DEAR LARRY:
I am 47 years old male from Chennai, India. I am a born Christian regular to protestant Church here. At the age of 42 in July 25, 2007, I have accepted Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord, Saviour & Friend and became converted / born-again.
Before conversion, like Zaheus in the Holy Bible, I have earned unrighteous money in way of bribes, kick backs, in my official capacity. Yesterday, I was meditating on St. Matthew Chapter 6. I prayed to our Lord that I have accepted You and You are living within me. Please tell me & guide me how to restitute the same.
This I have not taken from any individual, but from companies where there is no ownerships and I cannot repay to them now. The part the money is lying now in my various land properties and the house where I stay now. I have asked Lord to reveal how to do this.
Do you have any suggestions on this.
– Maxwell
DEAR MAXWELL:
Indeed you have asked a good question, and you have asked it of the right people. Galatians 6:1 tells us that if a brother in Christ is caught in a situation regarding his sin, “you who are spiritual should restore him gently.” So it is in fact God’s will that you turn to spiritually mature Christian brothers for guidance on what to do.
Before I answer your question, I want you to be aware of the fact that you have what we would call a dilemma. That word is defined as a situation where one is faced with making a choice between equally undesirable alternatives. Said differently, there is not an answer to your question which you will like.
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 neighbor 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.
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 honor 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 neighbor (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.
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)
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.
Editor’s Note: WOW…what an amazing response to one article. We are very happy to help, but for now we are going to close the comments on this article. If you have your own situation where you need advice on restitution or anything else, please use our About > Contact Us form to submit a new “Dear Larry” question and we will post the question and reply as a new article.
Larry, I think your intent to help Mr. Maxwell is well intended, but I think the verses you are using to support are misplaced. Let’s discuss… Galatians 6:1 is intended to Christian brothers who see another brother UN-aware or willing to recognize his own sin. It is then our obligation to restore him. Instead, you are using it as a means of saying, we can restore you, now that you know your sin. This is a legalistic approach, saying that “we” the church can now tell you how to repeant of your sins. This is not grace. Grace says that Christ’s work on the cross, finished your restitution for sin. Done. Once we accept Christ, we no longer are obligated to restore our own sins. Mr. Maxwell is already forgiven. Any restitution you feel obligated for, should be only between you and God. I would say to ask the Holy Spirit for direction. Maybe you use your assets to benefit someone else. Maybe you support a worthy cause with your own money. These are all fruits of your new spirit. Your old ways and actions are gone, already forgotten. Also, the verse from Job 20:10, is actually a false testimony against Job. Job, was subjected to Satan’s trial, with God’s permission to see if goodness could exist in Job, regardless of reward. Job is subjected to his friends condemnation as they believed that suffering is ONLY brought on by sin. And thus, sin continues through your children if you do not repeant. But Job, remains vigilant in his denial that his suffering is brought on by his own sin. He actually did not sin at all, but remains our picture of submission to God, despite knowing he did not deserve it. So I’m not sure we can use this scripture to demonstrate that your children will suffer if you do not pay back what is owed. I do believe that the Holy Spirit will lead you, Mr. Maxwell, in doing what is right. Prayer and guidance from Him, He knows what is in your heart to seek to do what is right, but rest in the BLESSED ASSURANCE that you are already forgiven for it.
I agree my brother. You are on the right track. If the brother wronged some individual and felt led to return what was stolen and ask for forgiveness, taht would be acceptable. But making it sound like he has committed a sin beyond Jesus, falls short.
Kasey, as you’ve just demonstrated, it’s always convenient (and even easy) to discount the application of a particular Scripture reference in a situation. However, Job’s so-called friends didn’t write Proverbs 14:9. And it in fact makes the case even more clearly. Restitution is always appropriate, and Christ-followers will do everything in their power to accomplish that restitution. The willingness to submit oneself to the costs of restitution is quite possibly the best sign of true repentance. Additionally, if all we had to do was “rest in the BLESSD ASSURANCE (sic) that you are already forgiven for it” – then there would be no reason to even stop sinning in the first place. (God already decided and promised to forgive my sin even before I committed any sin.) That forgiveness is certain has absolutely nothing to do with the obligation of restitution or the definition of repentance.
