Pingamizi la Kwanza: Mtazamo wa Kikatoliki wa RomaObjection One: The Roman Catholic View

Kanisa Katoliki la Roma lilifundisha fundisho tofauti katika Baraza la Trent, katika Kikao chake cha Sita mwaka 1547. Likielezwa kwa haki, mafundisho ya Kikatoliki ni kwamba kuhesabiwa haki si msamaha tu bali pia ni kufanywa upya kwa ndani, ambamo neema humiminwa ndani ya nafsi. Hupokelewa katika ubatizo, na linaweza kuongezwa na matendo mema yanayofanywa katika neema, na kupotezwa kwa dhambi ya mauti na kurudishwa kupitia sakramenti ya toba. Walimu wa Kikatoliki wanasisitiza kwamba yote haya ni kwa neema ya Mungu na kwa stahili za Kristo, na kwamba matendo hayana thamani mbali na neema. Wakatoliki pia wanaelekeza kwenye Yakobo 2 na kwenye vifungu vingi vinavyosema kuhusu hukumu kulingana na matendo.The Roman Catholic Church taught a different doctrine at the Council of Trent, in its Sixth Session in 1547. Stated fairly, the Catholic teaching is that justification is not only forgiveness but also an inward renewal, in which grace is poured into the soul. It is received at baptism, and it can be increased by good works done in grace, and lost by mortal sin and restored through the sacrament of penance. Catholic teachers insist that all of this is by God's grace and through Christ's merits, and that works have no value apart from grace. Catholics also point to James 2 and to the many passages that speak of judgment according to works.

Jibu letu lina sehemu tatu.Our answer has three parts.

Kwanza, tunakubaliana kwamba wokovu ni kwa neema kupitia Kristo, na kwamba kufanywa upya ni kazi halisi ya Mungu. Tofauti ni kwamba Roma inajumuisha kufanywa upya ndani ya kuhesabiwa haki, nasi tunavitofautisha. Tunaamini hili ndilo fundisho wazi la Agano Jipya, ambapo "kuhesabia haki" ni kinyume cha "kuhukumu."First, we agree that salvation is by grace through Christ, and that renewal is a real work of God. The difference is that Rome includes renewal inside justification, and we distinguish them. We believe this is the clear teaching of the New Testament, where "justify" is the opposite of "condemn."

Pili, kama kuhesabiwa haki ni mchakato unaoweza kuongezwa na kupotezwa, hakuna mwenye dhambi anayeweza kuwa na uhakika kwamba amekubaliwa. Paulo anasema, "Basi tukiisha kuhesabiwa haki kwa imani, na tuwe na amani kwa Mungu, kwa Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo" (Warumi 5:1). Hili ni tendo la zamani lenye amani ya sasa. Amani inawezekana tu kama hukumu imekwisha kutolewa.Second, if justification is a process that can be increased and lost, no sinner can be sure that he is accepted. Paul says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). This is a past action with present peace. Peace is possible only if the verdict has been given.

Tatu, Paulo katika Wagalatia anachukulia kuongezwa kwa sharti lolote la kibinadamu kama kuacha injili. Tunasema hili kwa heshima kwa waamini wa Kikatoliki wa dhati, ambao wengi wao wanampenda Kristo. Wasiwasi wetu ni fundisho, na tunalisema kwa upendo.Third, Paul in Galatians treats the addition of any human requirement as a departure from the gospel. We say this with respect for sincere Catholic believers, many of whom love Christ. Our concern is the doctrine, and we speak about it with charity.

Pingamizi la Pili: Mtazamo Mpya Kuhusu PauloObjection Two: The New Perspective on Paul

Tangu miaka ya 1970, kundi la wasomi limesema kwamba usomaji wa zamani wa Kiprotestanti wa Paulo uliumbwa na mapambano ya Matengenezo yenyewe. E. P. Sanders alisema kwamba Uyahudi wa karne ya kwanza haukuwa dini ya kupata wokovu kwa jitihada, bali ya uanachama wa agano unaodumishwa kwa utii. James D. G. Dunn na N. T. Wright walilikuza hili kuwa kile kinachoitwa Mtazamo Mpya Kuhusu Paulo (New Perspective on Paul). Kwa usomaji huu, "matendo ya sheria" ambayo Paulo anayapinga hasa ni alama za mipaka zilizowatenganisha Myahudi na Mmataifa, kama tohara, Sabato na sheria za vyakula. Kuhesabiwa haki basi hasa kunahusu nani anayehusika na familia ya agano la Mungu, na wasiwasi wa Paulo ni kujumuishwa kwa Mataifa. Wasomi hawa mara nyingi wanapenda Biblia na wanatetea ufufuo. Kazi yao imesaidia wengi kuona umuhimu wa Myahudi na Mmataifa katika nyaraka za Paulo.Since the 1970s, a group of scholars has argued that the older Protestant reading of Paul was shaped by the Reformation's own struggles. E. P. Sanders argued that first-century Judaism was not a religion of earning salvation, but of covenant membership kept by obedience. James D. G. Dunn and N. T. Wright developed this into what is called the New Perspective on Paul. On this reading, the "works of the law" that Paul opposes are mainly the boundary markers that separated Jew from Gentile, such as circumcision, Sabbath and food laws. Justification is then mostly about who belongs to God's covenant family, and Paul's concern is the inclusion of the Gentiles. These scholars often love the Bible and defend the resurrection. Their work has helped many to see the importance of Jew and Gentile in Paul's letters.

