“then he shall confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged.” (Num 5:7)
Sin is a heinous thing and it often damages both our relationship with the Lord and our relationship with our fellow man. The two greatest commands are to “Love the Lord” and “Love your neighbor” (Matt 22:37-40). Many sins do wrong to both the Lord and our neighbor.
Seeking forgiveness from the Lord does not absolve us from seeking forgiveness from our neighbor. Even under the old Law, God taught that, if possible, a man was to make restitution to him he had wronged.
Many times, we make the mistake of admitting our sins to God, but not admitting them to those we have hurt. True repentance involves both. Character requires us to seek to undo the damage we have caused whenever possible. It isn’t always possible to repair what sin has destroyed, but we should do what we can, when we can.
Remember the behavior of the prodigal son? It takes humility to admit our faults, return to the one we’ve hurt and make things right.
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matt 5:23-24)
#Biblebites Matt. 4:4