I definitely don’t disagree with the need for repentence. I also do not disagree that “restitution” in the sense of wanting to give back what you feel you took, is a bad idea. I think we might be on the same page as far as your comment, “restitution is always appropriate”. I just disagree with the supporting verses you mentioned, please don’t misunderstand this as overlooking “conveniently”. Just as during Paul’s age, there was a tendancy to add to the gospel message, which is all I am implying. That there is NOT a need to give back to assure salvation, which you did mention above. It’s funny, the whole theme of Galatians is that someone came in and “added to” the message of the gospel, saying that the Law was still neccessary to follow Christ. It was not. So when I hear a message that says restitituion (an OLD testament term) is recommended for restoring a brother back…I cannot help but feel that it’s adding to the Gospel of Christ. I think I still stand by my statement that we can rest in Blessed Assurance for salvation. We are not required to stop sinning before salvation.
“We are not required to stop sinning before salvation.”. The only part I’d like to clarify on this (my belief): let us not fall into the trap of suggesting that not being required to stop sinning before salvation is therefore condoning the willful, continued sinning without repentance. I’m sure that’s not what you implied by your comment…but I can see how others might interpret it that way. I’d say it’s impossible for us to completely stop sinning. But, we should remain diligent, humble, and repentant for the sins we commit, and yet still…work to minimize them in our lifetime. Then, rest assured that IF we maintain that repentant attitude and continue to believe in the forgiveness offered by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ…we WILL be saved. If on the otherhand, we walk through this life with a smug attitude of “hey, I can keep sinning, without sincere repentance, and God will still forgive me”, I’d say whoever has that attitude is in for a rude wake up call after they die. Jesus will say plainly, “I did not know you.”
One other comment, is that I do not take pause at saying you shouldn’t repent and feel a need to give back, that urge is most definitely a sign of Christ work within you. What I do have issue with, is that the Church itself, give you direction on how to do this. This is not true. “Restitution is always appropriate, and Christ-followers will do everything in their power to accomplish that restitution.” agreed, somewhat. evidence that you are no longer bound to materialism and that you feel a moral obligation to repay what is taken is a good indicator of the work within you. Christ followers should feel obligated to do what is right. They should NOT feel that it’s of utter importance.
Dear Larry, Kasey & Brad White, As Brother’s in Christ, Thank you very much for your time in discussing the suggestions raised by me. I am very happy for the time & effort you have taken to explain with relevant scriptures. I agree with your points more on the points of Kasey since we are under new covenant of GRACE and not under WORKS. I know God loves my children so much and they are independent with God. I am depending on the power of Holy Spirit who resides within me for conviction and what I must do patiently to accomplish the restitution through me for the purpose of Kingdom of God. I depend on the Holy Spirit who lives within me rather than my own interests, but to His own interest / will to spend the wordly riches to His Kingdom’s purposes in this world at His appropriate timing and instructions. Thanks once again.
The previous comment is written by me i.e., Maxwell who is the poster of the question.
I guess I got busy & lost track of this conversation. But I have one more comment. I’m a firm advocate of grace and don’t really disagree with the other comments here – except to say that I’ve added to Scripture or misused it. That I don’t believe I did. You see, I pray over the questions before I write the answers. I see what appears to be advocation for restitution being “between you and the Lord.” But let’s face it, this ministry and its web site exist because too many Christians have handled things that way. Proverbs 3:5-6 cautions us to “lean not on your own understanding,” because our own understanding of anything is at best incomplete — and most likely biased and flawed. The Face of Christianity fundamentally lacks accountability. And if we read through the Old Testament, the history of the Israelites reveals that they got into deep trouble every time “each one did what he thought best.” I don’t think it’s humanly possible to see the whole truth and know the right thing to do in all situations (and that includes myself). We need the perspective of other mature believers who pray over our sins (James 5:16) and help us find our way to better decision-making. In this way, God provides not only forgiveness … but also healing and victory. And finally, I’m not suggesting a legalistic approach to repentance or restitution. This ministry and its web site are not supported by or under the authority of any organized church or religion. But the individuals who give of their time and resources to support it would gladly stand with any brother (or sister) in Christ to seek the Lord and all His righteousness … including making sure they’ve made good practical application of all Biblical principles in their everyday lives.
Dear Larry, I was a wicked and vile sinner before my conversion and hurt a lot of people but Christ saved me and also gave me the grace to apologize to people whom I hurt by word and deed. But lately I am deeply troubled by one particular sin that is, many years ago before my conversion, I had given a bribe to a government official to get a document signed illegally. I believe no one was affected or hurt. Although, I am aware that salvation is a free gift and there is nothing I can do to repay God, I have resolved to offer my services and help people not because of legalism but because Christ commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. But a part of me says that I have to first admit my crime and turn myself in to the authorities as we have to be accountable to the government who are God’s appointees. But I’m in a dilemma because in admitting my crime I will have to expose a lot of names who are not willing nor remorseful. I need your prayer and advice.
