Is it possible we could sin and not know it? Possible to have unconfessed sin in our lives? And if so, what would that mean? As we read God’s Word, we find that He is serious about sin. And because He is, we sometimes get worried about our own possibility of some sin we may be unaware of.
Let’s start by thinking about unintentional sin. Sins that I committed that I didn’t mean to, and maybe didn’t even know about. Does God care? Well in that somewhat difficult third book of the Bible – Leviticus – we discover that God gives instructions on this issue. In Leviticus 4:2, God says, “When anyone sins unintentionally…”
The passage points out that it is possible to sin unintentionally and that we can even sin without knowing we have done so. That is because God’s will does not change, even when we are unaware of it. But this is also true in our own families. Parents have wishes that their kids might not know about, and kids could violate those wishes unintentionally. We can do the same with God’s commands.
But to help the people not be overly concerned about it, God tells them that if they sin unintentionally, but later realize it, that they were simply to make amends through the proper offering at the moment they realized their error. That’s good news. God isn’t looking for ways to punish us. He’s looking for ways to forgive us!
I’m glad He pointed out to them that if they discovered unintentional or unconfessed sin, there was a way to deal with it. In the same way, if I didn’t know I had hurt your feelings, but later discover the truth that you were upset with me about something I’d done, the right thing for me to do is to apologize to you the moment I realize my error. We should do the same with God.
This section of Leviticus also reminds us that ignorance is no excuse. For capable, intelligent adults, if we violate the Word of God even in ignorance, our guilt remains. But before we say “that’s not fair,” we can look at how things work the same way in our world.
Just because I’m unaware of a rule doesn’t mean I can’t be punished for it. If you fail to pay attention to the Speed Limit sign, you can still get pulled over and get a ticket when you exceed that number. Your ignorance of the speed limit does not change the fact that you are guilty of breaking the speed limit.
God expects us to know how to live in a way that pleases and honors Him. He has given us the Bible to help us. God the Holy Spirit resides within us to guide us. And we are responsible to repent of our specific sins once we become aware of them.
So don’t let this frighten you as if you might be condemned for unconfessed sin. Don’t let this lead you into thinking that God is looking for any opportunity to pounce on you with condemnation. Providing a way to deal with these sins through an offering points out that God desires to forgive more than to punish!
These commands point out that God gave His people ways to reconnect with Him anytime they realized they had sinned, even if the sin was in the past. God doesn’t want us living in fear of Him. God loves you and wants you to have a deep relationship with Him, and He does all He can to keep our relationship with Him strong and healthy.
Remember – Jesus died on the cross for all your sin – past, present, and future! God has taken care of the ultimate penalty for our sins through the death of Jesus. So if you have made Jesus Lord and Savior, then your unconfessed sin does not condemn you in any way.
Take a moment to thank God that Jesus’ death on the cross took care of atoning for all of your sins – past, present, and future. And thank Him that by confessing Jesus as Lord of your life, that He has become your Rescuer, Redeemer, and Savior.
And if, when you read God’s Word and listen to the Holy Spirit, He points out any attitudes, thoughts, or behaviors that you previously didn’t realize were sins, commit to repairing any damage done by those sins, and work toward refraining from those sins in the future. Remember that all of God’s commands are for your good – to bring blessing into your life. He isn’t a divine ogre looking to squash us, He is a loving Father looking to forgive us and bless us!
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For example, I know that Abraham and Sarah were godly people. However, as we read their story in the Bible, we see that they still struggled to do what was right. Some of the errors they made: Abraham was fearful that the attractiveness of Sarah could get him killed as they travelled (he had more fear of man than he had trust in God). His fear led them to tell half-truths to several people (another word for that would be lying!). There was also impatience with God’s timing, which led Abraham to sleep with Hagar to help God out instead of waiting on Him. Then there was Sarah’s jealousy and mistreatment of Hagar. And yet, through it all, God was good to Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac.
And yet, even though Jacob didn’t love Leah in the way that he loved Rachel, God still loved Leah and blessed her. And even though Jacob had also been a deceiver, God still loved Jacob. 
