PART 6 YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN. NOW WHAT

5

How Do I Rectify Those Past Decisions Where I Have Hurt Others?

Before we were saved, we were ruled by our sin nature with its affections and lusts. Along the journey of our lives, our associations have impacted us, some in a good way and others in a bad way. Our upbringing might have been with strict boundaries with borders, or no limits at all.

All of us have hurt others in one way, shape, or form. Sometimes people make false accusations against another for personal recognition or financial gain. Others have claimed about get-rich schemes and defrauded trusting people from their lifelong savings. Infidelity has broken up many families. In some cases, primary breadwinners haven’t been willing to provide financial support for their former spouse and children. Some have committed horrendous sexual acts upon others. And there are those who’ve taken other people’s lives away from them for reasons that didn’t warrant such actions.

Being a Christian doesn’t mean we’re not susceptible to engaging in any of these actions. However, as we grow in the Lord by putting on the mind of Christ, our new actions should be reflective of these new thoughts. As a result, self-centeredness will be replaced by God-centeredness. The sin nature will be subject to the power of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual qualities of the Holy Spirit will replace the affections and lusts of the flesh. And as we begin to appear as new persons with new habits, here’s a question for us to consider.

What is our responsibility for addressing past decisions where we’ve hurt others when we were unbelievers or even believers?

Let’s take a look at a person who not only went out of his way to see Jesus, but Jesus went out of His way to see him and brought about a life-changing decision in his life that would bring about a positive impact in other people’s lives. Please turn in your Bibles to the Book of Luke.

 

Suggested Reading: Luke 19:1-10

As Jesus was passing through Jericho, being compassed about by crowds of people, a man named Zacchaeus, the head of the tax collections in the region, sought to see him. Being short in height, he climbed up a Sycamore tree to get a better view. When Jesus came to where he was, He looked up and told him to come down so that He could accompany him to his house, where He would lodge overnight.

It’s interesting to note that when the crowd realized Jesus was heading to the house of Zaccheaus, they complained that He would stay at the house of a man they considered to be disgraceful and scandalous. Why did they think of Zacchaeus in such a manner?

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.

In a small town or village, everyone knows everything about everyone else. Zacchaeus’ pronouncement that he would give half of his goods (fair gains; profits) to the poor along with giving back four-fold restitution to those whom he had falsely accused (cheated; overcharged; forced to pay greater taxes) indicates why he was thought of in such a disrespectful manner by those in Jericho. The context conveys the idea that these practices had been going on for a long time and involved many people. This pronouncement by Zacchaeus was made in front of others, revealing that a change of heart had occurred in his life. 

Can you imagine the shock of the townspeople when they heard from someone that they had despised announcing that anyone he hurt would not only receive back what they were overcharged but would receive four times as much? When people encounter God, they’re given a new nature. Over time, as they grow spiritually, their outlook on themselves, others, and the circumstances of life begin to change. Wrong is no longer right. Right is no longer wrong, but right is right.

Do you believe that the example of Zacchaeus is an application for the New Testament saint?

In like manner, should we address those past decisions where we’ve hurt others and seek the Lord to make restitution?

In the early eighties, after I’d just finished Bible college, I was asked to work in a Christian day school for an affiliated branch ministry. When my wife and I arrived, along with our two children, we were shown the apartment which was to be ours. After settling in, we were introduced to the various families occupying different parts of the facility. This unique residence used to be a motel with three separate buildings. These structures were now used for various purposes: a chapel, a Christian day school, offices, a cafeteria, and housing.

One of the families that I was introduced to took me by surprise. In my younger years, when I was an unbeliever, my dad used to own a Spa & Grille in my hometown. Periodically, during my high school days, I’d work for him. Sometimes, it would be for a couple of hours after school, and at other times I’d relieve him for a considerable amount of time over the weekend.

There was a young couple who would come in and order this or that. The boyfriend loved to work on cars and his girlfriend was always very friendly. My dad owned the business for about five years. Throughout this time, they’d come in together. When my dad sold his business, we lost touch.

When it came to my attention, they were leaving the premises and moving back in with their in-laws, I made it my purpose to visit this now-married couple. I found out in my brief conversation with them that the husband had been accused of rape years earlier when he was an unbeliever. He was acquitted of the charge. However, years later, after becoming a Christian, he realized that he had to make restitution for not telling the truth about the incident.