What if i just go and drop it back since no one knows and they have not noticed it missing cos i owe the key if nt around the place cant be open i mean packing store what if i quietly drop it nd move on?
Eucharia, you have brought up three (3) different topics. First – we’ll join you in prayer that God will draw your Muslim friend to Himself and that he will come to acknowledge Christ as Lord. Second – we’ll join you in prayer that God will lead you to the spouse that He has for you, suitable employment and housing. Third – there is no basis for Christ-followers to find any particular meaning in dreams. Let me explain that. . In the Old Testament, the Lord did speak to prophets in dreams; that was before Jesus’ death and resurrection, and before the Holy Spirit took up residence in Christ-followers. Once you acknowledge Christ as Lord and surrender your life and will to Him, the Holy Spirit lives in you. His job is to lead you, help you hear the voice of the God, and give you understanding of Scripture. Since we have Scripture, direct access to God Himself (through Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit to give us understanding and discernment — there has not been a need for God to speak to anyone through dreams. . So we can understand our dreams as simply random occurrences that have no meaning whatsoever. If anything, reading meaning into them where it doesn’t belong has the danger of allowing the devil to mislead and deceive us, distracting us from the truth of God’s Word. . If you (as a Christ-follower) think that God I telling you something, it is likely that He is doing so through the Holy Spirit that lives in you. The way to confirm that it is indeed God directing you is to check that it does not conflict with Scripture, and to ask other brothers (or sisters) in Christ to pray with you about it and affirm that God tells them the same thing.
Hello men of God. Please help me. In 2010 ,i paid my driving school instructor to guarantee a Pass, now i am saved and do not know what to do. Is the drivers license valid? what do i need to do? Something just does not feel right.
Romeo, move on with your life. Vow to be Christ-like from this point forward. God forgives you of your past, present, and future sins. Can you drive well now? If you aren’t sure, then go re-take the drivers test and see if you pass (without a pay off). 🙂
Pls, men of God help me i’m battling with some unrestituted sins which i’m sore afraid to restitute : (i) i attended one tutorial and i didn’t pay fully before living and the man owning the tutorial class has died with wife and kids still alive. (ii) i stole one textbook from the shop where i was working before and it is still with me but the woman who owns the shop happen to be wild woman. What can i do?
Follow the advice of the post before yours. Repent and believe the Gospel. Praise God that you don’t HAVE to do anything about your past sin except what the overflow of your love for the Lord and love for people compels you to do. Remember, upon your death and judgement, your life’s works will be tested by fire, each good work produces treasure to cast at the feet of our Lord. If you would like to have treasure to lay before Him then pray for the courage and willingness to move beyond just simple salvation. Ask for a heart and the help to do the hard things, good things, showing you esteem the work of the cross and thus storing up treasure in Heaven. Remember, you don’t HAVE to do anything about the past, but as long as you’re here you do GET to. It’s a witness and testimony before God and men that you live as though what you believe is really real. Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also.
What do I do about using s false age and is already on all my documents from childhood stage and even on my passport.
Brothers, as can be seen in the requests of Romeo, Isaac, and Dickson, Restitution is necessary for the sake of “following peace with all men”. These are brothers who have been saved (I presume) but are worried about the damage they have seemingly done in the past. When we become saved, we have the joy of salvation in us but that joy is often interrupted by the guilt and misdeeds of the past especially when we know that we have not done all we can in order to right that wrong….this is where restitution comes in. The will to make things right on the outside is a confirmation of the repentance that occurs inside; you are not willing to hide under “Christ forgave all”, although he did, the Love of God that is now made alive in you prompts you to “do unto others what you want them to do to you:
My name is glory ,am a Nigeria,hv done a lot of bad tins and am scared if it will make me to loose heaven.I lied abt my school fees,hv lied my increasing my school fees, I stay with someone cos my parent are poor yet I stole from the house and give to my parent,am scared if I tell the family and staying with they will never forgive me.am really willing to make restitution but am scared some of dem will hate me and I want to make peace with God.hv been having sleepless night .am a baby christian.I want to know God more
Here is a section from the OT on restitution to consider. Numbers 5:5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 5:6 “Tell the Israelites, ‘When a man or a woman commits any sin that people commit, thereby breaking faith with the Lord, and that person is found guilty, 5:7 then he must confess his sin that he has committed and must make full reparation, add one fifth to it, and give it to whomever he wronged.”