Jibu letu, kwa heshima:Our answer, with respect:

Kwanza, tunakubaliana kwamba Paulo anajali sana Myahudi na Mmataifa katika kanisa moja, kama Waefeso 2 inavyoonyesha. Mada hiyo ni ya kweli na muhimu.First, we agree that Paul cares deeply about Jew and Gentile in one church, as Ephesians 2 shows. That theme is true and important.

Pili, hatufikiri inachukua mahali pa swali la hatia. Katika Warumi 1:18 hadi 3:20 Paulo anasema kwamba ulimwengu wote una hatia mbele za Mungu, Myahudi na Mmataifa sawasawa, na "kwa matendo ya sheria hakuna mwenye mwili atakayehesabiwa haki mbele zake" (Warumi 3:20). Tatizo analoeleza ni dhambi, si kutengana tu.Second, we do not think it replaces the question of guilt. In Romans 1:18 to 3:20 Paul argues that the whole world is guilty before God, Jew and Gentile alike, and "by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight" (Romans 3:20). The problem he describes is sin, not only separation.

Tatu, katika Warumi 4:4-5 Paulo anazungumza kuhusu mshahara na deni, na kuhusu Mungu kumhesabia haki asiyemcha. Lugha hiyo ni ya jambo la kupata kwa jitihada, na haiwezi kupunguzwa kuwa alama za mipaka.Third, in Romans 4:4-5 Paul speaks of wages and debt, and of God justifying the ungodly. That language belongs to the matter of earning, and it cannot be reduced to boundary markers.

Nne, wanafunzi wengi wa Paulo, wakiwemo baadhi wanaoshiriki katika mjadala, wamesema kwamba usomaji wa karne ya kumi na sita si uvumbuzi wa Matengenezo tu. Tunakiri kwamba kazi ya Sanders ilirekebisha picha fulani zisizo za haki za Uyahudi, na walimu wa Matengenezo wanapaswa kuepuka picha hizo za kejeli.Fourth, many students of Paul, including some who take part in the discussion, have argued that the sixteenth-century reading is not simply an invention of the Reformation. We admit that Sanders's work corrected some unfair pictures of Judaism, and Reformed teachers should avoid such caricatures.

Pingamizi la Tatu: Yakobo Anaonekana Kusema VinginevyoObjection Three: James Seems to Say Otherwise

Yakobo anaandika, "Mwaona basi ya kuwa mtu hufanywa kuwa na haki kwa matendo, wala si kwa imani peke yake" (Yakobo 2:24). Hili linaonekana kupingana na Paulo. Wenye mashaka wamesema hivyo kwa muda mrefu, na Wakristo wengine wameshtushwa nalo. Waandishi wa Kikatoliki wameutumia mstari huu, na wengine wanautumia kusema kwamba wokovu wa mwisho unategemea matendo.James writes, "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:24). This seems to contradict Paul. Skeptics have long said so, and some Christians have been troubled by it. Roman Catholic writers have used the verse, and some others use it to say that final salvation depends on works.

Jibu la Matengenezo ni kwamba Paulo na Yakobo hawapingani, kwa sababu wanauliza maswali tofauti na wanatumia neno "kuhesabia haki" kwa njia tofauti. Paulo anajibu jinsi mwenye dhambi mwenye hatia anavyokubaliwa na Mungu. Yakobo anajibu jinsi mtu anavyoweza kujua kama dai la mwingine la kuwa na imani ni la kweli. Yakobo anaandika dhidi ya watu wanaosema wana imani lakini hawaonyeshi yoyote. Imani isiyo na matendo, anasema, imekufa (Yakobo 2:17). Kwa maana hii mtu "anahesabiwa haki," yaani anaonyeshwa kuwa mwenye haki, kwa matendo yake. Waandishi wote wawili wanamtumia Ibrahimu, lakini Paulo anaelekeza Mwanzo 15, ambapo Ibrahimu aliamini, na Yakobo anaelekeza Mwanzo 22, ambapo Ibrahimu alitii na hivyo kuonyesha kwamba imani yake ilikuwa ya kweli.The Reformed answer is that Paul and James are not opposing each other, because they ask different questions and use the word "justify" differently. Paul is answering how a guilty sinner is accepted by God. James is answering how a person can know whether another's claim to faith is real. James is writing against people who say they have faith but show none. A faith without works, he says, is dead (James 2:17). In this sense a man is "justified," meaning shown to be righteous, by his works. Both writers use Abraham, but Paul points to Genesis 15, where Abraham believed, and James to Genesis 22, where Abraham obeyed and so showed that his faith was real.

