The Truth About Restitution
To all our beloved friends in Christ Jesus, who longs for, and desires the truth that would save them when our Lord appears, we say welcome to yet another Truth Discovery study on an important subject known as "Restitution". We, are as usual, fully aware that it's probably not a new word to you, would like to state that it's one of the most important subjects taught in the Bible. It is so important that I'll encourage you to carefully follow this study with keen interest and desire to increase in knowledge of the truth, that would help you live a victorious life as a child of God.
The Definition
I'll first of all start by looking at the meaning of Restitution which is :
1. The act of making good or compensating for loss or injury.
2. A return or restoration to a previous condition or position.
3. The act of giving back to a person what has been taken away, or the giving of money to pay for damage, loss or injury.
Considering the definitions we have above, it can be said that restitution is a process of making reconciliation (That is, reestablishing, fixing, or restoration of friendly relations between two or more individuals).
But restitution goes beyond the definitions we saw above, as it goes hand in hand with reconciliation. Therefore to better define Restitution, I'll put it as a process of making one's wrongs right. It therefore goes that restitution must be accompanied with reconciliation. In other words, restitution should be done with the purpose of correcting one's wrongs and the intention of restoring damaged relationships.
The Beginning
The need for restitution came after the fall of man in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3). Since then, man's relationship with God was broken. After the first broken relationship, it wasn't too long when man had problems with his fellow man which resulted to murder. (Genesis 4:1-8). By the time of Genesis 6, the situation was getting out of control thus provoking God's anger. And as time passes by, the situation kept getting much worse. Not just God alone, man also became man's enemy which gave rise to constant wars, disagreements,hatred among many others. To address this menace, there's therefore the need for restitution and reconciliation. Hence it isn't God's desire for man to act the way he does,He therefore had to come in to champion the restitution and reconciliation process.
The first place in the Scripture where the issue of restitution was clearly addressed, is in the Book of Leviticus 6:1-7. From the Scripture,you will discover that repentance is not complete without restitution. Meaning if you truly repented from the wrongs you have done, and wants to be forgiven, you must restitute which also comprises reconciliation.
Jesus' Teaching On Restitution
When Jesus was still here on earth, He taught seriously about restitution and reconciliation. Having known the problem of man from the beginning, He came down to fix it and as a result, centers most of His teachings on the main matter,"Loving God first, then our neighbors". In one of His teachings in response to a question, He said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment.
The second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37-39).
If you recalled as stated earlier, we learned that the first person man had problem with was God followed by his neighbor. Therefore, the love for God comes first. Man must first be reconciled with God, then his neighbor. Jesus understood this, and came for this very purpose. And by His death on the cross, the purpose was achieved.
In another similar teaching, He said," If you are offering your gift at the altar and remember there that another believer has something against you, leave your gift at the altar. First go away and make peace with that person. Then come back and offer your gift." (Matthew 5:23-24). Now, doesn't that sound serious to you? In the process of reconciling with your neighbor, you're at the same time restoring broken relationship, and that is restitution.
A Typical Example Of Restitution
I will like to point out at least one typical example of restitution from a man who determined from his heart to make peace with God and his fellow neighbors. This man is called Zacchaeus whose neighbors saw as a sinner knowing how he robbed and cheated people. But after encountering Jesus, this is what he said and did, "Later, at dinner, Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Lord, I'll give half of my property to the poor. I'll pay four times as much as I owe to those I have cheated in any way." That is restitution; he made peace with his neighbors by paying and giving four times more to show how sorry he was for the wrongs he did. For doing that, Jesus was deeply moved and said, "You and your family have been saved today. You've shown that you, too, are one of Abraham's descendants." (Luke 19:8-9). Remember ; repentance is not complete without restitution where necessary.
Complex Forms Of Restitution
In one of our "Light It Up" Tuesday platform on our Facebook Page some time ago, an issue on restitution was discussed. An example was given of a lady who cheated in an examination, then used the result to secure admission into the university. After years of study, she graduated and got a highly paid job in a big firm. She later got married, had kids and is enjoying every moment of her life till the day she was confronted with her past sins through a message. Being moved by the message, she gave her life to Christ and had to deal with the issue of restitution. The preacher in a counselling session said to her, "sister, from the confessions you've just made, it's clear that you built your successes and everything you now enjoy on the ground of examination malpractice which happens to be a sin. I'm sorry to say this, but anything built on sin is sin. Restitution demands that you confess to the owner of the company that one of your results was wrongfully obtained. You must forfeit all the results obtained through the faulty result. In fact, everything you obtained using the faulty result must be forfeited. I know it's not easy, but I have to tell you the truth. It is necessary if your whole life is to be transformed. The woman thought that was too harsh and hard to deal with, and decided to leave sorrowfully like the rich young man in Mark 10:17-22.
I call it complex form of restitution because the damage done by the individual is much that the person thinks its hard to deal with. In the case of this lady, she felt she had achieved so much that letting go now, would mean a disaster to her life. The question of where do I start from, will truly be hard to deal with, but that's why its important to consider the danger of every negative action before one dares to involve himself with it. Note, the worst thing to do is to believe you have been saved, and that nothing else matters. You have to make peace with everyone your past actions may have affected either directly or indirectly. But you may ask ; What if I hurt people in the past and had forgotten, how can I make peace with these people? Forgetting won't be an acceptable excuse. You will have to hard to remember your past, and if truly you repented, the Spirit of God will surely remind you of the things you did that demands reconciliation. Any question on how to go about this matter, can be sent to us as this post isn't meant to address questions.
