What Happens When God
Answers by Evelyn Christenson
Chapter 10: Restore the Sinner
This chapter is filled with
so much treasure it will be pretty hard for me to cover everything. If this subject speaks to your heart, please
find a copy of Evelyn’s book, “What Happens When God Answers and read Chapter
10, or order the book from the following link.
Page 131
When catching a sister or brother
sinning, how often we pray, “Oh, God, what do I do now?” And the surprising answer from God is already
recorded in the Bible.
Restore that sinner.
Restore that sinner.
Brethren, even if a man is
caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in the
spirit of gentleness. (Galatians 6:1)
What does it mean to restore? Paul had in mind here the mending of
something that had been damaged.
Restoration is the responsibility of those Christians surrounding the
sinner. Repentance, reconciliation, and
restitution are all the responsibility of the sinner; but, shockingly,
restoration very likely must be done by the one sinned against, and it may even
be the victim’s job.
However, restoration does not begin
while the person is sinning. It is when
he or she is “caught” trespassing that the process begins. There can be no real restoration without the
sinner fulfilling the other three “R’s” preceding it—repentance, reconciliation,
and restitution.
Page 134
How do Humans Restore
Sinners?
Now that we know restoring the sinning brother or sister is not optional, we ask God, “But how do we go about restoring such a one?” The Bible is full of God’s instructions on this oft-neglected subject.
Rebuking the sinner is his first
instruction.
Restore by forgiving
Restore by praying for the sinner
Restore by praying with that sinner
Restore by loving, not legalism
When the repentant sinner being restored
is truly loved, he or she usually responds to that love and begins the process
of loving us and, even more important, himself again.
Page 142
God cannot restore the sinner until that
sinner accepts his forgiveness.
This chapter was very
interesting because this past year I had the opportunity to encourage someone
who was a repentant sinner trying to change.
Interesting enough the steps to restoration were the steps that Evelyn
talked about.
The first step is the
hardest, realizing that they have done something wrong and they need to make it
right. It is never easy to say I am
sorry, or please forgive me, but once it is done, the next step is easier.
There is nothing more
beautiful than to see someone’s life restored because they followed the steps to
restoration. They accepted God’s
forgiveness and were led to a wonderful place of forgiveness. I will be praying this prayer in my life.
Page 154
Closing Prayer
Father, teach me your steps in the
restoration process. Help me to examine
where I am in all my relationships with others.
Make me aware of how I am hurting them, and help me correct it. Make me a restorer to those who need me. Take my hurts from other people and in Your
time, and in Your way, restore me to perfect oneness with them and to perfect
rest in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment