Teolojia ya Kiwesley na Fundisho la Wokovu — Sehemu ya 5: Toba na Kuhesabiwa Haki kwa ImaniWesleyan Theology and the Doctrine of Salvation — Unit 5: Repentance and Justification by Faith

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Basi, tukiisha kuhesabiwa haki kwa imani, na tuwe na amani kwa Mungu kwa njia ya Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo." (Warumi 5:1, SUV)"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kufafanua toba na kueleza sehemu zake, kwa kutumia Maandiko.1. Define repentance and describe its parts, using Scripture.

2. Kueleza kwa nini Wesley alifundisha kwamba toba ni zawadi ya Mungu na kwamba matunda ya toba ni ya lazima, kwa maana fulani, ingawa imani peke yake ndiyo sharti la kuhesabiwa haki.2. Explain why Wesley taught that repentance is a gift of God and that fruits of repentance are, in a sense, necessary, though faith alone is the condition of justification.

3. Kufafanua kuhesabiwa haki kama msamaha na kukubaliwa, na kuutofautisha na utakaso.3. Define justification as pardon and acceptance, and distinguish it from sanctification.

4. Kueleza imani ni nini, na kwa nini si tendo la kustahili.4. Explain what faith is, and why it is not a work.

5. Kujibu pingamizi kuu kutoka kwa mitazamo ya Wakatoliki, ya Yakobo 2, ya wapinga-sheria (antinomians) na ya Wareformed (Reformed), na kutumia fundisho hili kwa mwenye dhambi anayetaka kusamehewa.5. Answer the main objections from Roman Catholic, James 2, antinomian and Reformed viewpoints, and apply the doctrine to a sinner who wants to be forgiven.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Wesley, kwa wanafunzi wa Wesley. Ni ya kihafidhina na ya kiinjilisti. Inaposema "sisi," inamaanisha makanisa yanayofuata mafundisho ya John Wesley. Kwa kipindi hiki tunahama kutoka mafundisho yaliyo nyuma ya wokovu hadi uzoefu wa wokovu wenyewe. Hapa tunasimama karibu sana na ndugu zetu na dada zetu Wareformed, kwa sababu sote tunarithi fundisho la Matengenezo ya Kanisa kwamba wenye dhambi hufanywa wenye haki mbele za Mungu kwa imani peke yake. Tunaeleza mitazamo mingine kwa haki, kisha tunajibu.This course is written from inside the Wesleyan tradition, for Wesleyan students. It is conservative and evangelical. When it says "we," it means the churches that follow John Wesley's teaching. With this unit we move from the doctrines that lie behind salvation to the experience of salvation itself. Here we stand very close to our Reformed brothers and sisters, because both of us inherit the Reformation teaching that sinners are made right with God by faith alone. We state other views fairly and then answer.

Kugeuka KukubwaThe Great Turning

Mahubiri ya Yesu yalianza na wito: "Wakati umetimia, na ufalme wa Mungu umekaribia; tubuni, na kuiamini Injili" (Marko 1:15). Mahubiri ya kwanza ya Petro siku ya Pentekoste yalimalizika kwa wito huo huo: "Tubuni mkabatizwe killa mmoja wenu kwa jina la Yesu Kristo, ili dhambi zenu zipate kuondolewa" (Matendo 2:38). Paulo aliwaambia Waathene kwamba Mungu "sasa anawaamuru watu wote kila mahali watubu" (Matendo 17:30).The preaching of Jesus began with a call: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). Peter's first sermon at Pentecost closed with the same call: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). Paul told the Athenians that God "commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30).

Maneno mawili, tubu na amini, yanaenda pamoja. Katika mafundisho ya Wesley, neema inapomwamsha mtu (Kipindi cha 3), mwenye dhambi huletwa kwenye toba, na imani kisha hupokea msamaha wa Mungu. Kipindi cha 8 kitakusanya mpangilio mzima. Katika kipindi hiki tunasoma hatua mbili za kwanza: toba na kuhesabiwa haki kwa imani.The two words, repent and believe, belong together. In Wesley's teaching, when grace has awakened a person (Unit 3), the sinner is brought to repentance, and faith then receives God's pardon. Unit 8 will draw the whole order together. In this unit we study the first two steps: repentance and justification by faith.