Glory, God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of a sound mind; if you have truely given your life to Jesus, you need not be afraid. If you are really pressed in your heart to restitute those sins, here are some steps you must take. First, devote time to studying about restitution. This is necessary so that you dont do the right thing in a wrong way. Secondly, pray about it and seek the Lord’s direction. If you then get the conviction in yoir heart to restitute, commit your ways to the Lord and ask Him to grant you the wisdom and courage you need to restitute appropriately. Then, go ahead with the conviction that the Lord has answered your prayers, and shun the lies of the devil which may want to distract or discourage you. I believe if you follow these steps, you will get the required result of peace and a good testimony. Finally remember the word of the Lord: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct youur path. Shalom
I appreciate God for this website. i have read a lot on this topic -RESTITUTION, and i have been trying to apply it to my situation, but with uneasiness. I need your advice sir, i need to clear this trouble and guilt in my mind, i falsified a birth certificate in order to reduce my age from 1978 to 1980 in order for me to secure a job in the year 2006, shortly after my graduation. i later Got a job in an IT coy and subsequently a bank in which i spent 4 years. I did this during my backsliding years as a christian. I have come back to God now by his mercies, i have confessed to God and prayed for forgiveness.even though am out of the bank’s employment. Now i have heard about restitution and want to make corrections by reverting to my real age on my CVs and other documents, but my challenge is my international passport and marriage certificate which also bears the falsified age. please i want to know how restitution applies to my case. do i need to revert to my real age when my documents already bear the reduced age? I took a step to inquire as to how i can change the age on my international passport back to my real age, but the reply i got was that it is almost impossible. the guilt is still in my heart and has always prevented me from making some applications that will involve me divulging details of my international passport, since i wil not want to lie anymore about my age how can i do restitution in my case sir, i want to be in unhampered relationship with my creator going forward. Julius
What I keep seeing in these comments is painful guilt over past sins or bad choices. Does God want you to continue feeling guilty…even after you have confessed? I don’t think so. Beyond what has been taught and explained in the above comments (make a diligent attempt to correct the situation, to repay the debt, to apologize to those harmed, to confess to those involved, and to ask for forgiveness) I feel the only thing left is human/worldly advice: Julius…move on with your life. If you have sincerely confessed, why do you still feel guilty? Is that not Satan trying to keep you within his grasps? If you have been forgiven by God and by the human’s involved (through sincere confession), why do you not accept that forgiveness? We have ALL made choices in our past that we regret. You seem to be completely focused on your past…but I would suggest that you focus instead on your future. Resolve to make better choices, more honest choices, more God centered choices going forward in your life. Help inspire other people you know (especially younger generations) to learn from your mistakes. Be a wise teacher because of your past errors. Use the experience of making bad choices to help others to make good choices.
I want you to enlighten me sir, on hoe to go about this I did an MBA degree a.t a university in Nigeria, and have finished. I even have my result with me. but during my project work, I copied a project already done by another person in another university and manipulated figures. i only added very few of my own personal research to the literature -review aspect. i am having the guilt that i did not really personally do the project work, eventhough i ahd a good understanding of what the thesis is all about. Kindly enlighten me sir, how can I restitute this sir. i have asked for forgiveness though. Julius.
Julius, see my comment above. Regarding this specific situation, what would make you feel better? Could you possibly RE-TAKE the course and do a new unique project without plagiarizing someone else’s work? If so, then do it. Otherwise, make up your mind to act with more integrity and character in future situations.
I am a teenager and a growing christian. I am writing an exam presently and I sincerely do not want to hurt Jesus Christ. Four of the subjects i have written i did really cheat and my mind is not at ease . I have deceided not to cheat in the next exam. But what worry’s me now is that am i going seat for these exams again to correct my wrong?
As with this and all previous questions on this subject, if it is within your power to correct the wrong, then do so. And then allow the Holy Spirit’s hand to convict you to change your future behavior. That’s what God wants to see. So, if you can re-do the prior exam without cheating, then do so. Talk to the school, teacher, or professor, admit what you did “ie. confess”, and ask them to allow you retake the exam. I wish you all the best.
I’m so happy i found this website. I have read similar cases just like mine here. I had reduced my age in virtually all of my documents. I did this out of desperation to be able to travel out of my country and to have a better life. Now i have rededicated my life to Christ BUT this particular act keeps bugging me because everytime i produce my Id, passport, driver’s license, school documents or people ask my age and i have to present the fake document it kills me. I dont know what to do. God please help me!
