Intentional / Unintentional Sin

The ideas I have read and heard regarding inten-
tional and unintentional sin have been of interest
to me, because I am certainly still in the learning
more, certainly not the teaching mode, with regard
to sin. While there is already a thread on the sub-
ject, it is in the Baptist-Only area. May we please
dialogue about it here as well?

I have believed that I have sinned both intention-
ally and unintentionally, but it was explained to me
once that all sin is intentional, because all action
is intentional. I could understand, to a point, why
the person wrote this, but if this is true, why is
there no sacrifice listed for intentional sin but there
are sacrifices listed for unintentional sins?

Also, what is the definition of intentional and
unintentional sin? It may be that our definition
is what is faulty here.

Further, there are times when we may call some-
thing sin when another does not. (Example: our
definition of a lie may differ with another's defini-
tion.) How do we rectify this biblically? Does a
particular maturity level define sin for the individ-
ual sinner?

 

Did you get that snack?

 

Now please understand -- I am learning here.
Asking questions. Throwing out thoughts.
Please bear with me, too. This transition from
holiness-Arminianism to Calvinism is not an easy
one for me, in some ways!

See, I did this the other day at Home Depot --
walked out of the store with a small item that had
fallen down in the basket, and I forgot about it until
I was putting stuff in my car and found it.

My old Arminian {A. from now on here) concept
would have been, "But it was never a sin, unless I
had not gone back to the store and paid for it." Is
the Calvinism (C. from now on here) idea that it
was sin as soon as I walked away from the cash
register without paying for it but forgiven (justified)
sin as soon as I took it back to the cashier,
explained, and paid for it?

Sure, in my idea of C. In my old idea of A., that
would have been considered an error, a misjudg-
ment, an accident. However, in holiness-
Arminianism, they would say that if my "heart had
been right," if I had been doing the right things, this
would not have happened.

Now, that one would be bad! I think that in C., that
is a sin, but in A., it would not have been a sin,
because I did not know. They used the definition
that if you KNOW to do something and don't do it,
it is sin. They would also have said that it must have
been our God's will.

Since I also use the ideas from the Law and the
Prophets, I would certainly say that is sin, even
though it was unintentional, and I have no idea it
ever happened.

I think so, in C. In A., that would not have been a
sin until I actually recognized that it was sin. But
again, in holiness A., they would have said that if
my ducks had been in a row, this would not have
happened.

Me, too.

Yes, I would call all these unintentional sins. Am I
on the right track so far?

[ November 22, 2003, 07:35 AM: Message edited by: Abiyah ]

 

Sure makes me think. In my old belief, so many
things were passed off, ignored, to the hurt of the
ones who committed them as well as those they
were committed against and those who observed
them committed. The excuses made for these
things, when excuses were even made, were very
lame.

One of the things I realized, toward the end of my
tenure there, was how unforgiven sin stacked upon
unforgiven sin, until the people seemed to have so
little conscience left.

I agree, and that is biblical. I am trying to remember
the reference, but it slips me right now.

My reasoning for calling the accidental shoplifting
sin is this: if I had been noticed by store security,
leaving the store with the item, they would have
legally called it theft. From their point of view, they
would have had every right to do so, and biblically,
they would have been right, too. The item was in
my possession, and in the U.S., by our laws, it was
theft because I exited the door with it.

Certainly, I did not know I had it, but how can one
act done by me be rightfully considered not sin by
me and rightfully considered sin by another? It is
either a sin to all parties or not a sin to all parties.
So I conclude that it was sin. If I had deliberately
driven away with it, it would have become an even
worse sin, because I would have ignored my God,
my conscience, the laws of the land, and the
store's right to be compensated.

I have known believers who actually think that it
is all right to keep that extra dollar bill from the
cashier, the pen they accidentally took from the
bank, the book (CD, movie) they borrowed and
forgot to return, etc. I, personally, believe that
every pen with a company's name on it, that we
were not specifically given by them, represents
theft. I believe every borrowed book (CD, movie)
we keep beyond the rightful due date is there by
theft, unless arrangements with the lender have
been made. Somebody suffered a loss, and we
gained through that loss. That's theft.

Ouch! Ouch, ouch! I can't find a book I borrowed
from the library, and I know I must find it or pay.

 

Diane --

I would say that your mother left you a legacy of
honesty. Bless her.