TobaRepentance

Toba ni niniWhat repentance is

Neno la Agano Jipya la toba, metanoia, linamaanisha mabadiliko ya akili. Lakini mabadiliko hayo hufikia mtu mzima. Toba ina sehemu hizi.The New Testament word for repentance, metanoia, means a change of mind. But the change reaches the whole person. Repentance has these parts.

Kujua dhambi yetu. Mwenye dhambi anajiona kama Mungu anavyomwona. Daudi aliomba, "Ni juu yako, wewe peke yako, nimekosa" (Zaburi 51:4). Wesley alifundisha kwamba toba huanza na kujijua kwa kweli: tunaona kwamba tuna hatia na kwamba mioyo yetu ni ya dhambi kwenye mzizi.Knowing our sin. The sinner sees himself as God sees him. David prayed, "Against You, You only, have I sinned" (Psalm 51:4). Wesley taught that repentance begins with true self-knowledge: we see that we are guilty and that our hearts are sinful at the root.

Huzuni kwa ajili ya dhambi. Paulo anaandika, "Maana huzuni ya kimungu hufanya toba liletalo wokovu lisilo na majuto" (2 Wakorintho 7:10). Hii si hofu ya adhabu tu wala aibu mbele ya watu. Ni huzuni kwamba tumemkosea Mungu mtakatifu na mwenye upendo.Sorrow for sin. Paul writes, "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted" (2 Corinthians 7:10). This is not only fear of punishment or shame before people. It is sorrow that we have wronged a holy and loving God.

Kuungama na kugeuka. Mwana mpotevu alisema, "Baba, nimekosa juu ya mbingu na mbele yako" (Luka 15:21), naye akarudi nyumbani. Mtoza ushuru hekaluni "hakuthubutu hata kuinua macho yake kutazama mbinguni, bali alijipigapiga kifua chake, akisema, Ee Mungu, unirehemu mimi mwenye dhambi" (Luka 18:13). Toba si hisia tu. Ni kugeuka mbali na dhambi na kumwelekea Mungu.Confession and turning. The prodigal son said, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight" (Luke 15:21), and he went home. The tax collector in the temple "would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'" (Luke 18:13). Repentance is not only a feeling. It is a turning away from sin and toward God.

Matunda yapasayo toba. Yohana Mbatizaji alitaka "matunda yapasayo toba" (Luka 3:8), na Paulo alihubiri kwamba watu "watubu na kumgeukia Mungu, na kutenda mambo yapasayo toba" (Matendo 26:20). Zakayo alitoa nusu ya mali yake kwa maskini na aliahidi kumlipa mara nne yeyote ambaye alimdanganya (Luka 19:8). Mabadiliko ya maisha huonyesha kwamba mabadiliko ya moyo ni ya kweli.Fruits that fit repentance. John the Baptist called for "fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:8), and Paul preached that people should "repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance" (Acts 26:20). Zacchaeus gave half of his goods to the poor and promised to repay anyone he had cheated four times over (Luke 19:8). Change of life shows that the change of heart is real.

Toba ni zawadiRepentance is a gift

Je, mwenye dhambi anaweza kutubu kwa nguvu zake mwenyewe? Hapana. Baada ya Petro kuwaambia watu wa nyumba ya Kornelio, waumini walisema, "Basi Mungu amewapa Mataifa nao toba liletalo uzima" (Matendo 11:18). Paulo alimwambia Timotheo kwamba Mungu anaweza kuwapa wapinzani toba (2 Timotheo 2:25). Hii ni neema itangulizayo ikifanya kazi. Mungu huvuta, dhamiri huamshwa, na mwenye dhambi huwezeshwa kugeuka. Mwenye dhambi hugeuka kwa hiari, lakini tu kwa sababu neema imefanya kugeuka kuwezekane.Can a sinner repent by his own power? No. After Peter told the household of Cornelius, the believers said, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life" (Acts 11:18). Paul told Timothy that God may grant opponents repentance (2 Timothy 2:25). This is prevenient grace at work. God draws, the conscience is awakened, and the sinner is enabled to turn. The sinner turns freely, but only because grace has made the turning possible.

