But I didn't mean to do it...

I have always loved Bill Cosby's video "Himself." He discusses children's disobedience and their common defense when asked why they did something: "I don't know." I try not to ask why, although I don't often succeed and the why question just seems to pop out. But when I talk to my son about something he's done wrong, he often says, "But I didn't mean to do it," as if this changes the fact that he has done something wrong.

Today as I was reading my Bible I came across an interesting passage:

Leviticus 5:14-16   The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.

© Richard D. Gelina

Apparently God does not accept the defense, "But I didn't know..." or "But I didn't mean to..." God accepts only total perfection—total obedience—or else we are guilty of the whole law (James 2:10). It's a bit overwhelming.

After a few posts regarding our need to reject man's rules and regulations (if they are not directly derived from scripture), I thought it might be a good idea to remind ourselves that God demands absolute obedience to His commands. And we have our hands full enough trying to reach that level of obedience. In fact the level of obedience is impossible, as we can see by looking at the 5,000 or so years of man's inability to live by the Mosaic law.

But, praise God, there is forgiveness in Jesus' name. Without that forgiveness, we would remain forever separated from God with no chance of redemption.

Colossians 1:13-14  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.