Restitution And Reparations

May 26, 2023

We hear a lot about reparations today and almost nothing about restitution, even in Christian churches. Isn’t that curious? Reparations is a hot topic in San Francisco and for the State of California, with an estimated price tag around 800 billion dollars. These are serious discussions about giving Black Californians reparations for slavery practiced against their ancestors in the USA many years ago, even though California was a free state. Lots of questions come immediately to my mind. But first, let us define what the meaning of the word reparations is.

The two-part dictionary definition of reparations is:

1) “Compensation in money, material, labor, etc, payable by a defeated country to another country or an individual for loss suffered during or as a result of war. The US Government paid money to Japanese Americans who had been interned during World War 2.” (Let me add another example: Germany paid reparations to other countries for WW 1 and to the Jews for WW 2.).  

2) “Monetary or other compensation payable by a country to an individual for a historical wrong: The article is about reparations to Black people for the enslavement of their ancestors.”

That is the definition of reparations taken from the online iPhone Dictionary application. Reparations are compensation paid to a country, by a country, or to individuals as a result of war or a historical wrong.

People might wonder how all this will actually work and how it can be proven that a Black person today had an ancestor who was a slave in the USA over a century and a half ago. How will it work for those Blacks who have married into other groups? Then, there’s the question of the approximately 3,700 black slave owners in the USA who owned around 12,000 black slaves in the early 1800s. Who were they? Will their black descendants today be required to pay reparations to the families of those slaves? How exactly would that be done? And how many current U.S. citizens who are not Black have ancestors that owned slaves? As far as I know, no one in my family tree owned slaves. Should I, and others like me, be required to pay reparations? Or should this be settled nationally, where most everyone pays something?

 The questions are numerous, extending beyond these few. And should wealthy Black Americans today, whose ancestors were slaves, be given reparations? Why? What do we do with Native Americans and their claims? Do we ignore them and only respond to Black Americans? The idea of reparations is an emotional and political idea that falls short on reason but appeals to the greed of many. In the last few days, Cori Bush, a Democrat representative, upped the reparations ante to 14 trillion for all Black Americans across the nation. Why stop at 14 trillion? Then there is the financial issue that our country is, in reality, bankrupt, with over $31 trillion in debt. Some say our absolute obligations (unfunded liabilities) exceed 200 trillion before any reparations are made. That is an incomprehensible number, and most agree that it will never be paid back. Do we spend trillions of dollars more than we do not have to pay a debt we (citizens today) do not owe? All this just to appease a radical minority and assuage the guilt of progressive-minded Americans. We all agree that slavery is evil, but it is not any more wicked than many things that still go on today (baby killing).

Immediately, you will notice the difference between biblical restitution and reparations as they are discussed today. Please note, the example above involving Japanese Americans is different than discussions today about reparations to ancestors of slaves. Japanese Americans, who were interned during World War 2, were paid compensation, not their progeny. Restitution, in scripture, is about the individual who steals making amends with the person that was wronged, not about that person’s distant relatives receiving compensation at a much later date. Today we are talking about reparations to the ancestors of slaves, which is a different matter altogether. The Bible doesn’t specifically address reparations, but it does have a great deal to say about restitution.

Moses received the law from God. The law of restitution was part of it, even if you may have never heard about restitution from your pastor. That has not always been the case in Christian churches. The following paragraphs are from my draft on theology, “When Lies Become Truth”.

“The doctrine of repentance implies many things. It includes hatred for and rejection of sin in ourselves….. It also implies a willingness to make restitution. …... I call this a forgotten truth for I have never heard it preached or seen it written about in contemporary theology.[1] Restitution is a crucial component of repentance, faith, and love.

         When I first got right with God, I knew I must make restitution as I was able. I had not yet read about it in the Bible, nor was I taught it in the churches I attended. I just knew I must make restitution. My moral rational nature, given to me by God, told me that I must make this right and provide restitution. I set about to do it. Needless to say, it was a challenging experience. I made it easier by doing some of it anonymously, hoping that would ease my conscience. And it did for a few years. I am disappointed the church didn’t teach me what I should do. I had to figure it out on my own. It never occurred to me that making restitution would earn me salvation and God’s forgiveness. However, I knew it must be a condition of being forgiven, saved, and being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Restitution is proof my repentance and faith are genuine, nothing more or less. Growing up in the Christian faith, under dispensational semi-Calvinism, restitution wasn’t taught. Even the doctrine of repentance was neglected. As I read the Word of God, I gained a deeper understanding of the requirement for restitution.

