Dhambi Tatu Dhidi ya RohoThe Three Sins Against the Spirit
Tunaweza kumzimisha Roho, kumhuzunisha Roho, na kuna kufuru dhidi ya Roho isiyosamehewaWe may quench the Spirit, grieve the Spirit, and there is a blasphemy against the Spirit that is not forgiven
1. Dhambi Dhidi ya Yule Tusiyeweza Kumwona1. Sins Against the One We Cannot See
Hadi sasa tumejifunza Roho ni nani na anatufanyia nini. Sasa tunapaswa kugeukia somo zito zaidi, kwa maana inawezekana kutenda dhambi dhidi ya Roho Mtakatifu. Waamini na wasioamini wote wanaweza kumkosea, na watu wa kawaida wamebeba hofu ya kweli kuhusu dhambi hizi. Biblia inazitaja dhambi tatu, kila moja na onyo lake: tunaweza kumzimisha Roho, tunaweza kumhuzunisha Roho, na kuna kufuru dhidi ya Roho isiyosamehewa. Tutaziangalia moja moja, tukiuliza katika kila moja dhambi hiyo ni nini na jinsi tunavyoweza kujilinda dhidi yake. Hakuna lolote kati ya haya linalokusudiwa kumtisha mwamini anayemtumaini Mungu, bali kutufundisha kutembea kwa upole na kwa kicho mbele ya Roho wa Mungu mwenye neema, anayestahili utunzaji wetu wa upole kuliko wote.So far we have studied who the Spirit is and what He does for us. Now we must turn to a more solemn theme, for it is possible to sin against the Holy Spirit. Both believers and unbelievers can wrong Him, and ordinary people have carried real fear over these sins. The Bible names three of them, each with its own warning: we may quench the Spirit, we may grieve the Spirit, and there is a blasphemy against the Spirit that is not forgiven. We will take them one at a time, asking in each case what the sin is and how we may guard ourselves against it. None of this is meant to frighten the trusting believer, but to teach us to walk softly and reverently before the gracious Spirit of God, who deserves our tenderest care.
2. Kumzimisha Roho2. Quenching the Spirit
Ya kwanza ni dhambi ya kuzimisha. Paulo anaandika waziwazi, "Msimzimishe Roho" (1 Wathesalonike 5:19). Kuzimisha maana yake ni kuzima, kupunguza nguvu, kuuzima kabisa. Katika Biblia Roho Mtakatifu mara nyingi anafananishwa na moto, na tunapomzimisha tunauzima moto huo. Kutokana na mazingira ya kifungu hiki, Paulo anaonekana kuonya dhidi ya kanisa kupoteza joto lake, furaha yake, na uhai wake. Dwight L. Moody alisema aliwahi kuhudhuria kanisa lililokuwa baridi kiasi kwamba mtu angeweza kuteleza juu ya barafu katika njia za kati. Kuna njia mbili za kuzima moto. Moja ni kuondoa kuni; kanisa lipo ili kumtumikia Mungu, na tunapoanza kulifikiria kuwa letu badala ya kuwa lake, tunakata kuni zake. Nyingine ni kumwaga maji au udongo juu yake; vivyo hivyo, dhambi ya makusudi inaweza kuufunika na kuuzima moto wa kanisa linalokua. Roho anapozimishwa, joto lililowavuta wenye dhambi zamani hupoa, ugomvi huchukua nafasi ya ushirika, na kanisa ambalo lingepaswa kuwa meko huwa jiko tupu. Huenda mahubiri ya mazishi bado hayajahubiriwa, lakini maiti tayari imelazwa kwa ajili ya kuagwa.The first is the sin of quenching. Paul writes plainly, "Do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19). To quench means to put out, to dampen, to extinguish. In the Bible the Holy Spirit is often pictured as a fire, and when we quench Him we are putting that fire out. From the setting of the passage, Paul seems to be warning against a church losing its warmth, its joy, and its life. Dwight L. Moody said he once attended a church so cold you could skate down the aisles. There are two ways to put out a fire. One is to take away the fuel; a church exists to serve God, and when we begin to think of it as ours rather than His, we are cutting off the fuel. The other is to throw water or dirt upon it; in the same way, willful sin can smother the fire of a growing church. When the Spirit is quenched, the warmth that once drew sinners in grows cold, the bickering replaces fellowship, and the church that should be a hearth becomes an empty grate. The funeral may not yet have been preached, but the body is already lying in state.