A truly born-again Christian has his sins forgiven, by Grace….. bt a guilt-ridden soul can never be on par with the Holy Spirit. When u become truly born again, there always arises in your heart a deep conviction to right so many wrongs in our past, and this guilt continues to gnaw at us, until we make amends. Restitution is not a prerequisite to Heaven, but it is a prerequisite for a guilt-free soul and conscience which is important in our relationship with God. If your heart is always troubled to make restitutions, it then becomes necessary
Good day sir, Please what should I do in this case. I applied for an MSC scholarship offered by my state goverment And my name is out now for the scholarship money. Though my younger brother knows Someone at the scholarship board that influenced the selection as that’s how things run in the goverment boards. Now that my name is out, the woman that helped influenced the selection is saying she didn’t know that my MSC was part time as the scholarship is only for full-time master students, however, she is disposed to help facilitate the payment of the scholarship money, and have requested dat I send in my school details. My question now is can I take this money? Am afraid of the devils booby trap to enslave me with unrighteousness. I need spirit-led advice please . Julius
Julius, first, if the woman is requesting you to send in your school details, then do so. When you send in the information, please make it clear that you are only part-time in the masters program. If you are honest with them about your status, and they decide to honor the scholarship anyway, then accept the money. However, if you are keeping silent about any details that would otherwise disqualify you from the scholarship (ie. you are acting deceitfully), then I would refuse the money. In this lost world, there are many opportunities created based on who you know or who knows you. That by itself is not a reason to accept or refuse things like this. The question is whether YOU are acting honestly or deceitfully. God would expect you to walk in the straight and narrow path and live beyond reproach. Pray about such things. Then, let your conscience (and the Holy Spirit) guide you. If it feels wrong, it probably is. If you are heavily burdened by the situation, it’s probably something you should not do. I hope that helps.
Thanks Brad, for this honest, informative and clear advice. You are doing a great job as a co-laborer with Jesus to liberate people from oppression of the enemy. may God continue to expand your ministry and preserve you holy and blameless till you reach home in eternity. we will meet there in Jesus Name.
please i need your help…….am from Nigeria,the O’level certificate am using in high-institution now, sincerely speaking i cheated during my “SSCE” exam,please how can i do such restitution??? i need to be straight with God
I am born again by God’s grace and I have done a lot of restitutions since giving my life to christ, but recently I remembered a book I stole from my mum. I have confessed my thefts of her money before and we are at peace now, but I am confused now. Going again to confess the book is not the problem, but I am afraid that I will keep remembering one wrong or the other from my past which needs restitution, how then do I have a happy christian walk if I have to keep looking over and over again at my past to avoid any unrestituted wrong. And how do I know to what extent to restitute for my wrongs. Also I bribed someone to help me get admission into the university, do I drop out now or what do I do. Please I need a Holy Ghost inspired answer. Cause I dont want to miss heaven for any reason.
Hi, I am a Nigerian and before I gave my life to Christ I was held in a very serious bondage of MASTURBATION to the extent that I used a female friends underwear to stimulate myself. God has delivered me from that bondage ( PRAISE JESUS) , I did NOT steal the pant or damage it. Pls do I need to confess to her. I really need your opinion on this ( she is now married) . Thanks……
First, thanks for your humility and vulnerability by sharing on our site. That takes great strength in the Lord. I don’t see a reason to confess to her. But confess to God who knows what you did in secret. It sounds like you have already done that, as you have already been delivered. So move forward, and help other Christians in Nigeria to do the same. Help other nigerian Christians to admit their sins to God and one another and then rest in God’s grace, forgiveness, and mercy.
Please I need counsel brother Brad. I had attempted to have sex with a child of about 5 years old when I was about 13 years old or less. I believe she might not have understood what I was trying to do to her then, although I wasn’t using force or being aggressive. When I couldn’t find the place for penetration, I left off trying and let her go. Now I don’t know if I should go and apologise to her parents cause the girl is no longer within my reach . Please what can I do?
Confess to God and accept his forgiveness. I would not recommend talking to her parents. I’m assuming you are older now and have no desires to have sex with children… Correct?
I thank God for saving me. I was really bound before but now am really free. Praise Jesus. Hallelujah. Amen.
Please sir i need counselling on this! I gave some lecturers money to pass their courses and someone also wrote some courses during my first year in the university! On hearing the teachings on restitution as a new convert i was soaked in guilt because of my past. In my effort to go to the University and confess I sought counsel from a lecturer that is a member of the university disciplinary panel, he told me that i will be tried in court, jailed and result retrived because that is what is in their constitution. I also cheated during my senior secondary exams. My birth was not documented so i picked up a date on my own and it is what am using in all my documents. I also falsified my primary school certificate, all these are what i used in securing the job that am doing. I have confessed all of these to Jesus, I really need to know what to do in this situation. Thank you.