Toba na matendoRepentance and works

Hapa Wesley alifanya tofauti ya uangalifu. Katika mahubiri yake "Njia ya Maandiko ya Wokovu" (The Scripture Way of Salvation), alifundisha kwamba toba na matunda yapasayo toba, kwa maana fulani, ni ya lazima kabla ya imani. Ikiwa mtu ana wakati na nafasi, Mungu hatarajii msamaha kwa mtu anayekataa kuacha kutenda dhambi na kurekebisha mambo. Lakini Wesley alikuwa wazi kwamba toba na matunda yake hayapati msamaha kwa kustahili. Imani peke yake ndiyo sharti la moja kwa moja la kuhesabiwa haki. Mtu asiye na wakati wa kufanya matendo yoyote, kama yule mwizi msalabani, bado anaweza kuokolewa kwa kumwamini Kristo.Here Wesley made a careful distinction. In his sermon "The Scripture Way of Salvation," he taught that repentance and the fruits that fit repentance are, in a certain sense, necessary before faith. If a man has time and opportunity, God does not expect forgiveness for a person who refuses to stop sinning and make things right. But Wesley was clear that repentance and its fruits do not earn forgiveness. Faith alone is the immediate condition for justification. Someone who has no time to do any works, like the thief on the cross, can still be saved by trusting Christ.

Toba huendeleaRepentance continues

Toba haihusu mwanzo tu. Wesley alihubiri mahubiri yaitwayo "Toba ya Waumini" (The Repentance of Believers). Waumini waliohesabiwa haki bado hukuta dhambi inayoshikamana nao, na hutubu kila siku. Huu si kurudi kwenye hukumu. Ni unyenyekevu wa mtoto ambaye bado anamhitaji Baba. Tutarudi kwenye hili katika Kozi ya 3.Repentance does not belong only to the beginning. Wesley preached a sermon called "The Repentance of Believers." Believers who are justified still find sin that clings to them, and they repent of it daily. This is not a return to condemnation. It is the humility of a child who still needs the Father. We shall return to this in Course 3.

Kuhesabiwa HakiJustification

Kuhesabiwa haki ni niniWhat justification is

Paulo anaandika, "Kwa maana wote wamefanya dhambi, wamepungukiwa na utukufu wa Mungu; wakihesabiwa haki bure kwa neema yake, kwa njia ya ukombozi ulio katika Kristo Yesu" (Warumi 3:23-24). Kuhesabiwa haki ni kutangaza mtu kuwa mwenye haki, kumwachilia. Ni neno kutoka katika mahakama ya sheria. Hakimu anamtazama mtu mwenye hatia na kusema, "Nakusamehe, na nakupokea kama mtu aliye sawa nami."Paul writes, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24). To justify is to declare righteous, to acquit. It is a word from the court of law. The Judge looks at a guilty person and says, "I pardon you, and I receive you as one who is right with Me."

Wesley alisema waziwazi: kuhesabiwa haki ni kile Mungu anachofanya kwa ajili yetu, na utakaso ni kile Mungu anachofanya ndani yetu. Kuhesabiwa haki hubadilisha uhusiano wetu na Mungu. Utakaso hubadilisha asili yetu. Katika kuhesabiwa haki, dhambi zetu husamehewa. Daudi alieleza baraka hiyo: "Heri waliosamehewa makosa yao, Na waliofunikwa dhambi zao" (Warumi 4:7). Katika kuhesabiwa haki, pia tunakubaliwa kama watoto wa Mungu na adhabu ya dhambi yetu inaondolewa.Wesley's way of saying it was plain: justification is what God does for us, and sanctification is what God works in us. Justification changes our relationship to God. Sanctification changes our nature. In justification, our sins are forgiven. David described the blessing: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered" (Romans 4:7). In justification, we are also accepted as God's children and the penalty of our sin is removed.

