S: Leviticus 4:27-28 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, if his sin which he has committed is made known to him, then he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without defect, for his sin which he has committed.
Leviticus 4:31 Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat was removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar for a soothing aroma to the Lord. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
Leviticus 6:4-5 then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him or the lost thing which he found, or anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full and add to it one-fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day he presents his guilt offering.
O: This is in the Old Testament Law, which we are no longer under. However, the principle remains:
If we do something wrong, even if it's unintentional, it's still wrong. However, don't despair, forgiveness is available. And if the wrong is something we have done to someone that has caused them loss, we should try to make restitution. (I recognize that some losses are impossible to make restitution for.)
My daughter recently did something wrong unintentionally and was worried about it, but I reassured her that she could ask God for forgiveness and atonement has been paid for by Jesus. In the Old Testament, they had to sacrifice some animal, but Jesus has been our eternal sacrifice for all our sins. So we need to confess & repent, but after that, we should not wallow in our guilt, for the price has already been paid for.
A: When we sin, even unintentionally, and we realize it, we need to repent and receive God's grace. If the sin hurt someone else, if it is possible, we should try to make restitution.
P: Father, thank You for paying for our sins on the cross, making grace available to us. Help us to keep from sin. Remind me when I am tempted. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
