My reading through the Bible has recently taken me through Leviticus. One phrase stood out to me which, I believe, has implications for the way we do evangelism. In the laws about the various offerings we read passages like Leviticus 4:22-24 (one of many similar passages):

22 “When a leader sins, doing unintentionally any one of all the things that by the commandments of the LORD his God ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, 23 or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish, 24 and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD; it is a sin offering.

Note the association (or the lack thereof) of a person’s knowledge and their guilt for their actions (focus especially on the end of verse 22 and the beginning of verse 23). The leader’s sin which occurred is real, meaning that God interprets whatever action as sinful. However from the perspective of the leader, this action (or perhaps, lack of action) was not intentional. It is common for us to overlook the shortcomings of a friend or family member who offends us out of their ignorance. We do not see this characteristic displayed in the character of God.

God counts this action as a sin, even if it was done unintentionally. Note how the leader’s guilt is later “realiz[ed]” and now “the sin which he has committed is made known to him.” Why is that? Well, as humans we have a tendency to forget things, one of the many noetic effects of sin traceable to our relationship with Adam and his royal blunder in the Eden. The Lord, has issued many commandments regulating how his people were to live, commandments, not suggestions or guidelines. When a leader falls short of this they would set a horrible example for those who followed them by pleading ignorance. Forget bliss, in this case, ignorance is sin!

The seriousness and holiness of God’s Law is displayed, in part, by the rigidity with which God enforces it. Exceptions would not serve this end well.

When we share the gospel with an unbeliever we must be careful to lovingly explain their need for it. They are guilty in God’s eyes, for sins against him which they have committed in ignorance. We must not allow them to comfort themselves with the notion that if God really exists that he will understand and make me an exception because I didn’t know this or that law.

The reality that guilt is not determined by personal knowledge, but by the perfect standard of God’s Law, is humbling for believers as well. Nothing in us merits God’s favor, even our repentance of the sins which we know about. Of course, there is nothing wrong with repentance, everyone ought to confess and turn from their sin. However the repentance itself is only for the sins we know about. Our good standing with God comes from the shed blood of Jesus Christ on our behalf, not our imperfect reactions to it.