Making Full Restitution

 We take our sins far too lightly most of the time. Sometimes, we just say we are sorry for what we have done, and other times, we do not even mention it to those who were affected by what we did. We may think it is enough to confess it to God and to be sorry for it. That is not true. God expects for us to make full restitution any time we sin against another person or group of people. (Leviticus 6:2,5) The Lord commanded the Israelites to return anything they took from the owner by robbery or deception or by defrauding them in any way. However, they were not just to return what was taken in any way. They were to add one fifth more to what they were paying back. They were to make this restitution on the day they confessed their sin, without any delay. I believe this is a way for us to see the seriousness of our sins. In fact, I believe God still commands us to do this today.

When we hurt another person by offending them, deceiving them about something, or by robbing them, defrauding them, or otherwise swearing falsely to them, it is a very serious sin. It hurts our relationship with them, and God values relationships. In order to restore our relationship fully, we must do more than just say we are sorry. We must restore what we have taken or the value of what we have taken. Then, when we add 20% more, we are making a good faith action to be restored to them without any lasting effects of our sin between us. After all, we have caused them hurt and loss. Our restitution needs to compensate for their loss and suffering, not just restore what was taken. I pray we will all practice what God's Word says here, so we can have restoration in any broken relationships where we have been at fault in the destruction of our bond. This way our relationships will be strong and God honoring.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Leviticus 7-9.