ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Pulelulu Siulai 27, 2022

THE MOST EXCELLENT GIFT

KO E ME’A’OFA LELEI TAHAA

ISAIAH 30:18

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

‘AISEA 30:18

Pea ko ia, ‘e tatali ‘e Sihova, kae toki fai ha ‘ofa kiate kimoutolu, pea ko ia te ne nofo ‘i ‘olunga, kae toki ‘alo‘ofa atu: he ko e ‘Otua fai ki he lao ‘a Sihova; monū‘ia ā ka ko kinautolu ‘oku tatali kiate ia.

 

Sola Gratia - Grace Alone - Ko e Kelesi´ pe   

Spiritual wisdom and grace is the highest and most excellent gift that ever God bestows on any creature: in this the highest excellency and perfection of a rational creature consists. 'Tis also immensely the most important of all divine gifts: 'tis that wherein man's happiness consists, and on which his everlasting welfare depends. How rational is it to suppose that God, however He has left meaner goods and lower gifts to second causes, and in some sort in their power, yet should reserve this most excellent, divine, and important of all divine communications in His own hands, to be bestowed immediately by Himself as a thing too great for second causes to be concerned in!

'Tis rational to suppose that this blessing should be immediately from God; for there is no gift or benefit that is in itself so nearly related to the divine nature; there is nothing the creature receives that is so much of God, of His nature, so much a participation of the deity: 'tis a kind of emanation of God's beauty, and is related to God as the light is to the sun.

JONATHAN EDWARDS

Ko e poto fakalaumalie mo e kelesi, ko e me’a’ofa fungani taha ia ‘a e ‘Otua kuo ne tuku mai ki he’ene me’a fakatupu: pea ‘i he tu’unga ko eni, ‘oku ma’uma’uluta heni ‘a e lelei taha mo e haohaoa ‘a e tangata. Pea ‘ikai ngata ai, ka ko e me’a’ofa mahu’inga taha eni kuo foaki mei Langi. ‘Oku tafe mei heni ‘a e fiefia mo e lelei lau’itaniti ‘a e tangata. He ‘Otua poto, ‘ene tuku pe ‘a e ngaahi me’a’ofa kehee ke ma’u ngofua ‘i he ngaahi founga fakanatula pe. Ka ko e me’a’ofa fungani mo e makehe atu, ‘oku ne toki ‘omi hangatonu pe ‘e Ia mei hono to’ukupu pea ‘oku ne ‘omi ke fakakoloa ‘aki hono kakai ‘e Ia pe!

Ko e tapuaki mo’oni ‘etau vakai ki he founga ngaue ‘a e ‘Otua, ke ne toki ‘omi pe ‘e ia ‘a e kelesi ko eni mei hono fofonga; ‘oku ‘ikai mo ha toe me’a’ofa ‘e hoa mo e fakakoloa mo e ngaahi tapuaki ‘o e natula ‘o e ‘Otua; ‘oku ‘ikai ha me’a ‘e ma’u ‘e he me’a fakatupu ‘e kainga ofi mo e ‘Otua, mo hono natula, ‘a ‘ene fie lave mai kiate kitautolu - ko e malama mai ‘a e huelo ‘o e masani ‘o e ‘Otua, ka ko e kalofiama mei he ‘Otua tonu, hange ko e maama ‘o e La’aa.