After the corporate dealing with defilement, there is the individual dealing (5:5-10). The church as a body needs the corporate dealing. This body is composed of the saints, and they should have the individual dealing.
In the individual dealing, we must first deal with the guilt of our sinning against God (v. 6). This is to deal with the defilement of unrighteousness, of being guilty before man and condemned before God.
In some things we may not be righteous with God. We might have wronged God, and thus there is something sinful between us and God. This is the defilement of unrighteousness, and it needs to be dealt with.
We also need to deal with the guilt that is before man. If we steal something from others, we are wrong with them and have become unrighteous. This unrighteousness is condemned by God. In such a case, we are not only wrong with man but are also under God's condemnation.
Numbers 5:6 and 7a say, "When a man or woman commits any of the sins of men so as to act unfaithfully against Jehovah, and that person is guilty, then he shall confess his sin which he has committed." Here we see that to deal with our sin, trespass, or guilt, we must make a thorough confession.
After confessing our sins to God (1 John 1:9), we should go to the one we have wronged to make restitution in full for our trespass (Num. 5:7b). Suppose you have stolen something from a certain person. As a result, you are unrighteous in relation to him and also under God's condemnation. You need to repay that person what you owe him. This is to make restitution for your trespass.
Numbers 5:7c says that the person who committed the trespass should add one-fifth to the trespass, "giving it to him to whom he did the trespass."
Because we Christians are still in the old man, we do not realize in how many things we desire to make a gain for ourselves at others' expense. For instance, in sitting next to others, we may want more space for ourselves and thus may not be careful to keep our legs in front of our own chair. If our conscience is keen, we will realize that this is wrong.
Furthermore, sometimes we may take advantage of others' possessions, perhaps using them without permission. School teachers may bring home pens, chalk, and stationery. We should not consider this insignificant; this is stealing.
In many things we make a gain for ourselves at others' expense. Unconsciously we may wrong others and thereby become indebted to them. We need to confess our wrongdoing to the Lord. No doubt, He will forgive us, and the blood of Jesus will cleanse us (1 John 1:9, 7). But a problem still exists between us and the one we have wronged. Thus, we must go to that one and make restitution, paying what we owe, and even more than we owe.
Our God is righteous and holy, and we must be righteous and holy as He is. Otherwise, we will be condemned by God's righteousness and holiness. Whenever this is our situation, we must confess our trespass and then make restitution.