The objective of this lesson: to stress the difference between ignorant sin and rebellious sin. To stress that rebellion says to God "I will do as I please" but repentance says to God, "I want to do as You direct."
Too many Christians make little [if any] distinction between rebellion and disobedience. In the minds of many, rebellion is any sin regardless of the person's motive or reason for sinning. In this view, any form of disobedience is rebellion against God.
Too often Christians simplistically view all sin as rebellion against God. There is a difference in failing to do as God directs and refusing to recognize God's right to direct.
Two questions must be asked. (1) Why did the sin occur? [Was the person conscious that he/she was yielding to something God forbids?] (2) What was the person's reaction/response when he/she realized he/she sinned? [Was the reaction a "so what" attitude or an attitude arising from grief that motivated the person to (a) accept responsibility and (b) redirect life?
In the matter of thinking or doing evil, even God distinguishes between unintentional evil and the evil of rebellion.
Hebrews 10:26-31 speaks of those who "go on sinning willfully." In context, it is talking about people committing the sin of apostasy [the primary sin in Hebrews]. They knew better--they received the knowledge of the truth. Yet, in spite of what they knew they continued doing evil.
Those who make the conscious choice deliberately to rebel against God sin "willfully." They reject God as God and replace Him with their own wills/goals/desires.
In Hebrews 6:1 it is evident repentance's purpose is to produce change. Again, in context, the sin is the sin of apostasy. Spiritual maturity's objective is to redirect life in ways that leave evils of spiritual infancy behind. Or, learning better results in doing better.
The desire of spiritual maturity is to grow toward God. It does not want to remain in a spiritual infancy that repeatedly makes the same mistakes on a continuous basis. Better knowledge and understanding of God's holiness result in growing [continuously] toward God. A conscious desire to more perfectly reflect God's nature emerges and controls the Christian.
Even God made a distinction between the Israelite who sinned rebelliously and who sinned unintentionally. Consider the following verses (read in context):
The distinction between unintentional sin and the sin of rebellion is neither artificial nor imagined.
Leviticus 4:2 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, and commits any of them, ...
Leviticus 4:22 When a leader sins and unintentionally does any one of all the things which the Lord his God has commanded not to be done, and he becomes guilty, ...
Leviticus 4:27 Now if anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, and becomes guilty, ...
Leviticus 5:15,17 If a person acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against the Lord's holy things, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation in silver by shekels, in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. ...Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.
Leviticus 22:14 But if a man eats a holy gift unintentionally, then he shall add to it a fifth of it and shall give the holy gift to the priest.
These references confirm the existence of unintentional or ignorant sin even in Israel.
Please carefully note the point. Evil did not suddenly become "good" because a person did not know he/she did evil. Evil did not suddenly cease to matter because a person unknowingly did evil. Evil was evil no matter why it occurred. Evil carried consequences regardless of why it occurred.
In no way is this observation an attempt to take the "evil" out of any form of sin. It is to note the distinction between evil that arises from ignorance and evil that arises from a deliberate rejection of God.
This is the distinction. (1) Those who sinned unintentionally offered sacrifices for forgiveness. (2) Those who rebelled against God commonly died. The motivation ["why"] causing the sin does not eliminate the evil in the sin. However, sin occurring through rebellion and sin occurring through ignorance are regarded differently by God. Consider the following illustrations.
Commonly in Israel the distinction between those who could offer sacrifices for sins committed [as an act of repentance] and those who were killed as a direct result of sins committed was the distinction made between unintentional or ignorant sin and the sin of rebellion.
Most Bible students know about the deaths of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1). In offering incense to the Lord, they used fire from some source other than God commanded. They rebelled. They knew the source. They understood the command. The problem was not ignorance. They consciously did as they choose rather than as God commanded. Rebellion cost them their lives.
The most common use of Nadad and Abihu's deaths in many restoration churches is this: to emphasize doing precisely what God commands in the precise manner He commands. Rarely is this stressed: it is a serious matter to rebel against God. Their act of using "strange fire" was an act of rebellion. It is quite possible their rebellion arose from indifference to God's specific instructions. [Please note there is a significant difference between (1) rejecting God's specific instruction and (2) presenting a human desire or human conclusion for a specific instruction from God.]
