Doctrine on restitution.

Doctrine:  Restitution.

OUR LORD AT THE END OF HIS EARTHLY MINISTRY, COMMANDED THAT HIS CHURCH BE TAUGHT ALL THAT HE COMMANDED. 

Matthew  28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

IN ADDITION FROM GLORY ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, HE COMMANDED THAT HIS CHURCH, SHOULD LIVE BY ALL THEY WERE TAUGHT. 

Revelation  3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.  3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Revelation  2:25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

AFTER HIS ASCENSION, THE LEADERSHIP OF HIS CHURCH, ADDICT THEMSELVES TO THIS ALL IMPORTANT, ETERNITY DEFINING DIRECTIVE. 

THE CHURCH UNDER PETER 

Acts  2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

THE CHURCH UNDER PAUL.

Acts  20:20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,  20:26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.  20:27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

NO WONDER WHEN PAUL WAS ROUNDING UP HIS MINISTRY ON EARTH, HE COMPELLED TIMOTHY, TO ENSURE, HE LIVED BY AND TEACH THE ENTIRETY OF ALL HE HAD BEEN TAUGHT. 

1 Timothy  4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

BIBLE DOCTRINE 

RESTITUTION:

God’s Word teaches:

That Restitution is making amends for wrongs done against our fellow men, restoring stolen things to their rightful owners, paying debts, giving back where one has defrauded, making confessions to the offended and apologizing to those slandered so as to have a conscience void of offence toward God and man. 

Acts  24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

Restitution is very very important, because, God wants you to correct the past. 

Ecclesiastes  3:15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

God was the first person to teach the doctrine of restitution. 

Genesis  20:1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.  20:2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.  20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.  20:4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?  20:5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.  20:6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.  20:7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.  20:8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.  20:14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.  20:15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.  20:16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.  20:17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

Jesus teaches restitution.

Matthew  5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;  5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

The blessed Holy Spirit teaches restitution.

Acts  24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

James  4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

James  5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Restitution on stealing 

Exodus  22:1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.  22:2 If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.  22:3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.  22:4 If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.  22:5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man’s field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.  22:6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.

Restitution concerning deception.

Leviticus  6:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  6:2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;  6:3 Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:  6:4 Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,  6:5 Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.  6:6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest:  6:7 And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.

Restitution to the Lord.

Numbers  5:6 Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person be guilty;  5:7 Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.  5:8 But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the LORD, even to the priest; beside the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him.

Proverbs  6:31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

Payment of debts.

Ezekiel  33:14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;  33:15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.  33:16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

Jacob and his family did restitution.

Genesis  43:11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:  43:12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:

Zacchaeus did restitution.

Luke  19:8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.  19:9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

Paul did restitution.

Acts  23:1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.  23:2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.  23:3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?  23:4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest?  23:5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

Philemon  1:10 I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:  1:11 Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:  1:12 Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:  1:13 Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:  1:14 But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.  1:15 For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;  1:16 Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?  1:17 If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.  1:18 If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;  1:19 I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.

Have you done your restitution?

Have you corrected your past?

Without restitution, your salvation is not authentic.

Luke  19:8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.  19:9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

God require that which was past.

Ecclesiastes  3:15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

Are you with your rightful partner or you are living with second husband or second wife?

Mark  10:10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.  10:11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.  10:12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

Romans  7:2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.  7:3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

If you fail to do your restitution, you will not be part of the imminent rapture or eternity with God. This is because you are a sinner.

Numbers  32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

James  4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin

If you don’t want to hear about restitution, then your name will be removed from the book of life.

Revelation  22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

When you do your restitution, you shall be saved and qualified for heaven.

1 Timothy  4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Hold on to the doctrine of restitution, it will guarantee your eternity with God.

Revelation  2:25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

Revelation  3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.  3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.  3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Let us pray.