Question 1

When we are far from God, how does he restore us?

Accepted Answer

Acts 13:38-39“Listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is made right in God’s sight—something the law of Moses could never do.”Romans 5:10-11, 19Since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. . . . Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.1 Corinthians 15:21-22Just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.Ephesians 2:13Now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.Colossians 1:19-22God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.Colossians 2:13-14God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.1 Timothy 2:5There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.Sin separates us from God, and everyone has sinned. Scripture is also clear that as long as we remain separated from God, we cannot experience a relationship with him. And if we die on this earth without a relationship with him, we will be separated from him forever in hell. This is called eternal death, and it is the consequence of sinning against a perfectly holy God. That is why God sent his Son, Jesus, to die in our place. He took the punishment for our sins, in our place, and gave us the opportunity to be forgiven, restoring our relationship with him. Forgiveness and restoration come when we believe that Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead, and we confess our sins and commit ourselves to obeying him.

Question 2

What does God do to restore me?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 103:3He [the Lord] forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.Isaiah 1:18“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”Jeremiah 3:22“My wayward children,” says the Lord, “come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.” “Yes, we’re coming,” the people reply, “for you are the Lord our God.”Hosea 14:4The Lord says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever.”Micah 7:19Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!1 John 1:9If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.God forgives our sins if we repent and ask him. After he forgives us, he looks at us as though we had never sinned.Psalm 19:7The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.Psalm 51:11-12Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.Psalm 119:40, 93I long to obey your commandments! Renew my life with your goodness. . . . I will never forget your commandments, for by them you give me life.Lamentations 5:21Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had!Ezekiel 36:26-27“I [the Lord] will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”2 Corinthians 5:17This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!Ephesians 2:8-10God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.Philippians 2:13God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.God restores us by making us new! He re-creates us so we can live in full fellowship with him, joyfully obeying him, his Word, and his ways. His Spirit working in us helps us want to obey him and then gives us the power to do what he wants.Psalm 23:3He [the Lord] renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.Isaiah 40:31Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.God restores us by strengthening us.Romans 8:5Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.Romans 12:2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.Ephesians 4:21-24Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.Philippians 4:8-9Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.Colossians 3:10Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.God restores us by helping us dwell more on what is good than what is bad.Psalm 34:18The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.Psalm 147:3He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.God restores us by comforting us and healing our hurts.Jeremiah 30:17“I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the Lord. “For you are called an outcast—‘Jerusalem for whom no one cares.’”Luke 4:38-39After leaving the synagogue that day, Jesus went to Simon’s home, where he found Simon’s mother-in-law very sick with a high fever. “Please heal her,” everyone begged. Standing at her bedside, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and prepared a meal for them.Luke 8:43-44A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.Luke 14:2-4There was a man there whose arms and legs were swollen. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in religious law, “Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?” When they refused to answer, Jesus touched the sick man and healed him and sent him away.God restores us through healing, sometimes on this earth but always in heaven.Deuteronomy 8:5“Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.”Proverbs 3:11-12My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.Proverbs 29:15To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.Isaiah 38:16Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You restore my health and allow me to live!Jeremiah 31:18“I have heard Israel saying, ‘You disciplined me severely, like a calf that needs training for the yoke. Turn me again to you and restore me, for you alone are the Lord my God.’”Hebrews 12:5-13“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” . . . God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.God may choose to restore us through his discipline, which is always designed to lead us back to a holy relationship with him.