 A few years later, after spending a considerable amount of time studying the Bible and the central doctrines of the Christian faith, I began to struggle with what I had been taught. Eventually I rejected most of what I was taught…..…. It was an intense struggle. I spent a considerable amount of time seeking God in fasting and prayer. I came to understand that my feeble attempt to make restitution was just that, a weak attempt. I knew I must do most of it all over again and do it personally this time. That was one of the most difficult and humbling experiences of my life. It was a test. Did I love God enough to humble myself before others and admit the truth? I promised to do it. God came down. I did make restitution. It was a long and involved process, for I was evil.

         Most churches, as far as I know, don’t teach the need to make restitution as part of repentance. Some people do it because they know, without being told, that it is required. How could the Righteous Judge of the universe dismiss the principle of restitution? In the following story, I hope to illustrate the absurdity of claiming that restitution is not a condition of justice, love, faith, and salvation. 

Rebekah was found guilty of theft from a neighbor’s house. She stole money, jewelry, and clothing. The judge sentenced her for her crime. When the neighbor inquired about the stolen goods, which were still in her possession, the judge said she didn’t need to return them.

         Can you imagine such a ridiculous scene? Who would view this as justice? Now imagine the judge suspends her sentence because Rebekah declares she is sorry for her crimes and promises not to steal anymore. Now, what would you think of the judge if he didn’t require her to return the stolen property? What would you feel about her professed repentance if she didn’t volunteer to return the stolen property? What if she flat out refused to return the stolen property? Would you believe she was genuinely repentant in either case?

         In Christian churches, we are told the Righteous Judge of the universe doesn’t require that we return stolen property. Most often nothing at all is said. We are told, by silence from the pulpit or directly, that we can be saved and keep what was stolen. What is nonsense in the secular world is real in the spiritual realm. 

         Someone might claim they didn’t know about the necessity of restitution. Will God condemn you for that? No, He will not, if you genuinely didn’t know. But now that you do know, what is your response? Will you make restitution, to the extent possible, now that you know what God requires? If not, then you must be certain that you are not genuinely repentant. Consequently, you can by no means be forgiven and pardoned while you refuse the conditions of your justification. Biblical evidence for the doctrine of restitution is presented below.

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “When a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the Lord, and deceives his companion in regards to a deposit or a security entrusted to him, or through robbery, of if he has extorted from his companion, or has found what was lost and lied about it and sworn falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of the things a man may do; then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery, or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him, or the lost thing which he found, or anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full, and add to it one-fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day he presents his guilt offering.” Leviticus 6:1-5.

 Specific Old Testament laws are no longer applicable today for several reasons. What about this statute? Doesn’t it contain a universally perpetual moral law? I think it is clear, and it remains applicable today. I will provide New Testament evidence for those who are yet undecided.

         Referring to the passage above, all this was required before that person would be forgiven. This principle is repeated throughout the Old Testament. But what about the New Testament? Does it refer to the doctrine of restitution? In Luke 19, we have the story of Zacchaeus.

“And Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much. And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:8-10.

         Would Jesus have made that statement if Zacchaeus refused to restore what he had defrauded others of? Someone might suggest the thief on the cross was promised eternal life when he didn’t do anything but believe. The thief certainly didn’t make restitution. While all that is true, do you argue that the thief had saving faith if he was taken down from the cross and allowed to live but then refused to restore what he had stolen? He could do nothing but believe, for he was about to die. If you are about to die, then don’t worry about making restitution.

         Equally important, Christ taught the principle of love. How is it possible to love our neighbor as ourselves when we refuse to return what we have stolen from our neighbor? It’s not possible. If we refuse to admit what we have done and then return what we have stolen, we make a mockery of loving our neighbor. Can such a person be a Christian? Most teachers in “Israel” today would say yes. What do you think?” (End of excerpt.)