3. Alama za Kanisa Lililojazwa Roho3. Marks of a Spirit-Filled Church
Inasaidia kuangalia kinyume cha kanisa lililozimishwa. Katika mistari iliyo kabla tu ya amri hii, Paulo anatupa alama za kanisa ambamo moto wa Roho bado unawaka (1 Wathesalonike 5:16-22). Ni kanisa lenye furaha, lililojaa shangwe, "Furahini siku zote" (mst. 16); na kwa nini tusifurahi, ilhali Mungu ametuahidi uzima tele sasa na uzima pamoja naye milele? Ni kanisa lenye shukrani, kwa maana Paulo anasema, "Shukuruni kwa kila jambo" (mst. 18); hata katika siku yenye giza kuu kuna baraka za kuhesabu. Ni kanisa linaloomba, kwa maana anaandika, "Ombeni bila kukoma" (mst. 17). Tena ni kanisa linalohubiri, kwa maana anasema, "Msiyadharau maneno ya unabii" (mst. 20), na anatuagiza, "Jaribuni mambo yote; lishikeni lililo jema" (mst. 21). Kuna hali mbili za kupita kiasi za kuepuka. Wengine hudhoofisha mahubiri na mafundisho, na hivyo kuuzima moto. Wengine huwa washupavu kupita kiasi na kuuacha moto uteketeze kila kitu; moto usio na nuru ni hatari, na bidii isiyo na kweli imeharibu roho nyingi. Basi tunauweka moto wa Roho ukiwaka kwa jinsi tunavyoabudu: kanisa letu linapaswa kuwa lenye furaha, linaloomba, lenye shukrani, linalofundisha, lenye joto la kutosha kuwavuta waliopotea na lililo imara vya kutosha kuwashikilia.It helps to look at the opposite of a quenched church. In the verses just before this command, Paul gives us the marks of a church where the Spirit's fire still burns (1 Thessalonians 5:16-22). It is a happy church, full of joy, "Rejoice always" (v. 16); and why should we not be glad, when God has promised us abundant life now and life with Him forever? It is a thankful church, for Paul says, "In everything give thanks" (v. 18); even on the darkest day there are blessings to count. It is a praying church, for he writes, "Pray without ceasing" (v. 17). And it is a preaching church, for he says, "Do not despise prophecies" (v. 20), and bids us, "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (v. 21). There are two extremes to avoid. Some undermine preaching and teaching, and so put the fire out. Others grow fanatical and let the fire burn everything up; fire without light is dangerous, and zeal without truth has wrecked many a soul. So we keep the Spirit's fire burning by the way we worship: ours should be a happy, prayerful, thankful, teaching church, warm enough to draw the lost and sound enough to hold them.
4. Kumhuzunisha Roho4. Grieving the Spirit
Dhambi ya pili ni kumhuzunisha Roho. Paulo anaandika, "Wala msimhuzunishe yule Roho Mtakatifu wa Mungu, ambaye kwa yeye mlitiwa muhuri hata siku ya ukombozi" (Waefeso 4:30). Kuhuzunisha ni neno la upendo. Linatuambia kwamba tunaweza kufanya mambo yanayomletea Mungu huzuni, na kuna upole mkubwa ndani yake. Kama Paulo angeandika "msimkasirishe Roho," tungekuwa na wazo tofauti kabisa. Hii si ghadhabu ya Mungu; ni jeraha ambalo ni yule tu anayetupenda awezaye kulihisi. Angalia kwamba Paulo anazungumza juu ya Wakristo, wale "waliotiwa muhuri hata siku ya ukombozi." Katika ulimwengu wa kale mfalme alivaa pete yenye alama yake mwenyewe, na kuibonyeza katika nta laini kutia muhuri kile kilichokuwa chake. Muhuri unasisitiza kwamba waamini ni mali ya Mungu na unaelekeza mbele kwenye siku ya ukombozi. Lengo la papo hapo la Paulo si kutatua kila tofauti ya Wakristo kuhusu kudumu hadi mwisho, bali kuonyesha jinsi lilivyo zito kwa wale waliotiwa alama kuwa mali ya Mungu kumhuzunisha Roho Mtakatifu. Kweli tunamjeruhi Roho, na tunamletea maumivu.The second sin is grieving the Spirit. Paul writes, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). Grieve is a love word. It tells us that we can do things which cause God sorrow, and there is great tenderness in it. If Paul had written "anger not the Spirit," we would have had an entirely different thought. This is not the wrath of God; it is a hurt that only one who loves us can feel. Notice that Paul is speaking of Christians, those "sealed for the day of redemption." In the ancient world a king wore a ring bearing his own mark, and pressed it into soft wax to seal what was his. The seal emphasizes that believers belong to God and points forward to the day of redemption. Paul’s immediate point is not to settle every Christian disagreement about final perseverance, but to show how serious it is for those marked as God’s own to grieve the Holy Spirit. We do wound the Spirit, and we bring pain to Him.
