S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Restitution is a biblical concept, and there are passages in both Old and New Testaments that reveal the mind of God on this subject. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were under the Law, which ...

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July 01 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

L.S. James Supporter Artist

Full Definition of RESTITUTION (merriam-webster.com)
1: an act of restoring or a condition of being restored: as
a : a restoration of something to its rightful owner
b : a making good of or giving an equivalent for some injury
2: a legal action serving to cause restoration of a previous state

Restitution is fine but justification by faith has laid that work to rest. 

Zaccheus (Luke 19:1-9), despite being a scoundrel, made restitution because he grasped the concept as a Jew living under the Law even as lowly fishermen did viz. Peter, James and John, let alone the Lord. 

The Church, however, being predominantly Gentile since Pentecost and the decree of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) has been spared restitution. How is that so? 

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Rom 5:8-10)

That faith and repentance are intrinsic components in salvation, faith alone in The Christ of God (Luke 9:20) guarantees eternal security. What more, Faith to believe is the unmitigated gift of God to whom He wills. 

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Eph 2:8. 9)

Stripped of sacraments, morals and hype, what defines the saint then is faith - a saving believing faith in The Christ of God (Luke 9:20). Faith alone saves. It is not faith in faith, faith and baptism, faith and Eucharist, faith and works, faith and Church, faith and restitution, or any other concoctions.

Jesus Himself made this explicit when He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” (Luke 7:50). 

Give the Lord His due then, the preservation of the saints rests on the laurels of Christ alone: For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous (Rom 5:19).

Restitution as a means of 'trying to make up for wrongs' is, in my humble opinion, somewhat expanded in karma and purgatory that has the penitent pay for a gamut of mortal and venial sins in what seems like eternity! Better then is the sinner saved by grace through faith in Christ's finished work - once and for all! 

With 613 Laws of the Old Testament called the Mitzvot and 38 Commandments from the four Gospels or 1050 commands via repetition in the New Testament for believers to obey, how else but surely that the just shall live by faith! (Rom 1:17)

June 11 2014 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

Restitution in the Net Bible is found here:

Leviticus 24:18, 21:
18 One who beats an animal to death must make restitution for it, life for life. 21 One who beats an animal to death must make restitution for it, but one who beats a person to death must be put to death. 

Exodus 22:3, 5-6:

3 If the sun has risen on him, then there is blood guilt for him. A thief must surely make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he will be sold for his theft. 

5 If a man grazes his livestock in a field or a vineyard and he lets the livestock loose and they graze in the field of another man, he must make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.

6 If a fire breaks out and spreads to thorn bushes, so that stacked grain or standing grain or the whole field is consumed, the one who started the fire must surely make restitution.

And Isaiah 53:10: "Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill, once restitution is made, he will see descendants and enjoy long life, and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him." One reason we should make RESTITUTION, is that the Lord made it, and we should follow His example. See 1 Peter 2:21 -- "For to this you have been called, because CHRIST also suffered for you, a leaving you an example, so that YOU might FOLLOW IN IS STEPS."

I had to make restitution once after vandalizing $5,000 worth of someone else's property. Or at least I had to be willing to--I called the appropriate party, a contractor, and confessed to breaking glass windows and sliding glass doors of his new houses he was building. He let me off, with my confession. Christ had changed me after I became His follower. And He was extremely merciful!

March 12 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report