Ekara, first, we can’t be worried about the earthly punishment for our earthly sins. Sometimes, that’s the price you have to pay when you have lived an unrighteous life. I’m wondering if the lecturer on the disciplinary board is just trying to cover their own butts by making the possible punishment sound so bad that you are dissuaded from confessing to them. Not only that, but someone on the disciplinary board would be obligated to act on the information you already shared, unless they too were likely taking bribes. Based on what I’ve heard from others, I’m guessing such bribes and cheating is rampant in your area. If the holy spirit is convicting you to confess to them officially and on public record, then DO SO. Have you also made a covenant with God to change your ways and live a righteous life…without lying, cheating, bribery etc.? God hates gaining from dishonest means. So change your ways and start living rightly. That’s what God wants for you.
Helo bro Brad. I really appreciate your counsel, you have contributed immensly to my growth as a new convert. After dealing with one case of restitution another surfaces. I falsified a certificate of origin to go to school in my maternal state so as to enable me afford the fees and I graduated with a first class after much hardwork.If I go back to report myself I will loose all my certificates and probably shatter a lot of persons hope in my family. My siblings are looking up to me because I am the first graduate and they might feel that I am being selfish .. I am totally confused here. Does God wants me to suffer for my past?. Pls what do you think I should do this time.
Does God want you to suffer for your past? NO! He wants to FREE you from the chains that enslave you. He came, he died on the cross FOR YOU, to SAVE YOU from your sins…both past, present, and future. Who do you think wants to keep you stuck in the past…focusing on your sins? (could it be the Devil?) REST in what Jesus Christ did for you. Accept his mercy, forgiveness, and abounding grace. That IS our Christian gospel. I’m not going to tell you what to do in this latest case of guilty feelings. However, two concepts: 1) God wants you to START living a righteous life. 2) He also would prefer you to NOT be enslaved by the expectations of other men (your family). Care more about what God thinks and what God wants…and less on what other people think or how you may be treated or might suffer in this life.
After reading thru the comments, so many of them seem to be reliving sins from the past that have come to the surface in the present, with tremendous guilt as a burden on the soul. In the face of realizing that a part of him would only sin and there seemed no escape, Paul wrote, “There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Christ has come for freedom from guilt. The Spirit convicts of sin to bring you to Christ, but He will not use guilt to lead you forward in Him. There are so many verses that speak of the cleansing available thru the blood of Christ and faith in Him and His working in you that being cleansed should be your starting point. Before seeking to relieve your conscience by making restitution with others, find that freedom first in Christ. It is written in Hebrews, “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” A little further on, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” The peace of mind and heart and conscience and the cleansing so longed for is found in union with Christ in the presence of God thru His Spirit. The fruit that comes from that place and the position may be any number of things. We are called to comfort others with the freedom and comfort we have received. Certainly confession of sins to other brothers is given to us as grace, but often blatant confessions to others, sometimes many years after, are merely attempts to relieve our own guilty conscience and give no benefit to others, especially if the other is an unbeliever. The guilt we bear has already been dealt with in Christ, and seeking relief thru confession to others apart from Christ and His blood is at best short-lived and ultimately ineffective. Going forward, how people and situations are dealt with will vary depending on the needs of others which God knows, but that way will always be marked by life and will mean life to others. As others have mentioned above, the guilt that you are reliving may be the work of the enemy of our souls who seeks to crush you and whose works are marked by death.
Excellent points and I couldn’t say it any better myself. (other people reading this blog, please READ the above comment. It’s dead on!
Also… 1 John 1:9 NIV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Yes! brother Brad, wonderful verse you cite that has meant life to my soul many many times after having sinned. Here is one other from Acts 15 when Peter was speaking about Gentiles receiving salvation, “And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.” Hearts cleansed by faith. . . an amazing thing grace is that an active positive faith in Jesus Christ cleanses the heart. He will bring us thru and deliver us from all things. . . Jesus saves completely.
Pls dere is someone who talked about having his ssce result thru cheating.can u pls counsel dat person on how to go about his restitution.
i am am born again christian, my hubby pastors a church and we both work as well, in trying to make ends meet , i tried to set up a business with some money my sister trusted me to keep for her in fixed deposit in my name, no one else is aware of this money, am still in custody of some part of the money, but i’ve been trying to put back the money i took so i dont disspoint her,but the interest keeps runnng so it looks like am not paying back anything ,my sister trusted me to keep this money, but i’ve trying to get a loan to pay back through my salary but it’s not working i have failed \God so much. a lot of people look up to me.and i know if tell my sister she might not be able to stand d shock , but i have been praying about it i can’t sleep anymore, i feel like taking my life am really confused, i’ve begged God for mercy and to help me with a means to pay back please i need your advice.