He got hold of the proper authorities and confessed to them that he did commit this crime. Understanding that he’d be sent to prison to serve out whatever time he would receive, they decided that it would be best to live with family until the day of reckoning. After they left, this was the last time we were in contact.

With this in mind, did you ever wonder how the idea of restitution was handled in the Old Testament during the time when the Jews were under the tenets of the Mosaic Law?

Let’s find out. Please turn to the Book of Numbers.

Suggested Reading: Numbers 15:1-41

22, 24 And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the Lord hath spoken unto Moses, Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the Lord, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.

Moses was being instructed by God. He’s told to convey this information to the children of Israel so that when they, along with Caleb and Joshua, entered the Promised Land, the land of Canaan, they were to offer various kinds of offerings (e.g., meat, drink, burnt, free-will, and slain) unto Him if they didn’t obey His commands. Under the institution of the Mosaic Law, there were conveyed to Moses not only the Ten Commandments but more than one hundred additional ones. If disobedience to God’s instructions occurred out of ignorance (not to realize one’s failure), then the congregation would bring forth the appropriate offering, and the priest would make atonement, which would result in the offense being forgiven (no penalty incurred).

30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

If disobedience to God’s commands occurred because of what was done presumptuously (willfully; intentionally; to disobey God's law deliberately and arrogantly, knowing full well the danger involved),⁵⁶ then the congregation wouldn’t bring an offering to the priest, and thus no atonement would be made. In this instance, the punishment for the offense committed would be exacted.

The premise was that no one would get away with anything. If a Jew sinned unintentionally, the entire congregation would unite and atone for their sin. If they sinned purposely, they’d receive the punishment for their sin, which in some cases carried with it the death penalty. Restitution was made in both cases.

We’ve become aware that there were instances of reimbursement in the Old Testament. What about the New Testament? Are there any verses in the Book of Acts, the Epistles, or the Book of Revelation that talk about a Christian making reparation concerning addressing a wrong where they have hurt others? There appears to be one section of verses that many commentators claim relates to reimbursement. Please proceed to the Book of James.

 

Suggested Reading: James 4:13-17

13 Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

The practice to which the Apostle James here alludes is widespread among a very respectable and intelligent class of merchants in the East to this day. They convey the products of one place to some distant city, where they remain until they have disposed of [their goods] and have purchased others suitable for another distant [market; thus, the operation is repeated] until, after a number of years, the trader is enabled to return prosperously to his home.⁵⁷ I’m sure for some of those who had become Christians, this was their type of livelihood.        

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 

James reminded them that if they were to live their lives this way, then they wouldn’t know what would befall them the following day. In other words, life is uncertain; [it’s] like a vapor that is seen ascending from a stream,⁵⁸ but which disappears by the rising sun.    

15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Instead of saying that they’ll go into such a city, they’d rather recognize their absolute dependence on [God] and feel that life and success are subject to his will.⁵⁹ Likewise, when we’re amid of our endeavors, we should ensure that we get to know the Lord. In other words, don’t continue on in your life the way you used to. Seek God’s will. Go to where there are teachings that convey His truths. Go to where His presence is evident. Go to where you’re learning about who you have been made to be anew in Christ.

16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

James recognized that some of them continued to in their boastings (glorying in reliance on their skill). Their perspective of their future was filled with the confidence in success and not a reliance on God. Therefore, he concluded that all such braggadocio was evil because it showed evidence of a spirit of forgetfulness of dependence on God. 

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

After providing them with this instruction, he says they no longer have any excuse for addressing their occupational lifestyle. If we know God’s perspective on whatever is brought before us and we don’t obey it, then it is sin (the sin of omission; in failing to do what we know to be the right thing to do).⁶⁰ It’s true that the idea of restitution isn’t mentioned in these verses. However, what’s being conveyed here is to do what we know is right according to God’s Word. So, here’s the question I’d like you to contemplate.

Would providing restitution to those we’ve hurt reflect the graces of the Holy Spirit?

