22nd May 2021
RESTITUTION
David Abankwah
(SERIES: Day 1)
Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I RESTORE fourfold.”
-Luke 19:8 | NKJV
Restitution is the act of returning something that was lost or stolen to its owner. It also means a payment that is made to someone for damage and trouble caused. It also means the act of restoration in terms of making good of or giving an equivalent for some injury you have caused spiritually, emotionally, mentally, psychologically, materially or physically. I first heard this word in church when I went for a youth meeting. Please, treat every church meeting as a flight you can’t afford to miss. You will never know what you are missing in your Christian life that
you have to work it out for your salvation to be made complete in the Lord. Don’t sit in your house and think you know it all.
Restitution was not the theme of the sermon preached, but something that came up when we were about to close. As the master of ceremony (MC) expounded on it, I searched my heart and found that indeed, there were some things that I had to return because I stole them. Also, there were things that people lent me to use for a while which I had not returned them yet. Though I was a believer, I was a blunted liar to call myself a Christian because I had not yet restituted as an important work of faith. Brethren, never think you are a Christian and never say it anywhere that you are one if you have not yet restituted. Search around yourself. Don’t you possess stolen goods?
Don’t you have things that you need to return to the rightful owners? Zacchaeus knew very well that, he had to practise restitution if he had genuinely repented. The reason Jesus Christ came to his house was for this purpose. His salvation would have never been actualised if he had not first practised restitution. See what Jesus Christ told him, ‘This day is salvation come to this house….-Luke 19:9. Salvation minus restitution is equal to impenitence. I know you have full faith in Jesus Christ and all that, but faith without works is a dead one. There is a work of restitution you must do to be complete in the grace, because restitution is a proof of true repentance that leads to salvation.
We have two main types of restitution: Material restitution and verbal restitution (confession). For material restitution, if you have stolen something or you have something that belongs to someone and you are returning it, restore it this way: Divide the value or amount of the thing by five and add one part of it to the stolen thing as damage and give it in addition to the stolen or possessed good. For verbal restitution which is a confession for a sin done against someone WITH or WITHOUT the person’s knowledge (such as the use of evil spirits like witchcraft, false prophecy or any sin), boldly confess your sins to the victim and settle the matter amicably – James 5:16.
•| Prayer Diary |•
¹Lift up prayers onto God to reveal to you any restitution you have to do that you are unaware of. ²Lift up prayers for patience to bear the duration of shame or disgrace anytime you are practising restitution in the name of Jesus Christ.
Quote
“Restitution is one of the signs of true repentance”
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Nehemiah Chapters 4-7
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© 2021 David Abankwah
David Abankwah 