A deeper dive

Restitution involves returning money or property that has been stolen, along with an additional amount to compensate for the trouble. It was paid by the guilty person (the criminal/thief/liar) to the person who suffered a loss (the victim), not to a distant relative at a much later date (reparations). The guilty party was required to add 20% or more to it. In God’s mind, restitution made justice and forgiveness possible. Without restitution, reconciliation would never be feasible.

If professing Christians today ever actually lived the way the Word of God required, much of the world would quickly be won to Christ. If “Christians” made amends for their wrongdoing, including restitution, the secular world would definitely take notice. The whole world would awaken to truth and God. Multitudes would be saved! The problem is that very few “Christians” alive today are willing to do what Scripture demands, which is to make restitution. Their selfishness and pride stand in the way of them making restitution. And the very gospel of Jesus Christ is maligned in the process of “Christians” making excuses for not humbling themselves by making restitution.

 Today we have CINOs (Christians in Name Only) who rob, steal, cheat, deceive, lie, and take what doesn’t belong to them and never make it right by returning the property that they have stolen. In your life before Christ, if you have stolen anything, if you have cheated others, if you have made pledges that you have not paid, if you have robbed others and lied about it, you must make restitution to the extent possible. As I was counting the cost of becoming a Christian, I knew I must make restitution for the wicked things I had done in my past as part of the process of becoming a Christ follower. Making restitution was proof that my repentance and faith in Jesus Christ were genuine. It did not earn my salvation but was an obvious condition of salvation. Would Christ forgive my sins if I refused to repent of my sins? Obviously not. I realize that many “Christians” believe that God does forgive us even if we never repent of any sins, which is a damnable lie.

 To become a Christian, you must make restitution as part of your repentance, to the extent possible. Sometimes it is impossible to make restitution due to various reasons. And if you made a profession of faith in Christ in the past, but continued to steal, or cheat and deceive, you must also repent and make restitution. Many “Christians” have been duped into believing that God will forgive their sins without their repentance of those sins, which includes full restitution. How is it that Christians could possibly believe such a ridiculous, unreasonable, and unbiblical teaching? People, including Christians, consider what they want to be true, rather than what is true.

There are very few pastors who tell those who attend their church that, unless they return everything they have stolen, from their first theft onward, even if it takes months or years to do so, they can never be forgiven by God and will not go to heaven. Most Pastors say nothing about the requirement of restitution out of the fear of man. Churches today rarely teach on genuine biblical repentance from sin and seldom address the subject of restitution. We have churches in America that do not believe repentance from any sin whatsoever is even necessary for salvation. I find that it is almost incomprehensible. I do not see how the Word of God could make it any more straightforward that repentance from sin is a condition of salvation. They believe repentance is merely another term for faith, which has no connection to forsaking sin. How far have we fallen! Lies, not truth, prevail in the land. We also have churches that teach that Christians should expect to sin in thought, word, and deed every day, but not to worry because they are still going to heaven. Given this false teaching, why would Christians make restitution?

Is it any wonder that the “Christian” church is full of CINOs and not real born-again followers of Christ? Tell “seekers” that all they need to do to be saved is to just trust in Christ, and a new CINO is born. These Pastors do not tell “seekers” they must repent from their sins and make restitution to be saved. Pastors don’t tell “seekers” to count the cost of becoming a child of God. They are not told that they must be willing to forsake their sins and make restitution. The church today makes it easy for “seekers,” and it doesn’t want to scare them away with obligations of repentance from sin and restitution. Too many Churches peddle a quick and hassle-free new birth. What churches get instead of new life is a church full of unsaved religious hypocrites. And they see no problem in that.

Most “Christians” will find this subject of restitution very difficult to hear and accept. They will reject what I have to say because their heads are filled with years of false teaching. Additionally, they will recoil in fear at the very idea of publicly confessing their sin and the humbling act of making restitution. To avoid the truth, they will shoot the messenger. They will call me a legalist, a heretic, or worse, all in an effort to ignore what God and reason require of them. I often lament that few “Christians” actually believe the Word of God they adamantly profess to believe in. “Christians” typically select and adopt specific passages of the Bible that they will accept and live by. They prefer to believe, what they want to be true, not what is true. Let us be clear, making restitution doesn’t earn salvation, but it is a condition of being saved, just like repentance and faith are conditions of salvation.Let us consider the following scenarios.