Most Bible students are familiar with Moses' rebellion in providing Israel water (Numbers 20:2-13). Though Moses was God's exceptional follower (Deuteronomy 34:10-12), though God's relationship with Moses was unique (Deuteronomy 18:15), Moses' rebellion against God resulted in his death prior to Israel entering Canaan. In arrogance, he took credit for God's act. In arrogance, he failed to hold up God's holiness in Israel's eyes.
Though Moses had an exceptional relationship with God, his rebellion [arising from his arrogance] cost Moses his opportunity to lead Israel into Canaan. He had yet another opportunity to focus Israel's eyes on the total sufficiency of the Holy God. Instead, he focused Israel on himself and Aaron. The emphasis in providing Israel water was on "we," and not on "God." God provided the power; "we" were just instruments through whom the power worked. A frustrated Moses struck the rock, but the Holy God provided the water. Moses' responsibility was to uphold the holiness of God Who is more than sufficient, not hold up the arrogance of Moses and Aaron.
Most Bible students are familiar with Saul's rebellion against God in the matter of King Agag and the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15). God's instruction was clear and specific: total destruction as a retribution for their earlier opposition to Israel (1 Samuel 15:2,3; Exodus 17:8-16). Samuel rebuked Saul's rebellion: "Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king" (1 Samuel 15:22, 23). Note: (1) rebellion made worship meaningless, therefore obedience is superior to worship; (2) rebellion was as serious as sorcery, wickedness, and idolatry; (3) rebellion's core is rejection.
Saul had a view of worship that would exalt him as the victorious King as well as honor God through worship. God was not interested in exalting Saul. God was interested in keeping His promise. Saul had not learned from his past failures that the most significant thing he could do was to obey God's specific instructions. The faith to obey was more significant than a huge occasion of sacrificial worship.
Give attention to Paul's words in 1 Timothy 1:12-17. Note he confessed he was a blasphemer, persecutor, and violent aggressor (verse 13). Yet, God forgave and used him. Why? Paul said he received mercy because his horribly evil attitudes and acts were done "ignorantly in unbelief." Were Paul's ungodly acts prior to believing in Jesus as the Christ conscious and deliberate? Yes! Then how could they be acts of ignorance? They were acts of ignorance for two reasons. (1) Paul actually thought his violence accomplished God's purposes. (2) He did not know Jesus' true identity. He thought those following Jesus opposed God. He thought Jesus was an impostor rather than God's son. Thus, his attitudes and acts of extremely ungodliness received God's mercy.
We need to grasp Paul's "ignorance coming from unbelief." Did Paul know scripture? Yes! He was well versed in the written word of God. Did Paul intend to do what he did? Yes! He was not "accidentally" a blasphemer, persecutor, or violent aggressor. Since he acted deliberately and intentionally, how could he say that his were ignorant acts? He did not know Jesus' real identity. Therefore, his deeds were not acts of intentional rebellion against God. In fact, he genuinely thought he was serving God by arresting those whom he thought were opposing God. His was not an act of conscious, intended rebellion.
God makes a major distinction between ungodliness resulting from ignorance and ungodliness resulting from rebellion! Ungodliness founded on ignorance repents when the person knows or understands better. The intent of ungodliness founded on ignorance is never a rejection of God!
Since God makes a distinction between lifestyles and acts arising from ignorance and lifestyles and acts arising from rebellion, we need to recognize God's distinctions. Often only God knows the difference. We need to leave such matters in God's hands instead of acting as if we are capable of discerning all those distinctions. Few of us would have classified prechristian Paul's actions as arising from his ignorance.
Thought Questions
Rebellion occurs (1) when a person knows and understands God's specific instruction and (2) in disregard for God consciously, deliberately rejects His instructions and does as he/she pleases. Rebellion arises from a conscious disregard for God.
Ungodliness arising from ignorance is not a conscious disregard for God. Ungodliness arising from rebellion is a conscious disregard for God.
When ignorance comes to the awareness it did something evil, in godly sorrow it repents. The intent of ignorance was not rebellion against God. For whatever reason, ignorance failed to grasp God's will in the matter. Thus Paul [prior to conversion] could arrest Christians in his conviction that God wanted him to do this. He was horribly wrong with a total misunderstanding of God's will, but he was not consciously rebelling against God.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 10