Wesley alitumia neno "msamaha" (pardon) mara nyingi, kwa sababu alitaka picha rahisi na ya kibinadamu zaidi. Mfungwa aliyehukumiwa ambaye mfalme anamwachilia amesamehewa. Anatoka gerezani bila deni.Wesley used the word "pardon" often, since he wanted the simplest and most human picture. A condemned prisoner who is set free by the king has been pardoned. He walks out of prison without a debt.

Msingi wa kuhesabiwa hakiThe ground of justification

Mungu mtakatifu anawezaje kumsamehe mwenye dhambi mwenye hatia? Jibu ni Kristo. Tumehesabiwa haki "kwa damu yake" (Warumi 5:9). Mungu alimweka Kristo "kuwa kipatanisho kwa imani katika damu yake" (Warumi 3:25). Paulo anasema kwamba kwa ajili yetu Mungu alimfanya Kristo, "yeye asiyejua dhambi, kuwa dhambi kwa ajili yetu; ili sisi tuwe haki ya Mungu ndani yake" (2 Wakorintho 5:21). Msingi wa kuhesabiwa haki ni kile Kristo alichofanya, si chochote tulichofanya au tutakachofanya. Upatanisho, tuliousoma katika Kipindi cha 2, ni msingi.On what basis can a holy God pardon a guilty sinner? The answer is Christ. We are "justified by His blood" (Romans 5:9). God set Christ forth "as a propitiation by His blood, through faith" (Romans 3:25). Paul says that for our sake God made Christ "to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). The ground of justification is what Christ has done, not anything we have done or will do. The atonement, which we studied in Unit 2, is the foundation.

Wesley alikubaliana na fundisho la Matengenezo kwamba haki ya Kristo huhesabiwa kwa muumini. Alifundisha hili waziwazi katika mahubiri yaitwayo "Bwana Haki Yetu" (The Lord Our Righteousness). Wakati huo huo, aliwaonya walimu waliotumia maneno hayo kusema kwamba muumini hahitaji kuwa mtakatifu. Alitaka watu wasikie kwamba haki ya Kristo hutolewa kwetu na kwamba uzima wa Kristo pia hufanywa ndani yetu.Wesley agreed with the Reformation teaching that the righteousness of Christ is counted to the believer. He taught this plainly in a sermon called "The Lord Our Righteousness." At the same time, he warned against teachers who used the words to say that a believer need not be holy. He wanted people to hear that Christ's righteousness is given to us and that Christ's life is also worked in us.

Sharti la kuhesabiwa haki: imani peke yakeThe condition of justification: faith alone

Paulo anasema, "Tukijua ya kuwa mtu hahesabiwi haki kwa matendo ya sheria, bali kwa imani ya Yesu Kristo, sisi nasi tumemwamini Kristo Yesu, ili tuhesabiwe haki kwa imani ya Kristo, wala si kwa matendo ya sheria; maana kwa matendo ya sheria hakuna mwenye mwili atakayehesabiwa haki" (Wagalatia 2:16). Waefeso 2:8-9 inasema, "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."Paul says, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Galatians 2:16). Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "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."

Maisha ya Wesley mwenyewe yalibadilishwa na fundisho hili. Mwaka 1738, muda mfupi baada ya Aldersgate (angalia Kozi ya 1, Kipindi cha 3), alihubiri mahubiri yaitwayo "Wokovu kwa Imani" (Salvation by Faith) huko Oxford. Alitangaza kwamba wokovu huja kupitia imani. Alishikilia ujumbe huu kwa maisha yake yote. Makala ya Dini na Mahubiri rasmi ya Kanisa la Uingereza, ambayo Wesley aliyapenda, yanafundisha kwamba tunahesabiwa haki mbele za Mungu kwa sifa ya Bwana na Mwokozi wetu Yesu Kristo tu kwa imani, na si kwa matendo yetu wenyewe. Makala ya Dini ya Methodisti ya mwaka 1784 yanarudia hilo hilo.Wesley's own life was changed by this teaching. In 1738, soon after Aldersgate (see Course 1, Unit 3), he preached a sermon called "Salvation by Faith" at Oxford. He declared that salvation comes through faith. He kept to this message for the rest of his life. The Church of England's own Articles and Homilies, which Wesley loved, teach that we are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works. The Methodist Articles of Religion of 1784 repeat the same.

