Do I have to make restitution to be forgiven?

[CarpentersApprentice]

Do I have to make restitution to be forgiven?

Scenario #1.

If I get in an automobile accident that is clearly my fault but refuse to pay for the repair, am I still forgiven by God if I ask for His forgiveness?

(Let’s assume, for the sake of discussion, that I have no insurance and that the other car’s owner is expecting me to pay for the repair.)

Scenario #2.

I break a window in a neighbor’s house, but no one sees me do it. I don’t say anything to the owner and I make no attempt to pay for the repair.

Am I still forgiven by God if I ask for His forgiveness?

 

[SaggyWoman]

All you have to do to be forgiven is that the person you have wronged has to forgive you.

Now, to make it right?? that's another thing.

 

[CarpentersApprentice]

I'm asking if God will forgive me if I absolutely refuse to "make it right."

Will He?

 

[Matt Black]

Are you really sorry for it if you refuse to try to put it right?

 

[Crabtownboy]

I'm asking if God will forgive me if I absolutely refuse to "make it right."

Will He?

Sounds like you are selling cheap grace. Read Dietrich Bonhoeffer's writing on cheap grace.

 

[Matt Black]

:thumbsup:

 

[12strings]

I'm asking if God will forgive me if I absolutely refuse to "make it right."

Will He?

I would say no based on the myriads of scriptures that stress "repentance", which is different than simply asking forgiveness. Repentance is turning away from sin to a new path...an example in scriptures is Zacheus. He wanted to repay those he had cheated...not to earn Jesus' favor, but as evidence of his changed heart.

If refuse to do what I know will please God, than that is strong evidence that I do not truly understand what his grace cost Jesus on the cross, may very likely not be forgiven of my sins, because I have not trully accepted Christ.

If, on the other hand, I believe that paying back a neighbor for a broken window will earn me the forgiveness I need to enter God's heavenly presence, than I am relying on works and am not trusting in Christ's all-sufficient blood.

 

[CarpentersApprentice]

Hello All,

Thanks for the replies.

I have heard many a Christian say that you don't have to do anything to receive God's forgiveness except ask for it. Good to know that is not the case.

Concerning Zaccheus, where in the story do we have evidence of his motivation for giving support to the poor and repaying those he defrauded?

All we know for sure is that, according to Jesus, his actions brought him salvation: "Today salvation has come to this house..."

 

[Scarlett O.]

(My students are at p.e.)

If I have damaged someone's car or house window and it's my fault - whether anyone saw me or not - AND I am desiring for God to forgive me ...

....then I must meditate on what that means to desire forgiveness.

It means that I am repentant of my wrongdoings. I'm sorry that I did it and I want to make a permanent change with the leadership of the Lord.

To me, a repentant person seeking God's forgiveness would DESIRE to make restitution to those he or she has wrong - if it's possible.

Ephesians 2:10 says that we are saved to do good works that God has pre-ordained for us to do because we are His workmanship. Psalm 51:10 is David asking God to create a clean heart in him.

I cannot imagine desiring a clean heart, to be God's workmanship, doing the "good" that He has ordained us to after salvation and NOT desiring to make right the wrongs that we do.

As one has said here already - that cheapens the mercy, grace, and love and we are supposed to bear to one another because God gives it to us.

 

[12strings]

Hello All,

Thanks for the replies.

I have heard many a Christian say that you don't have to do anything to receive God's forgiveness except ask for it. Good to know that is not the case.

Concerning Zaccheus, where in the story do we have evidence of his motivation for giving support to the poor and repaying those he defrauded?

All we know for sure is that, according to Jesus, his actions brought him salvation: "Today salvation has come to this house..."

Actually, all we know for sure is that salvation came to him, we DO NOT KNOW THAT his actions brought him salvation...perhaps they were simply EVIDENCE OF IT.

You are correct that his motivations are not specified, but it was clearly a response to Jesus taking the initiative to call him out of the tree and go to his house.

 

[salzer mtn]

Do I have to make restitution to be forgiven?

Scenario #1.

If I get in an automobile accident that is clearly my fault but refuse to pay for the repair, am I still forgiven by God if I ask for His forgiveness?

(Let’s assume, for the sake of discussion, that I have no insurance and that the other car’s owner is expecting me to pay for the repair.)

Scenario #2.

I break a window in a neighbor’s house, but no one sees me do it. I don’t say anything to the owner and I make no attempt to pay for the repair.

Am I still forgiven by God if I ask for His forgiveness?

I will take for granite you're scenario's are about a person that's already a christian and he does one of these things. IMO a person that has not been saved long will make many mistakes while he is a babe in Christ and he will more likely do something like this than a person that's been saved a number of years. Our salvation is not based on what we will do or what we will not do as christians. We can expect the chastening rod for our disobedience though.