Irrespective of the magnitude of your sins, there's room for forgiveness through Christ. But you will also have to correct your pasts by making peace with those you had issues with, and restituting what you obtained wrongly. My earnest prayer is that you will see this issue as serious as it is, and do the right thing while you still have the opportunity to do so. God Bless You All!
The Definition
I'll first of all start by looking at the meaning of Restitution which is :
1. The act of making good or compensating for loss or injury.
2. A return or restoration to a previous condition or position.
3. The act of giving back to a person what has been taken away, or the giving of money to pay for damage, loss or injury.
Considering the definitions we have above, it can be said that restitution is a process of making reconciliation (That is, reestablishing, fixing, or restoration of friendly relations between two or more individuals).
But restitution goes beyond the definitions we saw above, as it goes hand in hand with reconciliation. Therefore to better define Restitution, I'll put it as a process of making one's wrongs right. It therefore goes that restitution must be accompanied with reconciliation. In other words, restitution should be done with the purpose of correcting one's wrongs and the intention of restoring damaged relationships.
The Beginning
The need for restitution came after the fall of man in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3). Since then, man's relationship with God was broken. After the first broken relationship, it wasn't too long when man had problems with his fellow man which resulted to murder. (Genesis 4:1-8). By the time of Genesis 6, the situation was getting out of control thus provoking God's anger. And as time passes by, the situation kept getting much worse. Not just God alone, man also became man's enemy which gave rise to constant wars, disagreements,hatred among many others. To address this menace, there's therefore the need for restitution and reconciliation. Hence it isn't God's desire for man to act the way he does,He therefore had to come in to champion the restitution and reconciliation process.
The first place in the Scripture where the issue of restitution was clearly addressed, is in the Book of Leviticus 6:1-7. From the Scripture,you will discover that repentance is not complete without restitution. Meaning if you truly repented from the wrongs you have done, and wants to be forgiven, you must restitute which also comprises reconciliation.
Jesus' Teaching On Restitution
When Jesus was still here on earth, He taught seriously about restitution and reconciliation. Having known the problem of man from the beginning, He came down to fix it and as a result, centers most of His teachings on the main matter,"Loving God first, then our neighbors". In one of His teachings in response to a question, He said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment.
The second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37-39).
If you recalled as stated earlier, we learned that the first person man had problem with was God followed by his neighbor. Therefore, the love for God comes first. Man must first be reconciled with God, then his neighbor. Jesus understood this, and came for this very purpose. And by His death on the cross, the purpose was achieved.
In another similar teaching, He said," If you are offering your gift at the altar and remember there that another believer has something against you, leave your gift at the altar. First go away and make peace with that person. Then come back and offer your gift." (Matthew 5:23-24). Now, doesn't that sound serious to you? In the process of reconciling with your neighbor, you're at the same time restoring broken relationship, and that is restitution.
A Typical Example Of Restitution
I will like to point out at least one typical example of restitution from a man who determined from his heart to make peace with God and his fellow neighbors. This man is called Zacchaeus whose neighbors saw as a sinner knowing how he robbed and cheated people. But after encountering Jesus, this is what he said and did, "Later, at dinner, Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Lord, I'll give half of my property to the poor. I'll pay four times as much as I owe to those I have cheated in any way." That is restitution; he made peace with his neighbors by paying and giving four times more to show how sorry he was for the wrongs he did. For doing that, Jesus was deeply moved and said, "You and your family have been saved today. You've shown that you, too, are one of Abraham's descendants." (Luke 19:8-9). Remember ; repentance is not complete without restitution where necessary.
Complex Forms Of Restitution
In one of our "Light It Up" Tuesday platform on our Facebook Page some time ago, an issue on restitution was discussed. An example was given of a lady who cheated in an examination, then used the result to secure admission into the university. After years of study, she graduated and got a highly paid job in a big firm. She later got married, had kids and is enjoying every moment of her life till the day she was confronted with her past sins through a message. Being moved by the message, she gave her life to Christ and had to deal with the issue of restitution. The preacher in a counselling session said to her, "sister, from the confessions you've just made, it's clear that you built your successes and everything you now enjoy on the ground of examination malpractice which happens to be a sin. I'm sorry to say this, but anything built on sin is sin. Restitution demands that you confess to the owner of the company that one of your results was wrongfully obtained. You must forfeit all the results obtained through the faulty result. In fact, everything you obtained using the faulty result must be forfeited. I know it's not easy, but I have to tell you the truth. It is necessary if your whole life is to be transformed. The woman thought that was too harsh and hard to deal with, and decided to leave sorrowfully like the rich young man in Mark 10:17-22.
I call it complex form of restitution because the damage done by the individual is much that the person thinks its hard to deal with. In the case of this lady, she felt she had achieved so much that letting go now, would mean a disaster to her life. The question of where do I start from, will truly be hard to deal with, but that's why its important to consider the danger of every negative action before one dares to involve himself with it. Note, the worst thing to do is to believe you have been saved, and that nothing else matters. You have to make peace with everyone your past actions may have affected either directly or indirectly. But you may ask ; What if I hurt people in the past and had forgotten, how can I make peace with these people? Forgetting won't be an acceptable excuse. You will have to hard to remember your past, and if truly you repented, the Spirit of God will surely remind you of the things you did that demands reconciliation. Any question on how to go about this matter, can be sent to us as this post isn't meant to address questions.
Irrespective of the magnitude of your sins, there's room for forgiveness through Christ. But you will also have to correct your pasts by making peace with those you had issues with, and restituting what you obtained wrongly. My earnest prayer is that you will see this issue as serious as it is, and do the right thing while you still have the opportunity to do so. God Bless You All!