• If you have defaulted on a loan, and not repaid it plus interest and fees, you must make restitution to the extent possible. You are still in possession of money or property that is not your own. Until the debt is repaid or forgiven by the person or business that loaned you the money, it remains your moral and financial obligation.
• If you have made a promise to donate funds to your church, or a not-for-profit agency, and failed to fulfill your pledge, you are a thief and a liar and must make it right.
• If you have made a pledge to God but have failed to fulfill your word, you must make it right immediately. You can’t rob God and be forgiven at the same time.
• If you have deliberately underpaid or not paid your federal, city, or state taxes, you must confess your sin and make it right, including all penalties as required. A thief who refuses to pay what is due is still a thief and is not repentant.
• If you have stolen from any person or cheated them out of something of value or failed to return what you have borrowed, no matter how long ago, you must, to the best of your ability, make it right and confess your sin and pay it back with restitution. You can’t do it anonymously. You must do it personally. The same applies to any business that you have stolen from, even if it is your current employer. You must do the right thing and leave the results in God’s hands.
• If you are an employer and you have cheated your employees, in any way, you must make it right and pay them what you owe them and fulfill all, not just a few, of your promises.
• If you have stolen money or goods or defrauded any company, you must confess it personally and make restitution. Examples include insurance fraud, government fraud, and any type of business fraud. Until you make this right, you will still be considered a thief.
• If you have received unemployment or workers’ compensation falsely by lying and deception, you must stop it immediately and confess your sin and pay back what you falsely collected. If you have cheated the government in the past, you must make it right, even if that means accepting a criminal record. God will not forgive the unrepentant liar and thief.
• If you have or are deceiving investors, partners, or money lenders about the condition of your personal and business finances, you must make it right immediately. You must confess your actual situation. They may or may not want to withdraw their funding, and you must trust God, regardless of the outcome.
• If you have violated any building code requirements knowingly, you must make it right. If you did not know but found out later that you did something wrong, you must make it right. Suppose you sold your property without disclosing to the new owner or falsifying the presence of all required building permits. In that case, you must notify the new owner and rectify the situation.
• Any dishonesty on your part must be made right. You must confess and forsake your sin and pay restitution, if applicable.
• If you hurt someone physically, or sexually abused or kill someone, you must go to the law and confess your sins. You may go to jail, but you must leave that in God’s hands and do the right thing. If you refuse, you will never be forgiven by God until you repent. Time in prison is better than an eternity in hell.
• If you were involved in a hit and run incident, you must immediately make it right with that person and the law.
• If you are in school and cheat on homework and tests, you must stop it immediately and confess your sin to your teacher.
• If you plagiarize others in your writing, you must cease and make it right.
• If you bully and degrade others, you must go to those you have offended and confess your sin and ask for forgiveness. Most of the time, you will be forgiven, but if not, you are still responsible to confess and forsake your sin.
• If you fail to pay for services rendered, you must immediately make it right. If not, God will never believe in your professed repentance, nor will anyone else.
• If you illegally download pirated software, music, or watch pirated movies, you must stop it immediately, make it right, and offer to pay for your use.
• If you destroy the property of others, including businesses and government buildings, you must confess your sin and make it right by paying for the damages.
• If you are often negligent in your job performance, you must stop it immediately. If you lie about the amount of time you have worked, you are a thief and must stop it, make it right, and pay back what you have stolen.
• It is common today to hear about people going into stores and walking out with food or merchandise without paying for it. You are a thief and must cease your actions immediately, making restitution for all that you have stolen. No impenitent thief will inherit the kingdom of God.
• If you are divorced and you owe money for the support of a spouse and children, you must make it right immediately by paying for past obligations and keeping current on what you owe.

This list is not meant to be exhaustive. There are many other examples that might be mentioned. Ask God and He will bring to your mind everything He expects you to take care of. After reading this article, you might be tempted to write me off as a lunatic or a heretic or both. Your first temptation will be to justify yourself and mock me. I get it. I am an easy target. However, scoffing at me will not erase the conviction of the Holy Spirit or your guilt before God. Do not deceive yourself and believe that a holy and just God will forgive you while you remain a liar and a thief because you refuse to humble yourself and make full restitution.God loves you too much to let you believe lies that will send you to hell.

