The greatest restoration that occurs on this earth takes place when a child of God decides to turn away from sin and reconnect with the Father God, thus choosing the Blessing and rejecting the curse. Many people identify with and desire restoration when it comes to family, relationships, health, strength, wealth, etc. But today I want to share with you another aspect of restoration that is vital in the life of a believer.
Galatians 6:1-2, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
We as believers are called on to be restorers when a fellow believer falls into temptation. After pastoring for many years, I’ve seen people become restorers, and I’ve also seen people deny this responsibility. I remember one time in particular when I had a guy who worked for me in the maintenance department. The Lord showed me some things that were going on at the office after everyone had gone home for the day. He had been using an office computer for his personal pleasure and viewing inappropriate content. I questioned him about it, and he told me the truth. Out of love, mercy and compassion, I helped him through that and restored him. We took the necessary steps to make sure that didn’t happen again, and he continued working for me.
A couple of years after this occurred, another person on my staff became “overtaken in a fault.” As his pastor and employer, I helped him through that situation, and although I didn’t require it, he wanted to respond to the altar call and rededicate his life to the Lord. The next Sunday, he did, and as he was down front, the guy that I helped to restore and extend mercy to just a couple of years prior, got up and walked out of the sanctuary. I later found out that his immediate response to the person responding to the altar call was, “Nahhhh. He doesn’t mean it. He’s just doing this for show.” But he was wrong. He did mean it, and his life was never the same. He was restored spiritually, receiving every bit of the natural restoration that needed to take place.
To me, the saddest part of this story is that the first guy that needed restoration missed his opportunity to become a restorer. A couple of years later, he died of heart problems. The other guy, however, has taken every opportunity given him to become a restorer to those around him, bearing more and more fruit. This, my friend, is the most fulfilling and rewarding aspect of restoration.
I Corinthians 1:10, Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement.
Where restoring people is concerned, notice that there must not be any division among the brethren. While there is ample division all around us in the world, the church must be of the same mind concerning these things.
A few verses prior to Galatians 6:1, where Paul calls upon fellow believers to be spiritual and restore people, the works of the flesh are outlined in Galatians 5:19-21: adultery, fornication, uncleanness (homosexuality), lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murder, and drunkenness. I also want to call your attention to the fact that these are called “works of the flesh,” not works of the devil. Everyone has to deal with their flesh. Nobody just wakes up one day and suddenly becomes a hit man. These works of the flesh build in people a little at a time, and we as spiritual people, must be careful not to fall into judging a person, but rather, to restore.
Brother Hagin would frequently comment that God will judge a person harder on spiritual sin than sins of the flesh. Throughout the years I have been walking with the Lord, I have seen this truth manifest. God needs us to work with Him in restoring people because for Him, it’s all about people.
Restoration is wonderful, and it is of God. Be alert and never miss an opportunity to be a restorer.