Question 3

Why is restoring relationships with others important?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 5:21-24“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”Matthew 18:15“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.”Hebrews 12:14Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.1 Peter 3:7You husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.Healthy relationships are important because they bring peace, harmony, love, joy, and fellowship. They dramatically reduce conflict. They are a source of encouragement, healing, motivation, help, and comfort. Restoration with others is an indicator of the health of our relationship with God. The more we understand what God has done to restore us to himself, the more we understand the benefits of restoring our relationships with others.Romans 15:5May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.Ephesians 1:10At the right time he [God] will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.Ephesians 2:14Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.Healthy relationships are important because we are called to imitate Jesus, who was always working to restore relationships between individuals and between people and God. When we seek restoration with others, we are modeling Christ’s earthly life and what life will be like in his coming eternal Kingdom.Genesis 2:18Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”1 Corinthians 11:11-12Among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. For although the first woman came from man, every other man was born from a woman, and everything comes from God.Ephesians 4:15-16We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.Healthy relationships are important because we need each other. That is how God created us. As we restore relationships, we work together more effectively and accomplish more for God’s Kingdom.Luke 1:39-45A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”Acts 9:36-39There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room. But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, “Please come as soon as possible!” So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them.Acts 14:21-23, 27-28After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. . . . Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too. And they stayed there with the believers for a long time.Acts 18:1-3, 7-8, 18-23Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was. . . . Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized. . . . Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews. They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. As he left, however, he said, “I will come back later, God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. The next stop was at the port of Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the church at Jerusalem and then went back to Antioch. After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back through Galatia and Phrygia, visiting and strengthening all the believers.Healthy relationships are important because they make us want to help each other and encourage each other. The more we work at restoring relationships, the more help and encouragement we will receive from those who are once again our friends.Psalm 133:1, 3How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! . . . Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.Proverbs 17:17A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.Healthy relationships are important because God uses our relationships to bless us. Harmonious relationships are refreshing, restoring our souls.Matthew 6:14-15“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”Matthew 18:32-35“Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”Luke 6:37“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.”Restored and healthy relationships are important because when we forgive others, we show that we understand how completely God has forgiven us.

Question 4

How can I restore a broken relationship?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 5:23-24“If you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”Take the first step toward reconciling a relationship, which is exactly what God has done through Christ to restore us to himself.Luke 15:18“‘I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you.”’”To restore a relationship, we must confess our wrongdoings to God and to the one we have wronged.Matthew 18:15“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.”Restoration may involve confrontation. Most don’t like conflict, and confrontation brings conflict. But when conflict is resolved, a relationship is restored.Genesis 50:18-21Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said. But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.Proverbs 19:11Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.Ephesians 4:26, 31-32And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry . . . Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.We can begin to restore a broken relationship by relinquishing our feelings of anger toward the person involved. Anger damages relationships, perhaps more than any other emotion. Forgiveness dissolves anger, perhaps more than any other action. When we forgive others, we no longer see them as our enemies. When we are forgiven, we are drawn to those who have forgiven us.Colossians 3:13Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.We can restore a broken relationship by making allowance for other’s faults and not being easily offended.Numbers 5:7“They [people who have wronged another] must confess their sin and make full restitution for what they have done, adding an additional 20 percent and returning it to the person who was wronged.”1 Samuel 12:3“Now testify against me in the presence of the Lord and before his anointed one. Whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice? Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong.”We can restore a broken relationship by making restitution, if necessary, giving back to someone what we have taken from them and more. Restitution brings our actions in harmony with our words. Restitution acknowledges that a wrong has been committed, shows concern for the one wronged, and demonstrates a sincere desire to take responsibility for what we did.

Question 5

How can I help others be restored to God?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 3:2“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”Luke 1:77-79“You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”Luke 24:47“It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’”Acts 2:37-38Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”Acts 3:19“Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.”2 Corinthians 5:18-21God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.We can help others be restored to God by sharing with them God’s call to repentance and his message of love and forgiveness.James 5:16Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.We can help others be restored to God by confessing our sins to one another, asking forgiveness of those we have wronged, and praying for and encouraging each other.2 Corinthians 13:7-10We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction. I hope we won’t need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive. Do the right thing before we come—even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority. For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth. We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature. . . . I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down.We can help others be restored to God by mentoring them, showing them how to live for God.Matthew 18:15“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.”2 Corinthians 7:8-11I [Paul] am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right.Galatians 2:11When Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong.Galatians 6:1If another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.1 Timothy 5:20Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others.James 5:19-20If someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.We can help others be restored to God by confronting their sin gently and humbly.1 Timothy 1:20Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.We can help others be restored to God by maintaining hope in their repentance. Some people may need to be let go, meaning we stop pursuing them with the discipline process. We can only do so much to encourage repentance. Some may have to fully fall into the hands of Satan and experience the tragic feeling and consequences of being a slave to sin before they see the need for repentance and change. For some, they cannot experience the freedom Christ gives until they experience the tragic consequences of being under Satan’s control.2 Corinthians 2:7-8Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.We can help others be restored to God by offering forgiveness and comfort in love.