Does God judge the intent of the heart?

[David from New Bern]

I have heard people excusing their actions or the actions of others with this rationale; "God judges the intent of the heart." Does meaning well excuse a sinful act or a breaking of the law?

But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6 NKJV

Does this verse have any bearing on the conversation?

[cymba22]

I have heard people excusing their actions or the actions of others with this rationale; "God judges the intent of the heart." Does meaning well excuse a sinful act or a breaking of the law?

But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6 NKJV

Does this verse have any bearing on the conversation?

Grace (our salvation) is never an excuse to sin...and if anyone uses it then I would question their salvation imho.

as for your verse...its talking about without forgiveness all our good works are worth nothing...this is how God sees us without salvation when we are justified (by grace with the holy Ghost in us) then he sees us as pure and clean(read Pauls letters )

the above is just an opinion...not ingraved in stone

[Ovedya]

A sin is a sin - even if it's done with good intentions.

[dakota190]

in response to your initial ?quote? in HEBREWS 4:12, "for the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a DISCERNER of the thoughts and intents of the heart." as a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart he knows what you really feel and think irregardless of what you say and what your actions say, he knows if your being honest and faithful in your heart and in your thoughts or if they are all show. THEN THE JUDGEMENT!

what you are describing, that person is all show, he is planning ahead to sin and then excuse it by quoting a scripture out of context for his own purposes. there is no excuse for evil and God will not allow it without judgment. as it has been said previously in a reply, i would seriously question the persons salvation, i feel certain he/she has no knowledge of the bible or they would not even try to slide that past.

Edited March 28, 2006 by dakota190

[dakota190]

i would like to add, in Genesis 20:-6, when Abraham told Abimilech that his wife Sarah was his sister, in fear that Abimilech seeing what a beautiful woman she was would kill him (Abraham) so he could have her. where upon Abimilech thinking she was Abrahams sister and not his wife did indeed take her. that night in a dream God came to Abimilech and told him "indeed you are a dead man because the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife." in verse 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."

the integrity of the heart is known by the intent of the heart. if one is truly saved and desires to please God and live for Christ and lives according to the bible, the word of the living God. he will be pleased with the intent of our hearts. sin begins in our hearts and minds and it is rationalized there. only by staying in the word daily and living by it minute by minute are we able to live as christians and be as salt in this world.