If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, he is guilty. When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering for the sin he committed a female goat without defect. – Lev. 4:27-28
Did I break the law if I don’t know I broke the law? Do I deserve punishment if I wasn’t trying to hurt anything? Should I have to pay if I wasn’t trying to take advantage?
Yes.
We like to think that our intentions make us innocent. They don’t. Our intentions simply reflect our limitations.
We don’t know everything. Even about right and wrong, we just don’t know everything. We are not the authorities. We don’t have everything under our control. When we mess up without knowing it, we just show again that we are not God… and that there’s a reason we are not God.
On the up side, when we sin without knowing it, at least God doesn’t condemn our motivations. He knows what we have done wrong, He understands that we are ignorant, and He provides a way to forgiveness. He doesn’t see us as rebels.
But if we sin without knowing it, we are still guilty of sin. We still need God’s forgiveness. Thank God! He offers His forgiveness so freely that He sent Jesus Christ to die so that we can be forgiven! Are we guilty for our unknown sins? Yes. But is God out to get us because of them? No. He knows our ignorance, He loves us, He provides a way of forgiveness. What a great God we serve!
Father, thank You that even though You are far more aware of my shortcomings and sins than I am, You do not despise me. You love me—Your dirty, sinful, ignorant creature—enough to clean me, make me righteous, teach me, and call me a son. May we not fear admitting that unknown sins make us guilty before You. We don’t have to plead ignorance, because that is not a sufficient plea to justify us. The only sufficient plea is that we believe in Your Son Jesus Christ, the King who died and rose for us—the Way You sent for us to be forgiven!
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