Home » Discuss Elliaison Books and Articles » The Atonement of Jesus Christ » Differences between sins and transgressions
| Re: Differences between sins and transgressions [message #3848 is a reply to message #3846] |
Fri, 12 June 2020 13:21   |
Amonhi
Messages: 237
Registered: June 2010
Location: Las Vegas, NV.
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This is a great question and one that I have never heard addressed in church directly. It seems that most people think that all disobedience to God and His laws is a sin unless you are talking about little children, then they make an exception as if God respected little children more than adults. God treats all men and women equally regardless of age. It's just easy to understand that children don't know anything and so are completely innocent. But there is a principle at work here. It isn't about the age of the person that determines whether or not they're innocent. (That's covered in the book The Probation of Man.) The age of 8 is kind of a rule of thumb that we use and symbolizes the process learning and growth. The Hebrew number 8 represents a new beginning or cycle.
Quote: Eighth Hebrew letter: Chet Numerical value of eight. Pictographic meaning wall, fence, protect, new beginning, separation, sin, outside, olam haba. - https://graceintorah.net/2015/06/15/hebrew-numbers-1-10/
Retarded people might go their entire lives without being accountable for their actions and highly intelligent people might become accountable before they are eight. There isn't a magical thing that happens the moment a person turns eight, we just have to draw a line somewhere and symbolically, 8 is a good place to do it according to God.
When little children do things that God says are bad, they transgress, not sin. An adult might do the exact same thing as a child and because of their knowledge it would be considered a sin. Another adult could do the exact same thing also and because they lack knowledge or will, they also transgress like the little child. Our probation isn't about what we do as much as it is who we are. If it was about what we do, then a wicked person could do the right things and qualify for heaven and having passed the final judgement by works they would be free to BE the wicked person they always were. Who we are is what is important, not what we do. For example, Nephi was a very righteous man, but mourned and lamented greatly for the things he still did that he knew he should not have done, (see 2 Nephi 4:17-19). His righteousness was not determined by his faults and flaws, but by the desires of his heart which were good.
The atonement covers both transgressions and sins, but the two are handled very differently and the requirements for forgiveness are different.
Sins, (committed with both knowledge and will), are only forgiven on condition of repentance as pointed out in the verse you quoted from Alma 12 which clearly shows that repentance is necessary for the remission of our SINS.
Quote:Alma 12:33 But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son;
34 Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.
Transgressions, (committed without knowledge or will), are forgiven freely without repentance.
Quote:Alma 29:5 Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience.
Alma 32:19 And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?
Mosiah 3:11-12 For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned.
12 But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God! For salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.
D&C 29:49-50 And, again, I say unto you, that whoso having knowledge, have I not commanded to repent?
50 And he that hath no understanding, it remaineth in me to do according as it is written. And now I declare no more unto you at this time. Amen.
Mormon tells us the same thing in Moroni 8. He says that those who are without the law (knowledge) are just like little children and cannot repent. Notice how doesn't say they don't need to repent but rather that it is impossible for them to repent.
Quote:Moroni 8
8 Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me.
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10 Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach--repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children.
11 And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins.
12 But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!
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19 Little children cannot repent; wherefore, it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all alive in him because of his mercy.
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22 For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing.
As is shown in these verses, people who sin (or break God's laws with both Knowledge and will) are accountable for their actions and must repent to receive forgiveness. But those who transgress (or break God's laws without either Knowledge or will) are "blameless", "not condemned or under no condemnation" and "cannot repent".
In some instance the authors of the scriptures, (or more often the translators who don't understand the difference between sin and transgression), use the terms transgression and sin interchangeably. But as shown, they are very different and that difference deals with accountability and responsibility, innocence or guilt. When we read the scriptures, we need to know the difference for ourselves so that we can consider the context of the scripture to determine if the words are used/translated correctly or not.
Two people might do the exact same thing and yet one remains innocent and does not need to repent to be forgiven through the atonement and the other is condemned and needs to repent to be forgiven through the atonement. The ability to forgive in both instances is through the atonement. Without the atonement forgiveness of sins and transgressions is not possible.
An additional thought. The law was given because of transgression. This means that prior to the law given, any error the people did was considered innocent and blameless. After the law was given the same actions became a sin. This is covered in detail in the book The Preparatory Gospel or Law of Moses: Fulfilling the Law
Quote:
Galatians 3:19
19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Romans 3:20
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Romans 2:12
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
Romans 5:13
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed, (assigned), when there is no law.
Did that answer your question?
Seek Truth,
Amonhi
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