THE NEW MAN (Part 5)
Memory Verse: “So I
strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.”
Acts
24:16 (NIV).
LESSON OBJECTIVES AND FOCUS
Our focus today will be on Restitution and Dedication, with the objective
that at the end of the lesson we should
all appreciate how essential these are in the process of our being a new man.
LESSON
INTRODUCTION
Paul teaches us it is so important that
we live our lives in such a manner that our conscience is always clear before both men and God. Note that we have to strive for a clear conscience
before both of them, and not just
before one or other.
WE
NEED TO NOTE THAT
·
The Scriptures record that following
some battles against Israel, the Philistines carried away the Ark of the
Covenant, I Sam. 4:1-11, while the
Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar carried away the vessels, cups and other items
that were used in worshiping God in the temple at Jerusalem, 2 Kings 24:10-13;25:13-15. In both
cases, they had serious trouble (I Sam.
6 & Dan. 5:22-30) before these items were returned, or restituted, to the
Owner, the God of Israel.
·
On the other hand, Zacchaeus would be
an example of acquiring riches through ungodly ways. If the Old Testament cases
above represented grabbing God’s property, that of Zacchaeus would be a case of
grabbing the devil’s property. Even in such a case, restitution was called for,
and in line with the requirements of the Old Testament, he restored what he had
illegally acquired four times. Luke
19:1-10.
LESSON
OUTLINE 1: FULL RESTITUTION
i.
The
Principle of Restitution is “BACK TO THE OWNER”,
Luke 19:8.
Let’s note the owner could be man, God
or even the devil:
a. Someone
else’s property or belongings could end up being wrongly possessed by us.
b. God’s
property like His tithe, thanksgiving or tangible property could end up being
seized or kept back by us.
c. We
could end up keeping the devil’s property with us – charms, wealth, and even
his sorrows.
In all these cases, we must imitate
Zacchaeus – return that which is not ours to the owner.
ii.
The
Result of Restitution is that it gives the new man a clear
conscience before God and man. That means we can expect the road to be clear
for God’s mercies and grace to reach us. Acts
24:16; Prov. 28:13.
iii.
Restitution
requires wisdom and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
It does not call for foolishness or rash action from our side. But it does
require our commitment to restitute, and we may need to seek counsel from men
of God so we can act properly. Prov.
29:20; 12:15.
iv.
What
if we refuse to restitute? We have no grounds to expect to
prosper as we deny ourselves the mercy and favour of God. Prov.28:13.
Can you think of specific
examples of wrongly possessed items from God, man or the devil that would need
to be restored to the owner?
LESSON
OUTLINE 2: FULL DEDICATION
i.
A dedicated life (or heart) will flee
from all appearance of evil – whether in the physical or spiritual realm,
whether at home, in the place of work, in the market, or wherever. I Thess. 5:22 (KJV); I Cor. 6:16-20; I Pet
1:15-16.
ii.
Dedication unto God is not a sign of
weakness. Rather it is in fact an insurance against “the diseases of Egypt”
(God’s anger and disfavour), and it opens the door for God to descend on us
with His blessings. Exod. 15:26; Deut.
28:1-3.
Dedication unto God is indeed an
outward mark of the new man. See Our Lord’s example in Jn 9:4.
SUMMARY
: “Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to Thee….”