Sherwood Pictures has put out a few films now, but the very first one was called Flywheel. The video quality is fairly poor, the acting is, well, unskilled, but it has become my second favorite movie of the four they have released. You wonder why? Let me tell you why- in my opinion…
In the movie, a ‘Christian’ car dealer who prides himself in cheating customers out of money (though they were unaware of it) is struggling at home with relationships and in making his business prosper. Eventually, at his lowest point he returns to the Lord and stops overcharging people. But the storyline doesn’t end there. He not only goes on and apologizes face to face to all the people he cheated, but he gives back the money that he stole from them by overcharging. Most of them are reasonable about it, but one older lady gives him a rough time. He even has to face the pastor who bought a car for his daughter there- talk about humiliating.
The reason I like this film so much is its message of the highest integrity: it’s all good and well to ask for God’s forgiveness for your sin against another person, and to never do it again, BUT you still have to repent to that person (say you were wrong and are sorry) face to face if at all possible and then ask their forgiveness. Tough, yes, but that isn’t the end of it either. You are supposed to make it right with them. Ouch, that’s the part that costs. It costs us time, reputation, possibly money, and most of us just don’t want to work that hard or humble ourselves that much.
As Christians, we should be walking in the highest integrity as our God is the most integrious person in existence, and we are to conform to His image. (1Kn. 9:4, Job 2:3, Pr. 11:3, Job 27:5 and many more scriptures-KJV contain the word integrity.) As to the restitution, it is going back and making things right for things you took or the people you hurt. It is "restoring" to the original owner what is rightfully theirs -- property or respect and reputation. Personal restitution is the most difficult because there is no item to return or pay for, only a question “What can I do to make this right” and humble submission. Jesus approved the restitution of Zacchaeus in Lk. 9:8,9. Think about the scriptures below, and what Christ Jesus would want us to do.
And let us all start living with the highest integrity and be able to say like Paul, “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. Acts 24:16
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Mt. 5:23,24
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Eph. 4:2,3
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Pp. 2:3,4
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Eph. 5:21
1Pt. 5:5- (younger 'submit' to elder) (all be 'subject' one to another) –same greek words.