Imani ni niniWhat faith is

Imani si kukubaliana tu kwamba ukweli ni kweli. Yakobo anaandika, "Wewe waamini kwamba Mungu ni mmoja;wafanya vema; na pepo nao huamini, na kutetemeka" (Yakobo 2:19). Mashetani wana imani sahihi, na hawaokolewi.Faith is not only agreeing that the facts are true. James writes, "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!" (James 2:19). The devils have correct belief, and they are not saved.

Imani iokoayo ni kuamini kwa kutegemea. Ni kuegemeza uzito wote wa hitaji langu kwa Kristo. Ni kumpokea kama Mwokozi wangu mwenyewe, na si kuamini tu kwamba aliishi na kufa. Wesley alifundisha kwamba imani ni kwanza kuamini kwa moyo, na ndani yake kuna kukubali kwa akili. Mtu anayeamini kwamba daraja ni imara amekubaliana tu na ukweli. Mtu anayevuka daraja ameliamini daraja.Saving faith is trust. It is leaning the whole weight of my need on Christ. It is receiving Him as my own Savior, and not merely believing that He lived and died. Wesley taught that faith is first of all a trust in the heart, and it has the mind's agreement inside it. A man who believes that a bridge is strong has only agreed with a fact. A man who walks across it has trusted the bridge.

Imani pia ni zawadi. Paulo anasema kwamba ni "kipawa cha Mungu" (Waefeso 2:8). Mungu hutoa uwezo wa kuamini kupitia neema itangulizayo, na mwenye dhambi hutumia zawadi hiyo katika kuamini. Kwa hiyo imani si tendo linalostahili. Ni mkono mtupu unaopokea. Kama Warumi 4:5 inavyosema, "Bali yeye asiyefanya kazi, lakini amwaminiye yeye amhesabiaye haki asiye mcha Mungu, imani yake huhesabiwa kuwa haki."Faith is also a gift. Paul says it is "the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). God gives the ability to believe through prevenient grace, and the sinner uses that gift in believing. Faith is thus not a work that earns. It is the empty hand that receives. As Romans 4:5 says, "But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness."

Pingamizi na MajibuObjections and Answers

Pingamizi la 1: Mtazamo wa Kikatoliki unasema kwamba kuhesabiwa haki kunajumuisha kufanywa mwenye haki ndani, na kwamba hukua kupitia imani, matendo na sakramenti.Objection 1: The Roman Catholic view says that justification includes an inner making righteous, and that it grows through faith, works and the sacraments.

Baraza la Trento (1545-1563), katika amri yake juu ya kuhesabiwa haki, lilikataa fundisho la Watengenezaji la imani peke yake. Walimu wa Kikatoliki wanashikilia kwamba kuhesabiwa haki ni msamaha na pia kufanywa upya ndani, na kwamba matendo mema huongeza.The Council of Trent (1545-1563), in its decree on justification, rejected the Reformers' teaching of faith alone. Catholic teachers hold that justification is both pardon and inner renewal, and that good works increase it.

Jibu letu. Tunakubaliana na Wakatoliki kwamba Mungu hawaachi wenye dhambi kama walivyo. Wesley alifundisha kwamba kuzaliwa upya na utakatifu hufuata kila mara kuhesabiwa haki. Lakini hatuchanganyi kuhesabiwa haki na utakaso, kwa sababu Maandiko huyatenganisha. Paulo anasema kwamba Mungu "amhesabiaye haki asiye mcha Mungu" (Warumi 4:5), ambayo ina maana kwamba huwasamehe watu kabla hawajafanywa watakatifu. Ikiwa matendo yangekuwa sehemu ya msingi wa kuhesabiwa haki, basi mwenye dhambi angepata kitu kwa kustahili, na Paulo anasema kwamba "mtu atendaye kazi, ijara yake haihesabiwi kuwa neema, bali deni" (Warumi 4:4). Tunashikilia kwamba utakatifu ni zawadi inayokuja baada ya msamaha, na si bei yake.Our answer. We agree with Catholics that God does not leave sinners as they were. Wesley taught that new birth and holiness always follow justification. But we do not mix justification with sanctification, because Scripture separates them. Paul says that God "justifies the ungodly" (Romans 4:5), which means He pardons people before they are made holy. If works were part of the ground of justification, then the sinner would earn something, and Paul says that "to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt" (Romans 4:4). We hold that holiness is a gift that comes after pardon, and is not its price.