If pastors will not tell you that you must repent of your sins, then don’t expect them to tell you that you must also make amends for your sins, including restitution. The idea that an honest Christian can steal from others and refuse to confess their theft to the one they have wronged, and return what they have stolen, is a damnable lie that will cause you to go to hell if you embrace it. A true Christian is humbly repentant and will not hide their sins. A genuine born-again follower of Jesus Christ will make amends with everyone they have hurt, wounded, cheated, and defrauded to the best of their ability. Paying back what you have stolen may take time, but it is your responsibility to do so. I know from experience that the victims are often so surprised and grateful to see the truth that they are eager to forgive. Some don’t even want to be paid back.  

In the Old Testament, there was provision every seven years to reset assets and liabilities. It was the year of release. At the end of the seventh year, if you owed someone money, it was to be forgiven. If someone owed you money, you must ignore and forgive the debt entirely. This was the law for Israel every seven years. Our equivalent today might be bankruptcy laws, which allow those who have catastrophic life situations, such as excessive medical expenses, that make it impossible to pay back what is due to others. But anyone who uses these laws to defraud others must make amends (restitution). For instance, I have heard of people who run up credit cards and other debts knowing they will declare bankruptcy in the near future. This is inexcusable, and they must confess their sin and make amends even if it takes years to do so.

The idea of making restitution is foreign to many Christians, I fear. It’s as if I were speaking Greek. They will have a hard time accepting this requirement because they have been lied to for so long. How could a loving God require that we humble ourselves, even embarrass ourselves, like this? It may even seem cruel to them. And if this is what God needs, then they may just want to throw in the towel and give up on it all. I strongly suggest that you read your Bible. Believe what it says and do what it demands. Reflect on this matter, and in your private, candid moments, you will acknowledge the justice of restitution and the injustice of not providing it. Read the following excerpt from the Book of Ezekiel and consider it deeply.

“Again, when I say to unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 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.” Ezekiel 33:14,15

You will note that this promise is conditional. If the wicked do the following (make restitution and then live a righteous life), God will forgive the evil and “he shall surely live, he shall not die”. Many who claim to be Christian will simply ignore this and other Old Testament passages, assuming that this no longer applies to New Testament Christians today. They actually believe that Christians today can steal and keep what they have stolen and yet be forgiven by God. God has given them over to strong delusion because they choose not to believe the truth. These folks are almost beyond hope.

One reason the Christian Church is so ineffective today at sustaining our nation’s Christian moral foundation is that the Church is as unholy and unrighteous as society at large. The typical Christian Church is soft on sin, quiet on repentance, and mute on restitution. When Christian businesses and Christian individuals put away dishonesty and lying, when they make amends for the wrongs they have done, God will take notice and bless them abundantly. Moreover, the world at large will want to do business with them. But as it is today, many have been abused by fake Christians and are very reluctant to do business with anyone claiming to be Christian. Christians should differentiate themselves from all others by their total honesty and excellence in all that they do.

Making restitution should be obvious. It is the righteous thing to do. Because this truth has been hidden away, few Christians think it is required. They have been told that they will sin in thought, word, and deed every day, yet they will still go to heaven. Therefore, if they don’t make restitution, they will go to heaven anyway. If these “Christians” are going to heaven even if they sin habitually, then there is no incentive or necessity of making restitution.

In addition, they have been told that sin will only interrupt their fellowship with God, not their eternal destiny or their relationship with God. The less they sin, the higher their rank in heaven and the more rewards they will receive in heaven. Therefore, instead of making restitution, they are inclined to opt for fewer rewards and a lower rank in heaven, thinking that is an acceptable option for them. Come judgment day, they will be sorely disappointed and will spend eternity in hell because they refused to repent, which by definition includes making restitution.

The Word of God is truth. It costs everyone something to embrace the truth. I have never regretted paying that price. Making restitution humbles our pride and egos. But remember, God exalts the humble and humbles the exalted. Besides scripture, this is how you know that making restitution is God’s will. The world is searching for men and women who genuinely believe the Word of God and do what the God of the Bible requires. Are you one of those precious souls? God will be with you every step of the way.

For additional information on the law of restitution, read Exodus Chapter 22.

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[1] Just recently I listened to a sermon from Leonard Ravenhill and he does make mention of restitution but without much comment. He did not get into the requirement of restitution nor did he address its critical importance as a condition of salvation.