Watengenezaji waliieleza hivi: imani peke yake huhesabia haki, lakini imani ihesabiayo haki haipo peke yake kamwe. Daima huzaa matunda. Matendo ni ushahidi wa kuhesabiwa haki, si msingi wake.The Reformers expressed it this way: faith alone justifies, but the faith that justifies is never alone. It always produces fruit. Works are the evidence of justification, and not its ground.

Pingamizi la Nne: Je, Hili Linaleta Maisha ya Uzembe?Objection Four: Does This Lead to Careless Living?

Hili ndilo pingamizi kongwe zaidi. Paulo mwenyewe aliliinua: "Tuseme nini basi? Tukae katika dhambi, ili neema izidi? Hasha! Sisi tuliokufa kwa dhambi tutaendeleaje kuishi ndani yake tena?" (Warumi 6:1-2). Kama tunakubaliwa bila matendo, kwa nini kujitahidi kwa ajili ya utakatifu?This is the oldest objection. Paul raised it himself: "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" (Romans 6:1-2). If we are accepted without works, why strive for holiness?

Jibu la Matengenezo ni kwamba muungano ule ule na Kristo unaoleta kuhesabiwa haki pia unaleta uzima mpya. Kila aliyeunganishwa na Kristo hupokea vyote viwili. Paulo anasema "tuliumbwa katika Kristo Yesu kwa matendo mema" (Waefeso 2:10). Matendo mema si shina la kukubaliwa, lakini ni tunda lake. Mtu anayesema anamtegemea Kristo na hana hamu ya kumtii hatoi ushahidi kwamba ameunganishwa na Kristo. Zaidi ya hayo, uhakika wa msamaha wenyewe ni kichocheo kikubwa cha maisha matakatifu, kwa sababu shukrani ni mwalimu bora kuliko hofu. Katekisimu ya Heidelberg imepangwa kuzunguka mada tatu: dhambi na taabu yetu, ukombozi wetu, na shukrani yetu. Sehemu ya mwisho ya katekisimu inafundisha utii kama shukrani.The Reformed answer is that the same union with Christ that brings justification also brings new life. Everyone who is joined to Christ receives both. Paul says we are "created in Christ Jesus for good works" (Ephesians 2:10). Good works are not the root of acceptance, but they are the fruit of it. A person who says he trusts Christ and has no desire to obey Him gives no evidence that he has been joined to Christ. Further, assurance of pardon is itself a strong motive for holy living, because gratitude is a better teacher than fear. The Heidelberg Catechism is organized around three themes: our sin and misery, our deliverance, and our gratitude. The last part of the catechism teaches obedience as thankfulness.

Maelezo ya Uaminifu Kuhusu Sauti TofautiAn Honest Note on Different Voices

Si wote wanaoshikilia kuhesabiwa haki kwa imani peke yake wanasema kitu kile kile kabisa. Mapokeo ya Kiarmini na ya Kiwesley pia yanaungama wokovu kwa neema kupitia imani. John Wesley alihubiri kuhesabiwa haki kwa imani, na Arminius aliamini hilo, ingawa wanahistoria wanajadili jinsi kila mmoja wao alivyoelewa nafasi ya haki ya Kristo inayohesabiwa na njia ambayo imani "inahesabiwa." Tunafurahia makubaliano makubwa na tunasema kuhusu tofauti kwa uangalifu. Ndani ya familia ya Matengenezo pia kuna mijadala kuhusu jinsi ya kueleza kuhesabiwa, na kuhusu uhusiano wa kuhesabiwa haki na muungano na Kristo, ambao Calvin alisisitiza. Tunawaalika wanafunzi kujifunza mijadala hii katika usomaji ulio hapa chini.Not all who hold to justification by faith alone say exactly the same thing. The Arminian and Wesleyan traditions also confess salvation by grace through faith. John Wesley preached justification by faith, and Arminius believed in it, though historians discuss how each of them understood the place of Christ's imputed righteousness and the way that faith is "counted." We rejoice in the large agreement and speak about differences with care. Within the Reformed family there are also discussions about how to state imputation, and about the relation of justification to union with Christ, which Calvin stressed. We invite students to study these discussions in the readings below.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Kijana katika kanisa lako anatoka katika nyumba ya Kikatoliki ya Roma yenye bidii. Baada ya kubatizwa na kujiunga na kanisa lako, mama yake alimuuliza kwa huzuni, "Je, unadhani kwenda Misa na kufanya matendo mema ni bure?" Ameumia na hana uhakika wa kujibu.A young man in your church comes from a devout Roman Catholic home. After he was baptized and joined your congregation, his mother asked him sadly, "Do you think that going to Mass and doing good works count for nothing?" He is hurt and unsure how to answer.