The devil loves secrets. The best advice is to shine light on the darkness you are experiencing. Tell you sister. Confess what you did. Then work with her to pay the money back according to her wishes.
My name is samson i am a drummer in church i work in golf office in my problem here in my office we have some items we dont use again nd i took one the item which is couting and i took it to my house and we used it to decorate our windows nw am born again and i still work there and they trust me what can i do? Should i just go and drop it back at the store .but they have nt notice it got missing yet .cos in charge of dat store.what should i do?
Samson, go to the owner of the golf store and confess what you have done. Don’t make any excuses. Tell him you know it was wrong and you would like to make it right. Tell him you will return what you took or pay him for it… Whatever he would have you do.
Sir but i have returnd it without letting them notice the thing got missing do i need to go to them again
Samson, there is a world of difference between stealing something and then returning it before anyone finds out…and confessing what you have done to the person you stole from. God knows your heart. But the problem is you are still trying to keep it a secret and avoid the consequence of your actions. Your HEART is trying to avoid punishment and keep secret your sin. The way to a righteous life is to expose your sin and accept the consequences for your actions. Then you will truly be free, even if the punishment is severe. So, even though you have returned what you stole. My advice: Go tell the owner, confess your sin, apologize, and ask for their forgiveness. Then, accept whatever consequence the owner deems fit for you. Do NOT allow the fear of what MAY happen keep you front coming clean and being honest with the store owner. In other words, delivery yourself humbly into the hands of the owner and let them be the one to choose what should be done.
Bro. Brad, thank you for the help you have been rendering to God’s children. I have been personally helped by the posts on this topic, however, I still need help on a particular issue. I once in company of friends, stole into my school’s food store (it was a boarding school) and stole some bread. I graduated 3 years ago. now am bornagain and am not sure if I should or should not restitute this wrong. please help me.
Do you feel burdened by this past sin? Is the Holy spirit convicting you of the need to restitute? If so, contact the school, confess what you did, and ask them how you can repay them for the property (bread) or any damage that might have been done. Confess also your sin to God and ask for his forgiveness. Then, go and sin no more.
Pls i need counselling on this, I cheated in my SSCE exam bt then i was a sinner, now i have given my life to christ and i am feeling guilty for what i did. I have ask God for forgiveness,is it ok or right for me to use that result as a christain???
Comfort — No, it is NOT okay for a Christian to use credentials that were obtained fraudulently.
Pls iam a sinner i lie to get money from people,i steal both in my house and out and i have committed 3 abortion and find it difficult to go 2 my pastor for restitution because of shame in this case wat do i do?
Racheal, you’re describing a situation that suggests you may not belong to the Lord. People who have surrendered their lives and wills to Jesus Christ can NOT continue having abortions, lying to get money, and stealing … among other things. They also don’t use shame — which is pride — as an excuse to keep from doing that which God has commanded them to do. If you have given your life to the Lord, and want to live a victorious life in Jesus Christ, then you must be actively turning from your old, sinful ways and turning toward His righteous ways. You also must do what God requires — even if it is embarrassing, inconvenient, or uncomfortable. Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) So the real question to be answered here is, do you really love Jesus? If so, then you have some work to do!
Sir,i really love the lord but my question is that do i have to go to those people i do steal their money to ask for forgiveness or to my pastor to confess or to do away with those things. Thks
Racheal, why are you pretending that you are ignorant? If you have wronged someone, you cannot receive their forgiveness from someone else. This is not difficult to understand. Apologize to the person(s) that you have stolen from. After all, it’s what a Christ-follower does! (Matthew 5:23-24)
Sry sir,for bordering u wit too much questions i jst want to know the truth. Pls sir,what if u decided to discontinue ur sins and u pray to God for forgiveness without going to those people would God recieve u back?
Rachael, with all due respect, you asked for advice, and Larry gave you Godly advice. It’s now your job to follow through and Do It. But to answer your question: 1) yes, God still loves you. 2) if you ask Him to forgive you, he will. But there is still a huge gaping hole in your relationship with God caused by your pride and unwillingness to rectify the situation with the person you stole from. God holds that against you. The relevant Bible verse here is Matthew 5:23-24, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” the point is that God cares that you are in right relationships with your fellow humans. You’ve done some damage that only you can repair. God is clear that he would rather you repair the damage with the person FIRST before coming before him in worship. And if necessary, you must suffer the earthly consequences of your actions, but will have a spiritual reward for doing so. Rachael, go at once to the person you stole from. You can’t even imagine how much glory you will bring to God and how much peace you will bring to yourself for taking earthly responsibility for your actions. Do it, then come back here and report what happens both earthly and spiritually to you. Also, start praying that the person will treat you with grace and forgiveness also.