5. Jinsi Tunavyomhuzunisha5. How We Grieve Him
Tunamhuzunishaje Roho? Kwa neno moja, kwa lolote lisilofanana na Kristo katika mwenendo wetu, maneno yetu, au tabia yetu. Inasaidia kumtafakari kwa majina yake mwenyewe. Yeye ni Roho wa kweli (Yohana 14:17), hivyo lolote lililo la uongo, la udanganyifu, au la unafiki humhuzunisha. Yeye ni Roho wa imani (2 Wakorintho 4:13), hivyo shaka, kutoamini, wasiwasi, na kuhangaika humhuzunisha. Yeye ni Roho wa neema (Waebrania 10:29), hivyo lolote ndani yetu lililo gumu, lenye uchungu, lisilosamehe, au lisilo na upendo humhuzunisha. Tena yeye ni Roho wa utakatifu (Warumi 1:4), hivyo lolote lililo najisi au la kudhalilisha humhuzunisha. Mkristo aliyeanza kumwacha Mungu na kupotoka kwa njia hizi mara nyingi huitwa mtu aliyerudi nyuma. Haombi tena; kurasa za Biblia yake zimegandamana; hana ushuhuda; na furaha imetoweka katika dini yake. Hata hivyo hatuhitaji wingi wa dhambi ili kuizuia kazi ya Roho. Dhambi moja, tendo moja la kutotii ambalo hatutaki kumkabidhi Mungu, linaweza kuizuia kazi yake, kama vile uzi mmoja uliokatika unavyoweza kusimamisha kitanda kizima cha kufuma. Wakati mwingine tunadhani ingehitaji orodha ndefu ya dhambi kumzuia Roho, lakini sivyo; pembe ndogo kabisa tuliyoibakiza, jambo lile moja tusilotaka kulisalimisha, linatosha kumhuzunisha. Na zingatia hili: ni nafsi tu inayoweza kuhuzunishwa. Nguvu tu isiyo nafsi haiwezi kufanywa kuwa na huzuni. Yesu alitufundisha kumwita Mungu Baba, nasi tunamuumiza Baba yetu tunapokwenda kinyume cha onyo lake la upendo.How do we grieve the Spirit? In a word, by whatever is unlike Christ in our conduct, our speech, or our disposition. It helps to consider Him by His own names. He is the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), so whatever is false, deceitful, or hypocritical grieves Him. He is the Spirit of faith (2 Corinthians 4:13), so doubt, distrust, anxiety, and worry grieve Him. He is the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29), so whatever in us is hard, bitter, unforgiving, or unloving grieves Him. And He is the Spirit of holiness (Romans 1:4), so whatever is unclean or degrading grieves Him. The Christian who has begun to drift from God in these ways is often called a backslider. He no longer prays; the leaves of his Bible are stuck together; he has no witness; and the joy has gone out of his religion. Yet we do not need a host of sins to hinder the Spirit's work. One sin, one act of disobedience that we will not turn over to God, can hold back His work, as a single broken thread can stop a whole loom. We sometimes imagine it would take a great catalog of sins to hinder the Spirit, but it is not so; the smallest reserved corner, the one thing we will not surrender, is enough to grieve Him. And mark this: only a person can be grieved. An influence cannot be made sorrowful. Jesus taught us to call God Father, and we pain our Father when we go against His loving warning.
6. Kumkufuru Roho6. Blaspheming the Spirit
Dhambi ya tatu na nzito kuliko zote dhidi ya Roho Mtakatifu ni kumkufuru. Katika Mathayo 12 Mafarisayo walimshtaki Yesu kwamba anatoa pepo kwa nguvu za Shetani, ilhali kwa kweli alikuwa akitenda kazi kwa nguvu za Roho Mtakatifu. Mioyo yao migumu iliwaongoza kukana ushahidi ulio wazi mbele ya macho yao. Basi Yesu akajibu, "Kila dhambi na kufuru watasamehewa wanadamu; bali kumkufuru Roho hawatasamehewa" (Mathayo 12:31). Kukufuru maana yake ni kuchafua jina, kusema mabaya juu ya mtu, kulaani. Kwa sababu dhambi hii moja inasemekana haisameheki, roho nyingi nyororo zimehangaika kwamba huenda wameitenda. Billy Graham anasimulia jinsi baba yake mwenyewe alivyosadiki kwa miaka mingi kwamba ametenda dhambi isiyosameheka na akaishi kwa hofu, hadi hatimaye alipojifunza kwamba dhambi yake haikuwa ile inayomfungia nje ya neema na rehema za Mungu.The third and most serious sin against the Holy Spirit is blaspheming Him. In Matthew 12 the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan, when in truth He was working by the power of the Holy Spirit. Their hardened hearts had led them to deny the plain evidence before their eyes. So Jesus answered, "Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men" (Matthew 12:31). To blaspheme means to defame, to speak evil of, to curse. Because this one sin is said to be unforgivable, many tender souls have worried that they might have committed it. Billy Graham tells how his own father became convinced for years that he had committed the unpardonable sin and lived in fear, until at last he learned that his sin was not one that shut him out from the grace and mercy of God.