Pingamizi la 2: Yakobo anasema kwamba mtu huhesabiwa haki kwa matendo na si kwa imani peke yake.Objection 2: James says that a man is justified by works and not by faith only.

Yakobo 2:24 inaonekana kusema kinyume cha Paulo.James 2:24 seems to say the opposite of Paul.

Jibu letu. Paulo na Yakobo wanapigana na maadui tofauti. Paulo anamjibu mtu anayefikiri kwamba anaweza kupata upendeleo wa Mungu kwa kushika Sheria. Yakobo anamjibu mtu anayesema ana imani lakini haonyeshi tunda lake lolote. Yakobo 2:19 inaonyesha kwamba kuamini tu si imani iokoayo. Mitume wote wawili wanaeleza imani ile ile iliyo hai. Paulo mwenyewe anasema kwamba kinachohesabiwa ni "imani itendayo kazi kwa upendo" (Wagalatia 5:6). Matendo hayasababishi msamaha. Yanaonyesha kwamba imani ni ya kweli, na ndiyo maana ya Yakobo anapozungumza juu ya kuhesabiwa haki mbele ya wengine.Our answer. Paul and James fight different enemies. Paul answers the person who thinks he can earn God's favor by keeping the Law. James answers the person who says he has faith but shows none of its fruit. James 2:19 shows that mere belief is not saving faith. Both apostles describe the same living faith. Paul himself says that what counts is "faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6). Works do not cause pardon. They show that the faith is real, and that is the sense in which James speaks of being justified before others.

Pingamizi la 3: Mpinga-sheria (antinomian) anasema kwamba ikiwa imani peke yake inaokoa, basi utakatifu hauna maana.Objection 3: The antinomian says that if faith alone saves, then holiness does not matter.

Wengine walifundisha kwamba kwa kuwa Kristo amefanya kila kitu, waumini wanaweza kuishi wapendavyo.Some taught that since Christ has done everything, believers may live as they like.

Jibu letu. Paulo anakutana na hili mara moja: "Tukae katika dhambi, ili neema izidi? Hasha!" (Warumi 6:1-2). Imani inayopokea msamaha wa Kristo pia inamuunganisha muumini naye, na wale walioungana na Kristo hushiriki uzima wake. John Fletcher, rafiki wa karibu wa Wesley, aliandika Checks to Antinomianism (Vizuizi dhidi ya Upinga-Sheria) kutetea jambo hili. Tunahubiri kuhesabiwa haki kwa imani peke yake na utakatifu wa moyo na maisha pamoja.Our answer. Paul meets this at once: "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!" (Romans 6:1-2). The faith that receives Christ's pardon also unites the believer to Him, and those who are joined to Christ share His life. John Fletcher, Wesley's close friend, wrote Checks to Antinomianism to defend this point. We preach justification by faith alone and holiness of heart and life together.

Pingamizi la 4: Walimu wengine wa Kireformed wanasema kwamba mtazamo wenu wa toba unaweka tendo la mwanadamu kabla ya imani.Objection 4: Some Reformed teachers say that your view of repentance puts a human work before faith.

Wanaogopa kwamba kudai toba kabla ya msamaha, au kusema kwamba matunda ni ya lazima, kunafanya wokovu kutegemea jitihada za wanadamu. Pia wanashikilia kwamba imani na toba wenyewe ni matokeo ya kazi ya Mungu ya kuzaa upya.They fear that to demand repentance before pardon, or to say that fruits are necessary, makes salvation depend on human effort. They also hold that faith and repentance themselves are the result of God's regenerating work.

