LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Does God view unintentional sin differently?
Submitted to Dr. James Sulfridge
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN 500
Discipleship Ministries
By
Anthony Bean
The book of Leviticus required different offerings based on whether a sin was intentional or
unintentional. Does this mean God views unintentional sins differently? Not exactly. It is clear
that God made a distinction between intentional and unintentional sins in terms of the
offerings in the Old Testament. Leviticus 4:2–3 notes this example: “When anyone sins
unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands—If the anointed
priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the Lord a young bull without defect
as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.”
The idea of unintentional sin in Leviticus 4 is related to sin by straying or by accident. In
these cases an offering could be made. However, there was no offering available for when a
person sinned intentionally. Numbers 15:30–31 states, “Anyone who sins defiantly, whether
native-born or foreigner, blasphemes the Lord and must be cut off from the people of Israel.
Because they have despised the Lord’s word and broken his commands, they must surely be cut
off; their guilt remains on them.” Those who rebelled in committing intentional sin were to be
cut off or separated from the people.
While there may have been a distinction in terms of the consequences of unintentional and
intentional sins in the Old Testament, the Bible is clear all have sinned and fall short of God’s
glory (Romans 3:23). The offerings of the Old Testament foreshadowed the offering of Jesus
Christ Himself as a sacrifice on the cross for our sins. Jesus is the sufficient substitute for
forgiveness and eternal life.
In John 14:6 Jesus teaches, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me.” Though every person has sinned (except Jesus), we have the
opportunity for forgiveness and redemption from sin through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
By faith in Him, salvation is obtained (Ephesians 2:8–9). This is true regardless of intentional or
unintentional sins, whether a person believes he has sinned a little or sinned a lot.
Scripture is clear that humanity was created good but is sinful now as a result of the Fall
(Genesis 3). Regardless of the type or level of sins a person has committed, Jesus is sufficient to
forgive and offer eternal life. Those who reject the gospel, regardless of how much or how little
sin they have committed, will be separated from God for eternity and will experience
everlasting punishment for their sins. God calls all people to come to Him, for there is no other
name under heaven given to offer salvation (Acts 4:12).
The Old Testament makes some interesting differentiations between unintentional sins and
sins done "with a high hand" (Numbers 15:27–31). While this differentiation was necessary
under the Law, under the new covenant there is no longer a need for this differentiation.
The Old Testament Law says, "If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the Lord's
commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them, if it is the anointed
priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has
committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the Lord for a sin offering" (Leviticus 4:2–3).
The rest of the chapter gives the specific offerings that should be given if a leader or the whole
congregation sins unintentionally. The word for unintentional here means "inadvertent,"
meaning the sin was not planned out or thought through beforehand. These sins were still
wrong, and the person who committed the sin was still in need of atonement, which is why
there is a specific sacrifice prescribed for it.
Elsewhere in the Law, there is a reference to a different kind of sin than unintentional sin,
and that is a sin done "with a high hand," meaning the doer has an attitude of defiance towards
God: "But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner,
reviles the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. Because he has
despised the word of the LORD and has broken his commandment, that personal shall be
utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him" (Numbers 15:30–31). The punishment for intentional
sins is more severe because of the attitude of the sinner, not because the sin itself.
The New Testament doesn't make any specific differentiation between intentional and
unintentional sin. It does make clear that all humans have sinned and are separated from God
(Romans 3:23; 6:23). Apart from His intervention, there would be no forgiveness of sin (Romans
5:6–11). The book of Hebrews explains a new covenant, ushered in by Jesus. The Old Testament
sacrificial system foreshadowed what Jesus would accomplish on the cross. Hebrews
10:1 explains, "For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the
true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered
every year, make perfect those who draw near." It goes on to explain how Jesus' sacrifice is a
once and for all sacrifice: "we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10); "But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice
for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12).
Anyone who loves God, acknowledges Christ's death and resurrection, and accepts Him as
his Lord and Savior has become a new creation, with God's spirit living inside of him (John 3:16–
18; 2 Corinthians 5:17–21; Ephesians 1:13–14). Those who reject God's love and His offer of
salvation live their lives sinning with a high hand (Romans 1:18–32; Hebrews 10:26–31). All who
accept Jesus' work on the cross on their behalf are forgiven of all their sins—whether
unintentional or intentional. All those who continue to reject Jesus remain condemned (John
3:36). The offer of salvation is open to all who will receive it. Jesus' death on the cross is
sufficient for all of our sins—whether "big" or "small," done in defiance or in ignorance. It is
only through Him that we can be saved (Ephesians 2:1–10; Acts 4:12).
Those who belong to Jesus are forgiven of all their sin. They are also transformed and made
new, but that transformation is a lifelong process (Philippians 1:6; 2:12–13). We will still
struggle against sin, and Jesus is still faithful to cleanse us (1 John 1:9). Paul describes this
constant battle between the Spirit and the flesh: "For I delight in the law of God, in my inner
being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making
me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members" (Romans 7:22–23). Since we are no
longer judged by the Law, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1).
However, this is not an excuse to sin. Those who are truly born again do not want to walk in sin
because it separates us from God: "How can we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 6:2).
As Christians, we have the choice to sin or not to sin, so choose life. We have changed
hearts and the Spirit of God living within us, so "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body,
to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for
unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to
life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion
over you, since you are not under the law but under grace" (Romans 6:12–14).