7. Dhambi Isiyosameheka Si Nini7. What the Unpardonable Sin Is Not
Ni faraja kubwa kuona dhambi isiyosameheka si nini. Historia ndefu ya wanadamu imekuwa historia ya dhambi isiyokoma, na mara kwa mara Mungu amesamehe. Kutokana na mambo ambayo Mungu ameyasamehe, tunajua kwamba dhambi isiyosameheka si uuaji, ingawa ni wa kutisha; si uongo, si wizi, si uzinzi, wala hata si kulitaja bure jina la Bwana, ingawa ni kukosa kicho. Haya yote yamesamehewa. Kazi ya Roho Mtakatifu daima imekuwa kuwaletea wanadamu kweli ya Mungu kisha kuwasaidia kuitambua. Tatizo la Mafarisayo lilikuwa kwamba Roho hakuweza tena kuwafikia; walikuwa wamekuwa wagumu kiasi kwamba hawakuweza kuona kwamba Yesu alipewa nguvu na Roho. Mtu anaweza kuukataa ushuhuda wa Yesu na bado akafikiwa; lakini akimkataa hatimaye Roho anayemwongoza kwenye wokovu kupitia Kristo, hakuna tumaini lingine lililobaki. Basi dhambi isiyosameheka inaonekana kuwa dhambi iliyothibitika ya kutoamini, kumkataa Yesu kuwa Kristo. Na jambo lenyewe kwamba roho yenye hofu inaogopa kuwa imeitenda ni ushahidi mzuri kwamba haijaitenda.It is a great comfort to see what the unpardonable sin is not. The long story of humanity has been one of continual sin, and over and over God has forgiven. From the things God has forgiven, we know the unpardonable sin is not murder, as horrible as that is; it is not lying, it is not stealing, it is not adultery, it is not even taking the Lord's name in vain, as irreverent as that is. All these have been forgiven. The work of the Holy Spirit has always been to bring men the truth of God and then to help them recognize it. The trouble with the Pharisees was that the Spirit could no longer reach them; they had grown so hardened that they could not see that Jesus was empowered by the Spirit. A man may reject the testimony of Jesus and still be reached; but if he finally rejects the Spirit who is leading him to salvation through Christ, there is no other hope left. So the unpardonable sin seems to be the settled sin of unbelief, the refusal of Jesus as the Christ. And the very fact that a fearful soul dreads having committed it is good evidence that he has not.
8. Hatari ya Kusema Hapana8. The Danger of Saying No
Msiba halisi ni kwamba mtu anaweza kuendelea kumwambia Roho hapana mpaka hatimaye ikawa imechelewa mno. Dhambi hii haisameheki si kwa sababu rehema ya Mungu inakwisha, bali kwa sababu moyo wa namna hiyo unakuwa mgumu mno kutubu. Kuna ganzi inayotokana na kukataa wito wa Roho. Mtu anayeishi kando ya kivuko cha reli mwanzoni husikia treni zikitikisa nyumba, lakini baada ya muda hazisikii tena kabisa. Ndivyo ilivyo kwa sauti ya Roho: mtu akisikia wito wake na kusema hapana, wito unaofuata hautasikika kwa nguvu ileile, na mtu anaweza kufikia mahali ambapo hamsikii tena Roho akimwambia amgeukie Mungu. Basi onyo hili pia ni mwaliko. Wakati Roho bado anashindana nawe, wakati bado unaweza kuisikia sauti yake, usiufanye moyo wako kuwa mgumu. Roho yule yule anayeweza kuzimishwa na kuhuzunishwa pia ni mvumilivu na mwema, akiendelea kuwasihi wote watakaosikiliza. Jitoe kwake leo, kwa maana yeye ni mwaminifu, naye atamwongoza kila roho iliyo tayari nyumbani kwa Mungu.The real tragedy is that a person can keep saying no to the Spirit until at last it is too late. The sin is unpardonable not because God runs out of mercy, but because such a heart grows too stubborn to repent. There is a deadening that comes from refusing the Spirit's call. A man who lives beside a railroad crossing hears the trains shake the house at first, but after a while he no longer hears them at all. So it is with the Spirit's voice: if a person hears His calling and says no, the next call will not sound as strong, and a man may reach the place where he no longer hears the Spirit telling him to turn to God. The warning, then, is also an invitation. While the Spirit still strives with you, while you can still hear His voice, do not harden your heart. The same Spirit who can be quenched and grieved is also patient and kind, pleading still with all who will listen. Yield to Him today, for He is faithful, and He will lead every willing soul home to God.