Are we accountable for what we don't know?

Scripture: Hosea 4:6
Are we accountable for what we don't know? Well, it depends on whether we turned away from the opportunity to have knowledge or not. Hosea tells us God's people were destroyed for a lack of knowledge. Being purposefully ignorant is a dangerous thing.
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3 Comments
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Dolf Ogsila
Genesis 20:3-7

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”

4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”

6 And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

Notice how God "WITHHELD" Abimelech from sinning because of his innocence.
But since God made it known to Abimelech, he needs to do what is right and instructed or else verse 7 will happen to him

Please let me know your views and correct me if Im wrong. I am still a young Christian
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ralphhmoran
What do the scriptures say about making comments about things when you don't know the facts

Caller:  I have some friends who use the excuse that if they don't know, or don't have the knowledge, then they won't be held accountable, and I'm not sure how to get back to them.

Pastor Doug:  That's a bad argument.  Let me tell you.  Hosea 4:6 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because you have rejected knowledge', now lack of knowledge and rejecting knowledge are two different things.  Not knowing because you can't know is different from not knowing because you reject the opportunity.  It sounds to me like your friends are going to be destroyed, if they don't repent, because they're  rejecting knowledge.

Caller:  That's what I'm afraid of.

Pastor Doug:  They have no excuse.  You know, if a person gets in a car and starts driving a brand new car, there's an owner's manual and they never do any maintenance, and they say 'I thought if I didn't look at the manual I wouldn't have to do any maintenance' and then the engine blows up, they can't say, 'but I didn't know.'  That ignorance is not going to help them.  They had a manual right there.  So, if people have a map to heaven and they don't get on the right road, they can't say 'Well, I'm not accountable because I didn't have a map', well they do.  The Bible is within reach.

Caller:  Okay.  What was that verse you quoted.

Pastor Doug:  Hosea 4:6

Caller:  Hosea 4:6.  Okay. That will hopefully help me put them on the right track.

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