That's not what I meant - THE UNINTENTIONAL

That's Not What I Meant!  I Didn't Mean To!

SORRY, WHAT YOU MEANT DOESN'T MATTER!

THAT'S NO EXCUSE!!

[Just ask God!]

"If I wrong you unintentionally, that is better than wanting to wrong you and then doing it. But the fact of the wrong remains no matter what I meant to do. And for this I need to ask your forgiveness, not to mention God's forgiveness."

MARK O. ROBERTS :  "But I Didn't Mean To! I Didn't Know!" 

That’s not what you meant?  Doesn’t matter.  It IS what you said or at least what 8 out of 10 people listening to you understood you to mean.  Is IS what you did.  It happened.  It IS what you caused or enabled to happen. Maybe you didn't mean it, but ... It happened.   And it did the same damage.  It’s the damage not the intention that has to be dealt with. 

And Leviticus 4:1-35 says you have to deal with the unintended - when you come to know of it.  You have to accept it and do the follow-up required by God.  Yes, there is a new set of examples and teaching on what that means in the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament.  But the basic principle is the same, you must do what God requires to make it right.

Note the groups God singles out as responsible to deal with the unintentional:

• THE ANOINTED LEADERSHIP [Gifted and/or Appointed]:  If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people ...
• THE COMMUNITY [God's People or Other Community]:   If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally .. even though the community is unaware of the matter...
• ANY OTHER LEADER:  When a leader sins unintentionally ...
• ANY INDIVIDUAL:  If any member of the community sins unintentionally ...

WHAT THEN IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY UNDER GRACE?