Jibu letu. Tunasimama na Matengenezo ya Kanisa tukisema kwamba hakuna kazi yetu inayopata msamaha kwa kustahili. Toba ni zawadi ya Mungu, kama Matendo 11:18 inavyoonyesha, na imani peke yake ndiyo sharti la kuhesabiwa haki. Hatusemi kwamba mtu lazima awe mwema kabla ya kusamehewa. Tunasema kwamba mtu anayegeukia Mungu kwa kweli ataacha dhambi yake, na Mungu hadai zaidi ya kugeuka huko na kuamini. Kuhusu jinsi neema inavyowezesha toba na imani, Wareformed na wafuasi wa Wesley wanatofautiana, na tulieleza msimamo wetu katika Vipindi vya 3 na 4.Our answer. We stand with the Reformation in saying that no work of ours earns pardon. Repentance is a gift of God, as Acts 11:18 shows, and faith alone is the condition of justification. We do not say that a man must be good before he can be forgiven. We say that a man who is truly turning to God will turn from his sin, and God asks for no more than that turning and trust. On how grace enables repentance and faith, the Reformed and Wesleyans differ, and we explained our position in Units 3 and 4.

Pingamizi la 5: Sauti zingine za kisasa husema kwamba Mungu huwasamehe wote, kwa hiyo toba si ya lazima.Objection 5: Some modern voices say that God forgives everyone, so repentance is unnecessary.

Jibu letu. Yesu alisema, "msipotubu, nyote mtaangamia vivyo hivyo" (Luka 13:3). Upendo wa Mungu haufuti wito wa kugeuka.Our answer. Jesus said, "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). The love of God does not remove the call to turn.

Kuhesabiwa Haki na Kuzaliwa UpyaJustification and the New Birth

Wesley alifundisha kwamba kuhesabiwa haki na kuzaliwa upya hutokea wakati mmoja katika uzoefu wa muumini, lakini ni tofauti katika wazo. Kuhesabiwa haki ni mabadiliko ya uhusiano: tunatoka kuwa chini ya hukumu hadi kuwa watoto wa Mungu. Kuzaliwa upya ni mabadiliko ya asili: Roho Mtakatifu hutoa uzima mpya ndani. Kipindi kijacho kitasoma kuzaliwa upya.Wesley taught that justification and the new birth happen at the same moment in the experience of the believer, but that they are different in idea. Justification is a change in relation: we go from being under condemnation to being God's children. The new birth is a change in nature: the Holy Spirit gives new life within. The next unit will study the new birth.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Hector ni mwanamume wa miaka arobaini na kitu anayemjia mchungaji jioni moja kuchelewa. Kwa miaka kadhaa alichukua kiasi kidogo cha pesa kutoka kwa mwajiri wake. Anahisi kwamba amefanya dhambi kubwa na anadhani Mungu hawezi kumsamehe. "Nadhani lazima niishi maisha safi kwa miaka kumi, na kutoa pesa nyingi kwa kanisa, kabla sijaweza kuomba," anasema.Hector is a man in his forties who comes to the pastor late one evening. For several years he took small amounts of money from his employer. He feels that he has sinned deeply and thinks God cannot forgive him. "I think I must live a clean life for ten years, and give a lot of money to the church, before I can pray," he says.

Mchungaji anasikiliza bila kushtuka. Anafungua Luka 18 na kusoma sala ya mtoza ushuru. Anaeleza kwamba huzuni ya Hector ni ishara ya neema, na kwamba Mungu hamtaki apate msamaha kwa kustahili. Anasoma Warumi 3:23-24 na Warumi 4:5. Kisha anasema kwamba toba ya kweli itajionyesha, na analeta mfano wa Zakayo. Hector anapaswa kuungama kwa mwajiri wake, kurudisha alichochukua, na kuomba msamaha. Hatua hizi si bei ya msamaha. Ni matunda yapasayo toba.The pastor listens without shock. He opens Luke 18 and reads the tax collector's prayer. He explains that Hector's sorrow is a sign of grace, and that God does not ask him to earn pardon. He reads Romans 3:23-24 and Romans 4:5. Then he says that true repentance will show itself, and he brings up Zacchaeus. Hector should confess to his employer, repay what he took, and ask forgiveness. These actions are not the price of pardon. They are fruits that fit repentance.

