Step Nine

Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Much of this "making amends" business is getting too much attention.

The grace of God does not work like that. Consider the example of Zaccheus:

"Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. 6And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. 8And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19: 1-10)

Jesus showed this tax collector His goodness, which in turn liberated Zaccheus to give half of his goods to the poor and to restore fourfold to anyone whom he had defrauded.

Jesus calls Zaccheus a "son of Abraham", one who has received the grace of God by "faith", for faith is what pleases God (Hebrews 11: 6)

He did not seek to restore to others in order to be made righteous, but because he was made righteous, receiving Jesus "joyfully" into his life!

We need to receive the Life of Christ into us, then we can step out in faith and love to serve Him! Obedience is important, no question about it. Making amends is acceptable, certainly, but we do not make amends and seek peace with others in order to get it, but rather because we have already received it from God the Father through Jesus!:

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13: 34)

and

"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." (John 15: 2)

This is more than imitation, however, but rather inspiration:

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." (Galatians 5: 16-18)

I must add that this step is arrogant to its core -- where do we get the idea that anything that we have done is so bad, so harmful that we must do something to make it better? Do we really think that other people are so weak, craven, and in bondage that they cannot move on with their lives?


Here is a proverb that more people need to consider in their walk:

"He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends." (Proverbs 17: 9)

Let it go, for Christ Himself has already paid for it!