Good Day Men of God, I have a Muslim friend who I have been reaching out to him for some years now and I know God will touch him and bring him to the knowledge of Christ. I just want you to join me in prayers. Again, I need a life partner , a good employment and accommodation. I need God’s intervention these areas of my life. Lastly, last night i just had a dream where I saw my self in an exam hall with my secondary school classmate writing exams. What is the meaning of this dream. I have fasted and prayed about it though. What do I do now? I need to hear fro you. God bless you sir.
Eucharia, you have brought up three (3) different topics. First – we’ll join you in prayer that God will draw your Muslim friend to Himself and that he will come to acknowledge Christ as Lord. Second – we’ll join you in prayer that God will lead you to the spouse that He has for you, suitable employment and housing. Third – there is no basis for Christ-followers to find any particular meaning in dreams. Let me explain that. In the Old Testament, the Lord did speak to prophets in dreams; that was before Jesus’ death and resurrection, and before the Holy Spirit took up residence in Christ-followers. Once you acknowledge Christ as Lord and surrender your life and will to Him, the Holy Spirit lives in you. His job is to lead you, help you hear the voice of the God, and give you understanding of Scripture. Since we have Scripture, direct access to God Himself (through Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit to give us understanding and discernment — there has not been a need for God to speak to anyone through dreams. So we can understand our dreams as simply random occurrences that have no meaning whatsoever. If anything, reading meaning into them where it doesn’t belong has the danger of allowing the devil to mislead and deceive us, distracting us from the truth of God’s Word. If you (as a Christ-follower) think that God is telling you something, it is likely that He is doing so through the Holy Spirit that lives in you. The way to confirm that it is indeed God directing you is to check that it does not conflict with Scripture, and to ask other brothers (or sisters) in Christ to pray with you about it and affirm that God tells them the same thing.
I did an examination in 2008. When we entered into the examination hall the invigilator incharge gave all the candidates the examinations question paper. But after discovering that some parts of the items we were to use in answering the set question did not circulate as expected the invigilator decided to collect back the question paper from all the students. I personally in the cause of going through the questions I have discovered that I did not know some part of the questions summing up to about 5marks of the total 70marks for that particular subject of which I asked my fellow candidate who gave me the answer all this occured while the question paper has not yet been returned back to us. Eventually the question paper was redistrubuted back to the candidates by the invigilator after the items lacking have been put in place. I eventually had a B grade which reflected in my certificate alongside other subjects I did some were C grade Some B grade. The B grade for the subject I cheated I might still have attained should the 5 marks were removed. But that will only depend on the scores. The score was not written in the certificate else I would have been able to discern . I wrote to the appropriate body concerning my crime but I was not given any reply. Please what can I do
Good day sir, I reduced my age in 2006 by obtaining a fraudulent birth certificate to gain employment and to maintain consistency, my marriage certificate and international passport bears the same date of birth. i did this during my status as a backslider, as during this state, decisions i made were all wrong. not i have been restored by God’s grace and have started a process of making corrections to my documentations. i have changed back my date of birth to my real age, edited my CV to correct he age, i also plan to write to the chruch that conducted my wedding that my age was wrong on the certificate. my challenge now is my international passport . my enquirers with immigration officers in my country reveals that its almost impossible and may need to use a lie to correct a lie, as such request for change of date of Birth might be treated as fraudulent, and refused. i have applied for a UK visa with same passport before, though was refused. please what can I do. i want to make the changes back to my true age. or what will a continual use of the wrong age because of the fact that date of birth on the passport cannot be changed amount to spiritually?
I wouldn’t worry about it, Adeyanju. You wrote to the appropriate body and alert them to the issue. If there is no consequence then there’s nothing more that you can do. Not every wrong requires restitution. (It just requires a heart that’s willing to make restitution.)
Julius, the inconvenience or difficulty of correcting something like this is often just a natural consequence of the poor choice we made in the first place. You can NOT use a fraudulent passport for any reason, any time. Christ followers would NEVER do that. You may have to physically go to the passport office (or the embassy if you don’t reside in your own country right now), explain that the information on your passport is not accurate, and ask how you can go about getting it changed. (I would guess you may need to show proof of what your actual birth date really is.)
WOW…what an amazing response to one article. We are very happy to help, but for now we are going to close the comments on this article. If you have your own situation where you need advice on restitution or anything else, please use our About > Contact Us form to submit a new “Dear Larry” question and we will post the question and reply as a new article.