Repentance (Part 7), RESTITUTION
Posted by: biblenotes <biblenotes@...>
From: Martin M Overfield
Date: Wed, 3 May 2000
Repentance (Part 7)
RESTITUTION
This subject is not very popular with many modern day "Christians".
"For he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be
sold for his theft." (Exodus 22:3)
This was the strict justice of the Old Testament law which God gave to
the Jews. The principle of restitution was not revoked in the New
Testament, though it may work out a little differently at times.
"And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner
thereof ... And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or
die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good."
(Ex. 22:12, 14) Exodus 22:1-15 is quite a study on restitution.
Restitution means "to repay" or "to make it good". The same word
used for restitution in Exodus 22 is also used in Leviticus 5:16, where it
is translated "make amends".
Some have been troubled about whether they can be forgiven by God
before they have made all their restitutions. I would like to point out
that,
in the only incident where I read about restitution in the New Testament,
Zacchaeus told the Lord that he would make his restitutions. Then Jesus
said, "this day is salvation come to this house" (Luke 19:8), BEFORE the
restitutions were actually made. But, He knew that Zacchaeus meant
business.
You cannot fool God; neither need you worry whether He will think you
halfhearted if you are seeking Him with ALL your heart. What God requires
first of all is total agreement in our heart to obey Him. Once the
conditions
are met in spirit the seeker may cling to His promise, faithfulness, and
power
to save.
But, some who have meant to make their restitutions have "put them off"
and disobeyed God. Delayed obedience is disobedience. And, if they truly
had received salvation "on credit" as some say, they have forfeited it by
going
back on their promise to God. The faith by which one is saved is hindered
and destroyed by neglecting to make the restitutions that God reveals must
be made.
Many restitutions are to be made by paying what is owed, by
straightening
out the crooked paths. If we have stolen, we must pay it back. If we have
lied, we must go back and tell the truth. But, some things will be beyond
our ability to make payment. If one has murdered someone, there is no way
to bring back a loved one. A murderer must be willing to face the full
consequences of his sin. He may plead for mercy, but he must admit his
responsibility.
Restitution also involves making confessions to our fellow man in
addition
to God -- not instead of God. A good general rule would be that confession
should be made to the extent of the particular sin's influence or damage
done.
A confession and the asking of forgiveness, should be done as publicly as
the
sin was committed. For instance, if a man had used bad language and the
Lord reminds him of where and before whom, then the confession would be
appropriate in the same place and before the same people.
John Wesley Redfield advised a woman, who had professed to be a
Christian, but was guilty of unchristian behavior publicly, to go to all the
people
in her neighborhood -- door to door -- and confess how wrong she had been
to live such a hypocritical life before them and to ask their forgiveness.
Many
thought Brother Redfield's methods extreme, but, because of his thorough
dealings with penitents, many of those saved or reclaimed under his ministry
became solid saints.
Go back and tell the former partners in sin that there will be no more
such wicked behavior on your part. You know, if people would be thorough
in this regard, making a clean break with the world, it would be easier for
them
to stand their ground when the temptations come to go with the crowd.
Let God's voice be your guide in all the particulars.
A Bitter Medicine to Take, But Very Necessary
As a teenager I once played the hypocrite in my church. While in a
backslidden and sinful condition, I had taken the vows of membership and
gave my consenting "Yes", when asked before all the people whether I knew
all my sins were forgiven. When I returned to the Lord for forgiveness at
camp
meeting, He would not let me sweep this "under the rug". I knew I had to go
to
my pastor and confess my wrong. I did so. Then I went to the altar to
pray.
Next the Lord told me that I must confess it to those of my church who
were praying around me. I did that too. Then I had to promise the Lord
that
I would publicly confess back at the local church. I said, "Yes, I will do
it in
the first service after camp." Then, both God and I knew that I meant
business,
and He helped me to trust Him to forgive me. I kept my promise and made
that
confession at the local church in our Wednesday night service immediately
after
camp.
If you tell me that people are getting "saved" or have become "born
again", I
would like to know whether those same people have made, or are in earnest
about making, their restitutions.
HAVE YOU MADE YOUR RESTITUTIONS?
Yours In Christ,
Martin Overfield
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