With this question in mind, let’s contemplate a quote from the Bible Knowledge Commentary. To attain spiritual maturity, a believer must do the good he now knows. He must be what God wants him to be, do what God wants him to do, speak as God wants him to speak, and sense what God wants him to sense.⁶¹

What I’d like to do next is leave you with a few more thoughts concerning addressing those past decisions where I’ve sometimes hurt others and how I handled them. After I had come up with the title for this chapter, I began to be made aware, by the Holy Spirit, of two people I needed to talk to concerning issues in the past for which I had caused them pain.

The first one concerned a fellow believer who used to drive a taxi for me. He was a very good driver, honest, hard-working, etc. During the last year of his employment, when the season was winding down, he asked me if he could drive for a couple of hours on a Sunday morning while I attended church service. My comment was basically that he could do it as long as he got enough sleep from the night before. You see, he usually worked late on Saturday nights, and I wasn’t comfortable with him only getting a couple of hours of sleep and then getting back into the cab the following day.

On this particular Sunday morning, as I was driving on the road, he called me to come to pick him up. Then, I drove to the worship center and left the taxi in his hands. After service, a fellow believer gave me a ride home. About an hour later, my taxi driver employee called and told me the bad news. After taking a couple to their house, he attempted to back the vehicle out of the driveway so he could turn around. He hit a large, hidden rock that dented the passenger side front door as he did.

I asked him to bring the vehicle home so that I could take a look at it. After checking the damage, it was evident that the repair cost would be around $1,500.00 to $2,000.00. I told him I had a $1,000.00 deductible and hoped he would consider paying half. His initial response was that he’d provide restitution as he was able. I said something like, “Okay, we’ll figure this out.”

I proceeded to get back in the taxi and finish the day shift. Later on, he took over and completed the night shift. When I got up to start the day shift in the morning, he asked me for a ride to the ferry terminal. What stood out to me was that his bags were packed. At this point, it became pretty obvious that he had decided to quit.

As we were on our way to the passenger boat, he said he had reconsidered paying part of the deductible. According to him, he was never made aware of the deductible, and because there was no prior agreement relating to his employment, then he wasn’t responsible for such if an accident that did indeed occur. He was technically right, but I thought he’d willingly want to split the cost as a Christian. He got out of the taxi quickly and boarded the boat, and I haven’t heard from him since.

As I began to write this particular chapter, his name came to my mind. I knew that it was the Holy Spirit prompting me to call him. I found his phone number in an old phone book. When he answered, I told him who I was and that I wanted to apologize for being overbearing regarding this incident. I didn’t expect an apology from him, and I didn’t get one. He said that he had put the incident aside. We talked for a little while, and then the conversation ended. I did what I believed I was directed to do.

One more thing, believe it or not. Another name came to my mind besides his. This was quite surprising because I hadn’t thought about this girl in about forty years. The name came to me as clear as a bell. This person was someone I’d dated in my younger years before I was saved.

One thing led to another, and before I knew it, we were intimate. On a particular day, I received a phone call from one of her friends informing me that she was pregnant and wanted to see me about possibility getting married. However, I wasn’t ready to commit.

There was no doubt that my decision brought about animosity between her family and us. Discussions ensued about my need to provide financial support when the baby was delivered. Eventually, I received a phone call informing me she had a miscarriage. After this news, there was no longer any need for us to keep in contact.

Now that I remembered her first and last name, I search and found five people with the same names online. Being close to the same age as she was and aware that she had a brother and a couple of sisters, I found two names that fit the bill. I called the phone number of each person, but no one answered. I left a message hoping to receive a response back.  

At the time of the closing of this chapter, I received no reply. Was there another approach that I could have used to contact this person? I don’t know. I’ll continue to pursue God’s leading, and we’ll see where it all winds up.

With everything that you have learned, I’ll leave you with a question to reflect upon.

    

Do you believe that we, as Christians, should make restitution toward those we’ve hurt in the past, no matter whether they were unbelievers or believers at the time?

In the next chapter, we’ll look at those things that can influence and corrupt our minds.      

Endnotes

⁵⁶The Bible Exposition.

⁵⁷Barnes.

⁵⁸Barnes.

⁵⁹Barnes.

⁶⁰UBS.

⁶¹Bible Knowledge.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ITJ1wj

Website: http://bit.ly/1RQnYJ8