DrummaBoy: I am with Pastor Olu T in this one. We cannot add to our conversion.

There is a restitution some teach today that is not far from The Roman Catholic Penance for sin. We cannot add to our being forgiven, we can only accept it by faith.

If anyone finds himself in this situation, I advise he seeks counsel form sound ministers AND his parents. Let the the decision be collective.

That is what I will do if I find myself in that position. Too many make unnecessary mistakes. Looking back at my conversion, I realize that it has taken the mercy of God for me not to make such costly mistakes myself.

Uyi Iredia: I salute the guy for what he wants to do.

Baybe: I just felt like sharing this.

In the group I fellowship with in school, a brother told us this story about himself. I'm not a good story-teller .

He is supposed to be going to into his final year in school after this ASUU strike.

When he got into school as a fresher, he was a bit far from Christ but he was a church-goer. He 'sorted' some of his courses in his first year. His relationship with Christ was always on and off. Along the line, he decided to get closer to God and remain there, that was in his third year(second semester). Then he thought to himself, 'I'd never be happy with myself and my conscience would continue to disturb me if I graduated bearing in mind that I sorted some of my courses. I can't parade a result I know I didn't get on merit'. He decided to make peace with his conscience and God. He has abandoned his previous course. He wants to start from the very beginning(from JAMB). This time he promised himself that he'd do it alone, no sorting.


I want to ask. As Christians that most of us claim to be not those church-going, bench-warming kind of Christians but Christians that are supposed to exhibit the qualities Christ exhibited, can you do it? Be sincere to yourselves .

Baybe: I just felt like sharing this.

In the group I fellowship with in school, a brother told us this story about himself. I'm not a good story-teller .

He is supposed to be going to into his final year in school after this ASUU strike.

When he got into school as a fresher, he was a bit far from Christ but he was a church-goer. He 'sorted' some of his courses in his first year. His relationship with Christ was always on and off. Along the line, he decided to get closer to God and remain there, that was in his third year(second semester). Then he thought to himself, 'I'd never be happy with myself and my conscience would continue to disturb me if I graduated bearing in mind that I sorted some of my courses. I can't parade a result I know I didn't get on merit'. He decided to make peace with his conscience and God. He has abandoned his previous course. He wants to start from the very beginning(from JAMB). This time he promised himself that he'd do it alone, no sorting.

I want to ask. As Christians that most of us claim to be not those church-going, bench-warming kind of Christians but Christians that are supposed to exhibit the qualities Christ exhibited, can you do it? Be sincere to yourselves .

Candour: If he did it because he thinks it'll make him more holy and acceptable before God, it is an unwise self righteous move. However if the Spirit of God led him to it, God will surely give him the grace to pull through and even provide a soft landing for him to mitigate the effect of putting his life in reverse gear so to speak. This is because if the Spirit is involved, there is a bigger picture which we all might not be privy to.

The way restitution is preached sometimes almost makes it look like you and God are in a joint venture to pay for your sins. Like God foots 55% of the sin bill and the Christian picks the remaining 45%.

Your salvation is free and total and not contingent on any act of yours save believe the Gospel that Christ died in your place and gifted you his righteousness.

This is the gospel that truly liberates

Pastor Olu T: Personally I dont think what he did was wise!
The bible says if anyone be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away and all becomes new. Also that during the time of ignorance God overlook. 2Corinthians 5:17, Acts 17:30
Whatever he does in his past n time of ignorance is forgiven n forgotten by God, if he now tries to please God by ratifying what he did in the past is treating light the grace of God.
He is just being myopic 'cos with God there is always a bigger picture which is more important!

pet_saint:

You did not clarify the level of sorting. If its the Jamb or entry exam itself he sorted, the he is right to go right back and start over again. If its a couple of courses. What he needs to do is write the university or faculty governing council and admit to exam malpractice with a request to withdraw his current result so that he can redo them. If this is hard or to controversial, for him to handle, he can quietly reapply and write the paper again.

My stand is based on the total cost of starting over if its not really necesary. I know people in Uni who started over and they have gotten over that issue as we speak.

Baybe: He sorted his courses not JAMB

pet_saint:

There is no need to wase money then, especially if he is not sponsoring himself, and if the course is not the actual problem. all he needs to do is talk to the faculty and they often will show mercy and just recant the result.

pet_saint:

If he can restitute, let him do so rather than continue to profit from past iniquity. If someone in christ is truly a new creature, he should be willing to leave the reward of his old ways too and build a new life in christ.

There are cases where restitution is not practical. I once stole a bowl from my host wardrobe and wish I could restitute or at least tell her. She is dead, her husband is out of the country, the kids are dispersed, so I hold my peace. But many situations can be redeemed, so why not if he truly loves God

Restitution is a fairly simply property idea in law - a thief (however he took it) - should not be allowed to keep what he took, otherwise it makes a mockery of property rights. Furthermore, the purpose of the law to is keep people from sinning against their neighbors as well as the Lord, so on the one hand, you don't want an incentive to sin, and on the other, you want clear consequences.
Source.......http://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/7839/what-is-the-biblical-basis-for-restitution

Alwaystrue: @OP, It depends on why he is doing it just as has been stated here. During the time of Jesus, Zacheaus did same even though Jesus did not encourage or discourage him and it was the high level of repentance he had in him that made him do it. Some schools allow for redoing courses even though they were passed if the results previously gotten were not liked or he can talk to the lecturers involved and he may actually have a 'softer landing' that anticipated. He may be told to just re-take the courses...I am giving my input this way as I understand the experience of the strong conscience he feeling.

@Candour and @petsaint are spot on. Many atimes it may just be a thing of conscience or fulfilling all righteousness. If he has been led to make right the wrongs he has done by the Spirit, there is really nothing anyone can do about it.


[b]Just to note one thing I got by revelation: Many atimes when someone sins, God forgives but the devil never forgets (that is why it is said he accusses the brethren continually)....Just like a young girl that has sex outside marriage and asks for forgiveness but due to natural laws conceives and has to care for the child alone if the othe party rejects paternity. It is also like someone who did some evil some time back but repents and moves on and that thing comes back to haunt him in the future e.g. if he is elected to a high post and detractors start looking for smear stories against him and find it and he needs to step-down in shame. It could be a child that lies to a parent continually and repents and gets forgiven and later at a moment he needs to show integrity the most, the truth of his lies come out and no one believes him because of this.

Yes He has been forgiven by God but the devil never forgot and was waiting for the time to strike....it will not make the person less a child of God especially with his repentance but it will make him suffer in the flesh due to the accuser whose only task is moving about seeking who to destroy.
Now if you friend does go ahead as/if led and later possibly he is elected to an office where his background is checked, it will be on record he restituted and may even gain more popularity/and be an example to others by this. We even watch this in films. This is my input.[/b]

Baybe: Fortunately or unfortunately, he is sponsoring himself