When we refer to appeasing God, it involves or includes paying just compensation to the person we have hurt. It is a return of what we may have unjustly deprived the other person of its enjoyment or use or possession. What is the biblical position of paying recompense?
Paying recompense
Recompense is restoring the people we have offended to their original state prior to the injury which we have inflicted upon them. These could be material substances or not. Some are psychological, emotional distress or abuse, physical denial or deprivation of what is of value to the injured. We require substance as well as words of comfort, of healing, of belonging, of confidence, making one feel relevant, and many more in order to appease for our wrongful acts.
Rejecting false doctrine
We cannot deny those we have injured around us yet claim to love or satisfy God. God does not need recompense from the wicked and will not grant them peace because we rob those that we injure of their peace which God represents in our lives. Isaiah 57:21 says that there is no peace, says my God, for the wicked. 1 John 4:20 says that if any one says, I love God, and hates his brother he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
We also deceive our souls by engaging in outward religious acts such as giving to beggars or building church houses or mosques without a penitent heart. We cannot play Robin Hood with God. Revelation 22:11 says let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy. It means our evil without a change in character does not alter our records in heaven irrespective of our public show.
God is the God of equity
The Psalmist says that at the set time which the Lord God will judge with equity, Psalms 75:2; 96:10; 98:9. So, we cannot rob others and pretend we have given it to God or that because of what we have given to God, our sins are forgiven. We must be alert against false doctrines. 1Timothy 4:1-2 says that in the later times, deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons whose consciences are seared may mislead us through the pretensions of liars.
Matthew 15:8 says that these people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. It is the heart that God is interested in, not our tainted wealth. Jesus said what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet forfeit his life or soul, Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36; Luke 9:25?
A good biblical example
Zaccheus is an example of true recompense. He said in Luke 19:8 that half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold. Zaccheus had a true attitude towards appeasing God. Isaiah 61:8 says for the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. God wants the robbed to be restored and rejects stolen wealth because it is filthy.
Zaccheus did not only offer to return what he was alleged to have robbed from others but he was convicted to restore what he had actually stolen from others and to satisfy the poor. He was not interested to continue with his wrongs neither did he count what he had unjustly acquired as his so he was willing and ready to give out what did not belong to him. Is this our attitude in recompense?
Doing it right
Amos 3:10 referring to dishonest characters also said that they do not know how to do it right, says the Lord, those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds. We cannot atone for our sins whilst we maintain the character of robbery and violence by whatever means including using the book, pen, position of power as a weapon for robbery and thievery.
Malachi 3:9 says that you are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you. It is not limited to only tithes but extends to all manner of unjust deprivation against our neighbours. It is only a change of heart that can please God. Ecclesiastes 2:26 says that for a man who pleases him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and striving after the wind.
We inflict curses and God’s rejection on our families that we bequeath stolen wealth to because the sins of the Fathers shall be visited not on only them but succeeding generations, Exodus 34:7. Israel tasted of this curse as I recorded in the book of Daniel 9:6 when Israel became a byword among all who were around them because of the sins of their forefathers. In the sight of men we may appear prosperous with stolen wealth but before God, it may be a curse for generations after us.
In the light of what the prophet Amos said, are we doing it right?
Prayer
Dear Lord, give us the spirit of truth so that like Zaccheus, we may make true and honest restitution to those who shed tears because of our deeds. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!!
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