Kisha mchungaji anapiga magoti pamoja na Hector, ambaye anamwungamia Mungu dhambi yake na kumwamini Kristo peke yake. Mchungaji anamwambia kutoka Warumi 5:1 kwamba ana amani na Mungu. Katika majuma yaliyofuata, Hector anakutana na mwajiri wake, anarudisha pesa kwa malipo yaliyokubaliwa, na anajiunga na darasa la mkutano (class meeting).Then the pastor kneels with Hector, who confesses his sin to God and puts his trust in Christ alone. The pastor tells him from Romans 5:1 that he has peace with God. In the weeks that follow, Hector meets his employer, repays the money in agreed payments, and joins a class meeting.

MuhtasariSummary

Toba ni zawadi ya Mungu na kugeuka kwa mtu mzima. Inajumuisha kujua dhambi yetu, huzuni ya kimungu, kuungama na kugeuka, na matunda yapasayo toba. Wesley alifundisha kwamba matunda haya ni ya lazima kwa maana fulani, ingawa hayapati msamaha kwa kustahili na imani peke yake ndiyo sharti la kuhesabiwa haki. Kuhesabiwa haki ni kile Mungu anachofanya kwa ajili yetu: anasamehe dhambi zetu na kutupokea kama watoto wake, kwa msingi wa damu na haki ya Kristo. Imani ni kuamini kwa kutegemea Kristo, si kukubali tu, na ni zawadi ya Mungu. Tunajibu pingamizi za Wakatoliki, za Yakobo 2, za wapinga-sheria, za Wareformed na za kisasa, tukishikilia daima pamoja kuhesabiwa haki kwa imani peke yake na maisha matakatifu. Waliohesabiwa haki wana amani na Mungu.Repentance is a gift of God and a turning of the whole person. It includes knowing our sin, godly sorrow, confession and turning, and fruits that fit repentance. Wesley taught that these fruits are in a sense necessary, though they do not earn pardon and faith alone is the condition of justification. Justification is what God does for us: He pardons our sins and receives us as His children, on the ground of Christ's blood and righteousness. Faith is trust in Christ, not mere agreement, and it is God's gift. We answer the Catholic, James 2, antinomian, Reformed and modern objections, always holding together justification by faith alone and a holy life. The justified have peace with God.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• John Wesley, "Salvation by Faith" (Mahubiri ya 1) (Wokovu kwa Imani), katika Mahubiri ya Kawaida (Standard Sermons).• John Wesley, "Salvation by Faith" (Sermon 1), in the Standard Sermons.

• John Wesley, "Justification by Faith" (Mahubiri ya 5) (Kuhesabiwa Haki kwa Imani).• John Wesley, "Justification by Faith" (Sermon 5).

• John Wesley, "The Scripture Way of Salvation" (Mahubiri ya 43) (Njia ya Maandiko ya Wokovu).• John Wesley, "The Scripture Way of Salvation" (Sermon 43).

• John Wesley, "The Repentance of Believers" (Mahubiri ya 14) (Toba ya Waumini).• John Wesley, "The Repentance of Believers" (Sermon 14).

• John Wesley, "The Lord Our Righteousness" (Mahubiri ya 20) (Bwana Haki Yetu).• John Wesley, "The Lord Our Righteousness" (Sermon 20).

• Mahubiri rasmi ya Kanisa la Uingereza (The Homilies of the Church of England), juu ya Wokovu, na Makala ya Dini ya Methodisti (1784), juu ya kuhesabiwa haki.• The Homilies of the Church of England, on Salvation, and the Methodist Articles of Religion (1784), on justification.

• John Fletcher, Checks to Antinomianism (Vizuizi dhidi ya Upinga-Sheria), chanzo cha msingi.• John Fletcher, Checks to Antinomianism, a primary source.

• Sehemu za Kiarminiani za kozi ya Teolojia ya Mfumo ya CTS (CTSST).• The Arminian sections of the CTS Systematic Theology course (CTSST).

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