Kwanza, unamtia moyo amheshimu mama yake na aseme kwa upole. Upendo wa mama yake kwa Mungu ni wa kweli, naye si adui.First, you encourage him to honor his mother and to speak gently. His mother's love for God is real, and she is not an enemy.

Pili, unamsaidia kupata jibu rahisi kutoka katika Maandiko. Matendo mema yanajalisha, lakini hayawezi kutufanya tuwe sawa na Mungu. Waefeso 2:8-9 na Warumi 5:1 ni mistari ya kufungua pamoja.Second, you help him find a simple answer from Scripture. Good works matter, but they cannot make us right with God. Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 5:1 are the verses to open together.

Tatu, unamfundisha kusema anachokiunga mkono, na si kile anachokipinga tu. Anaweza kumwambia kwamba anamtegemea Kristo kikamilifu kwa kukubaliwa kwake na Mungu, na kwamba anataka kumpenda na kumtumikia Mungu kwa maisha yake yote.Third, you teach him to say what he is for, and not only what he is against. He can tell her that he is trusting Christ fully for his acceptance with God, and that he wants to love and serve God with his whole life.

Nne, mnamwombea mama yake pamoja, nawe unamwomba Bwana ampe subira.Fourth, you pray with him for his mother, and you ask the Lord to give him patience.

MuhtasariSummary

Kuhesabiwa haki ni tamko la kisheria la Mungu kwamba mwenye dhambi ni mwenye haki. Ni tofauti na utakaso, ambao ni kufanywa upya kwa mwamini maisha yote. Msingi wa kuhesabiwa haki ni haki ya Kristo, aliyebeba dhambi yetu na ambaye utii wake unahesabiwa kuwa wetu. Imani ni chombo kinachopokea zawadi hii, na hata imani ni zawadi ya Mungu. Mtazamo wa Kikatoliki wa Roma unajumuisha kufanywa upya ndani ya kuhesabiwa haki na unafundisha kwamba kunaweza kukua na kupotea; tunajibu kwamba hili linaiacha dhamiri bila amani na haliendani na matumizi ya Paulo ya neno hilo. Mtazamo Mpya kwa haki unatukumbusha Myahudi na Mmataifa lakini haubadilishi tatizo la hatia. Yakobo anasema kuhusu ushahidi wa imani, ilhali Paulo anasema kuhusu kukubaliwa mbele ya Mungu. Muungano ule ule na Kristo unaohesabia haki pia unafanya upya, kwa hiyo kuhesabiwa haki kwa imani peke yake hakuleti maisha ya uzembe bali utii wa shukrani.Justification is God's legal declaration that a sinner is righteous. It is different from sanctification, which is the lifelong renewal of the believer. The ground of justification is the righteousness of Christ, who bore our sin and whose obedience is counted as ours. Faith is the instrument that receives this gift, and even faith is God's gift. The Roman Catholic view includes renewal within justification and teaches that it can grow and be lost; we answer that this leaves the conscience without peace and does not fit Paul's use of the word. The New Perspective rightly reminds us of Jew and Gentile but does not replace the problem of guilt. James speaks of the evidence of faith, while Paul speaks of acceptance before God. The same union with Christ that justifies also renews, so justification by faith alone does not lead to careless living but to grateful obedience.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• Ungamo la Imani la Westminster (1646-47), sura za 11, 14 na 16.• Westminster Confession of Faith (1646-47), chapters 11, 14 and 16.

• Katekisimu ya Heidelberg (1563), maswali kuhusu kuhesabiwa haki na kuhusu shukrani.• Heidelberg Catechism (1563), the questions on justification and on gratitude.

• Ungamo la Ubelgiji (1561), vifungu kuhusu kuhesabiwa haki na kuhusu matendo mema.• Belgic Confession (1561), articles on justification and on good works.

• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Misingi ya Dini ya Kikristo) (tafsiri ya Beveridge, 1845), Kitabu cha III, sura za 11 hadi 19.• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Beveridge translation, 1845), Book III, chapters 11 to 19.

• Baraza la Trent, Kikao cha Sita (1547), Amri juu ya Kuhesabiwa Haki, kama chanzo cha msingi cha msimamo wa Kikatoliki wa Roma.• Council of Trent, Sixth Session (1547), Decree on Justification, as a primary source for the Roman Catholic position.

• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (Teolojia ya Kimfumo) (1872-73), sehemu kuhusu kuhesabiwa haki.• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (1872-73), the section on justification.

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