Restitution

This is why doctrines of restitution are wrong. These doctrines hold that when we are saved we must seek and restore everything we did wrong before we were saved. Some apply this to marriage, saying they must leave their current wife or husband and go back to their first. If their first has since married another, then that other marriage must also be dissolved.

Doctrines of restitution can be damaging to people’s lives. If we have something that belongs to some one else then we should give it back. But what God really wants is a change of life. “Let him who stole steal no more, but rather let him labour with his hands that he might have to share with those in need.” (Eph 4:28).

This is a change of heart orientation. Instead of self-centeredness there is responsibility and caring for others. This is what God is looking for, a change on the inside. He is not looking for a patch up of our past with reference to laws. There is no way we could do this well enough to justify our self.

Do not break up marriages and try to restore older ones. This is legalism and it destroys families. Once we lived in selfishness and lust, now we love our wife or husband. We stop living the way we once did and our heart is changed. When people are saved and their family life needs attention we seek to “strengthen what remains”. We do not try to dig up the past and “fix” it.

Some say that we have curses from our past mistakes. This is not true. Christ died for that. God never asked us to fix anything. He does the fixing. We are not able to fix anything. This is His salvation. He came to change our heart. That is all God wants to do. The problems come from the heart. A changed heart changes our future. The law cannot help fix the past. With changed hearts the Lord makes us part of the solution in family, church and society.
It is not about law at all. It should never be used to legalistically rearrange lives. This is worship of the law. It is people that matter. God loves people and that is what the law is for. Paul said he was in debt to all men, for his former life when he persecuted the church. He paid that debt by preaching the gospel to all men and by being a servant to Christ (Rom 1:14-15, 1 Cor 15:9-10).

Paul did not go looking for people he offended or hurt before, to make it up to them, so he could put things right with God. Christ put his life right with God. Paul is our best example in this matter. He fulfilled his debt in Christ, by being a servant to all through the gospel. Those who are bitter and do not accept the gospel or that God has forgiven our past, make that choice for themselves.