When I was in High School, one of my seniors who happened to be a friend was dating a girl in my class. After he passed out of school, I was the link between them. There was a time he sent money to her through me but I did not deliver it. I spent it.
Later, I met the Lord and I began to walk with him. One day, I called this my senior and friend. I told him about my dubious act and I asked for his forgiveness. Then I requested of him to take the refund but he refused saying he had forgiven me.
The second one I cannot forget was a cassette I stole from a big sister. She had good musical collections. As a lover of music, I took one of her cassettes without telling her. When I knew the Lord and had better understanding, I confessed to her and she forgave me.
I want you to learn a thing or two from my personal story. First, I was saved and bloodwashed before restituting. It was not restitution that preceded my salvation neither was it done to complete it. My salvation was intact. Restitution was only a fruit of my salvation and repentance not salvation itself.
Second, I did it as led by the Spirit not because any human or preacher compelled me. It was a personal comviction I had. That is to say, restitution should not be forced on anyone. Rather, it should be by the leading of the Spirit.
If we teach people to walk with God and to be led by the Spirit, one of the things they will know by reason of their walk with the Lord is what and what not to restitute. You see, not everything can be restituted but the Holy Spirit will draw the attention of a true believer to what needs to be restituted.
Pharisical teaching and enforcement of restitution has damaged lives and families. In fact, it has made some to draw back from the faith. That can never be the will of God for any man. Let's look at Jesus' approach to that thief on the cross.
Luke 23:42-43 "Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” [43] And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise”( NLT).
Look at Jesus' response to a chronic criminal who requested to be part of the kingdom. He did not say, "Go restitute before joining me in my father's kingdom". If he had said that, he would have established restitution as a cardinal doctrine and a thing that must be done before one can be saved but Jesus didn't.
Even the case of Zaccheus who offered to restitute all he had wrongly taken, it was not Jesus that compelled him to do it. He made the decision to( Lk 19:1-10). When men encounter Jesus, the light will shine into the dark areas of their lives.
Satan is good at putting bondage on people under the guise of religious piety. I still insist that If there are things God wants restituted in our lives as believers, the Holy Spirit will point our attention to those things and give us the grace to do it. The things of the Spirit cannot be done in the flesh.
The Holy Spirit is a revealing Spirit. He knows what needs to be restituted and he knows how to make the way for it to be done in a way that will glorify God. He will also prepare the hearts of men involved. Quit trying to please God in the flesh, the Holy Spirit is your advantage.
