Q: When we do something wrong, why doesn’t God just ignore it? He knows we’re not perfect, so why doesn’t He just overlook the bad things we do and hope we’ll do better the next time?

A: You’re right when you say that God knows we’re not perfect, because He knows all about us—not only what we do but what we think. The Bible says, “Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

Why, then, doesn’t God simply ignore it when we do something wrong? One reason is because He knows what happens to us when we sin: it al...