When we sin, we must make Restitution
Jesus said: (and I paraphrase for clarity)
“When you pray to God the Father and ask to be forgiven for your sins, ask yourself if you have done all that you can so as to be truly forgiven by those whom you have wronged in life…
Do it while it is still time, because if by Judgment Day you haven’t done so, the person that you have wronged may demand that justice be done, and you will be punished harshly for having sinned against him!
(Matthew 5:23-26)
In this passage, Jesus instructs us to put right whatever injustice and evil deed we may have done to others.
And he does not mean that we should merely admit our wrongdoing and say: “I am sorry, please forgive me”!
We must also do our best to “put right” the wrong that we have done to others, and make full restitution for the harm done, by paying some price, making some favour, and doing as much good as it is necessary for the one who was armed to truly forgive us from the heart!
Contrary to what most Christians believe today, the bible teaches us that we, the children of God, will be punished like everyone else for every sin that we have committed. Not to the extent that we deserve, for sure, but we will still be punished severely:
On Judgment Day, “Christians” and “non-Christians” will treated in the same way, Th he Scripturessay: they will be imprisoned or beaten for the evil they did. (. )
“For God shows no favouritism: Anyone who has done wrong will be punished for his wrongdoing!” (Colossians 3: 25)
So, God’s advice to his followers is:
“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling!” (Philippians 2: 12)
“A child of God will suffer punishment if, after having received the knowledge of the truth and having been washed with the precious blood of Jesus, he still sins willingly, and by doing that, offends God’s Spirit of Grace!
God will make justice, and it will be a fearful thing to fall into God’s hands to be judged by him!
(Hebrews 10: 26- 31)
God’s children will only receive grace and escape being thrown into hell only for not having rejected the Light and Truth of Christ, as the non- believers did!
The same Scriptures that tell us that “there is no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Jesus” (Romans 8: 1) also say:
“The servant who knows his master’s will and does not do it will be beaten with many or less blows, depending on the severity of his sin…” (Luke 12: 47- 48)
And:
“Be reconciled with those whom you have hurt otherwise they may demand for justice to be done, on Judgement Day, and you will then be thrown into prison, where you will stay until the sentence is fully executed.
(Matthew 5: 25 – 26).
If you cannot reconcile these apparently contradicting statements with Romans’ 8: 1, do not choose the one and reject the other!
All you need to know is that all of God’s Words will come to pass!
Let us fear God, therefore, and not sin, and let us demonstrate our repentance and need to be forgiven by our eagerness of putting right the wrong that we have done to others.