Our intentions may be very good, but, because the intelligence is limited, the action may turn out to be a mistake - a mistake, but not necessarily a sin, for sin comes out of a wrong intention.

Jones distinguishes moral culpability from mere error. Because human knowledge is finite, even well-meant choices can misfire and produce harmful outcomes; such failures are “mistakes” rooted in limited understanding rather than in malice. For Jones, “sin” is primarily a matter of the will—an inward turning toward a wrong or selfish intention—so the ethical center of gravity lies in motive and orientation of the heart. The saying reflects a pastoral, conscience-forming aim: it warns against excusing wrongdoing by claiming good motives, yet it also relieves scrupulous guilt by acknowledging that unintended errors are not automatically sins. It invites humility, learning, and repentance where needed without collapsing all failure into moral depravity.