RESTITUTION

RESTITUTION

Restitution

Restitution is a biblical concept, and it’s consistent throughout the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, for example, we’re told that, “A thief must certainly make restitution, but if he has nothing, he must be sold to pay for his theft. If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession … he must pay back double. If a man grazes his livestock in a field or vineyard and lets them stray and they graze in another man’s field, he must make restitution from the best of his own field or vineyard. If a fire breaks out and spreads into thorn bushes so that it burns shocks of grain or standing grain or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution. . . If a man borrows an animal from his neighbour and it is injured or dies . . . he must make restitution” (Exodus 22:1-14)

It doesn’t have to be outright theft in order for restitution to be in order.

The Scripture in Leviticus 6:2-5 goes on to explain a number of scenarios regarding ill-gotten gain.  It doesn’t have to be outright theft in order for restitution to be in order.  After explaining several examples of scenarios that require restitution, it says, “… when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, or whatever it was they swore falsely about.  They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner …” (Leviticus 6:4-5)

In the passage of Exodus 22:1-14, we can see that God takes making restitution so seriously that He would even command someone to sell themselves into slavery in order to accomplish the restitution.  Mind you, God is not an advocate of slavery.  But clearly He sees needed restitution as being more important to our spiritual wholeness than our civil freedom.  That’s how God wants us to set our priorities. In many ways, restitution is about repairing our earthly relationships in order to honour our heavenly Father.

In the passage of Leviticus 6:4-5 which explains the restitution was to be made on the same day that the guilty one would bring his sacrifice before the Lord.  So it was that making amends with whomever we’ve wronged is just as important as making peace with God.  Similarly, Jesus told us in Matthew 5:23-24, “… if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift (of worship to the Lord). This “brother” could be someone you have harmed in your own family, or it could be a biblical neighbour (ie anyone you encounter) that you need to reconcile your relationship with.

We understand this passage in Matthew to have very serious implications.  It’s telling us that God doesn’t want our worship if we have any relationships in our life which need reconciling and for which we have not made our best effort to be reconciled in.  This would of course include restitution for ill-gotten financial gain.  Said differently, if you aren’t willing to make it right and haven’t put your best effort into making it right … you have no business worshipping the Lord.

In Luke 19, we have the story of Jesus visiting Zacchaeus’ home.  Now Zacchaeus was known as an evil man who cheated others, took bribes, etc.  But he had taken his stand for Christ and made a public confession right there.  And he committed to repay his ill-gotten gain by giving fully half of all his possessions to the poor.  Additionally, he committed to make specific restitution to parties he had wronged by paying them back four times the amount he’d gained from cheating them.

The same result of repentance is expected for anyone who truly knows Christ today. Genuine repentance leads to a desire to do whatever we can humanly do to right the wrongs in our past.  When someone becomes a Christian, he will have a desire born of deep conviction from the Holy Spirit to do what’s right.

How to make restitution

But restitution, like other fruits of the Spirit, is a result of our salvation.  It is never a requirement in order to gain salvation.

I’m sure some of our readers may be thinking of situations where the one doing the repenting has spent the money or for whatever other reason just doesn’t have the means to “do right” in the eyes of the Lord.  There are some crimes and sins for which there can be no adequate or sufficient restitution. But in such instances, a true Christian will demonstrate his or her repentance by giving sacrificially to accomplish as much restitution as is humanly possible.  But restitution, like other fruits of the Spirit, is a result of our salvation.  It is never a requirement in order to gain salvation.

Now you pointed out that you had taken bribes from companies and not individuals.  You need to know that the inability to identify the injured party or make restitution to them directly does not let you off the hook.  Even if you wronged someone who is now dead, you would owe them restitution in the Lord’s eyes.  In Numbers 5:7-8, God tells us that the one who has ill-gotten gain, “… must confess the sin he has committed.  He must make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it all to the person he has wronged. But if that person (is not alive and) has no close relative to whom restitution can be made for the wrong, the restitution belong to the Lord and must be given to the priest …”  So if you cannot find the injured party or their heirs and successors, you owe the restitution to the Lord.  In that case, you would take it to your church and make a donation with the explanation that it is not part of your regular tithes and offerings, but rather is restitution required by the Lord.

Why make restitution?

Finally, there are two more verses that I will cite to help guide your thinking.  I believe, dear brother, as I said in the beginning, that you have a difficult choice to make here.  Certainly you as a human can choose to ignore God’s command that you make restitution.  You’ve already said the ill-gotten gain is tied up in non-cash or other illiquid assets.  Let me assure you that it will be worth your trouble to liquidate them or even donate the non-cash asset in order to accomplish your restitution.  (If you’d like, we can help you take account of your assets and decide what to do with them.)

So Maxwell, my brother in Christ, if you should choose to ignore this conviction that the Holy Spirit has placed on your heart — your children and their heirs will suffer for it.  (Job 20:10)

In the book of Job, we are told that a man who does not make amends places a curse on his own children.  It says they will beg from the poor, being worse off than the poor.  Why?  Because his own hands were required to give back the ill-gotten gain.  So Maxwell, my brother in Christ, if you should choose to ignore this conviction that the Holy Spirit has placed on your heart — your children and their heirs will suffer for it.  (Job 20:10)  Additionally Proverbs 14:9, tells us that, “Fools mock at making amends for sin, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.”  So it will be the children of a fool who suffer because he or she failed to obey the Lord and make amends for their ill-gotten gains in life.

My dear brother in Christ, I sense that you have a very tender and sincere heart.  And I realize that what I’ve just written you is not easy to hear (or read).  So let me take you back to where we started, in Galatians 6:1 which speaks of the brother who is caught in sin (that’s you, Maxwell).  It says that we who are spiritual (that’s me and other spiritual leaders God may have placed in your life) are to gently restore you.  That means that we stand with you, we pray for you, we encourage you to do right, we challenge you and we celebrate your obedience.  Said differently, you should get others who are more spiritually mature than you involved in the discussion about this repentance that you are about to undertake.  Get godly advice and seek the wisdom of the Lord from His people to help you make the decisions that need to be made.