People speak of “making things right” when they have done something wrong. In a real sense, however, we can never make anything right that we have done wrong. What’s done is done. We can repay something we wrongly took; we can regret a deed; we can confess a sin; but we can never undo a deed once it is done. We can never make a wrong deed right.
Knowing this, God only requires that we confess our errors openly and determine not to repeat them – and if we have caused others harm, to do what we can to diminish the harm done. God has promised to forgive and to cleanse us from our sins if we do that, and to remove the record of that sin from His Book. But He does not undo the deed. A deed done is a deed done, and it will forever be a deed that was done.
Live in the love of God and you will do no wrong, for “love worketh no ill to his neighbor.” And it is certainly better not to do an evil deed than it is to do the evil and be forgiven for it. It is better never to have had sins written in God’s Book than it is to have had sins in there and had them removed from it.
Being human, we all have had sins written in God’s Book, but Jesus has cleansed us and given us a new start. And Jesus told us all, “Go, and sin no more.” If you did not take the best advantage of his precious gift of a new start, and if you did wrong after Jesus cleansed you, then by all means, go back to Jesus and take advantage of the opportunity he offers to start again with a clean record. But this time do what he says, and “sin no more”!
In the meantime, remember that the wrong you did remains something that was done, and those you hurt may still be hurt. If God brings to your mind someone who is still living with the unpleasant consequences of your deeds, then show Jesus how thankful you are for his mercy and go to that person in all meekness, and seek their forgiveness, too.
What’s done is done, and God does not undo it. But He can restore lost fellowship, and joy, and love, and hope, and He can heal bruised spirits and broken hearts. He can renew lost friendships and ruined marriages. He can make us feel the peace and joy that comes with a sinless life because it is His sinless life that comes into our hearts and cleanses and heals us.
“Though our sins be as scarlet,” He will make us feel as if our souls are white as snow. He can restore lost years, lost health, wasted money, missed opportunities, and anything else we need to be happy! “If God be for us, who can be against us?” AND GOD IS FOR US!
The phrase, “What’s done is done” does not apply only to us. It applies to what God does, too. And if He has cleansed, if He has forgiven, if He has restored, it is done! Let’s rejoice in His work, and forever abandon our own.
