But James reminds us that there is another kind of sin. Let’s read what he has to say. Now I like the King James Version of this verse better than other translations but here is what it says:
“17 Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
James 4:17
It is quieter. It is easier to excuse. It often looks respectable from the outside. It may sit in a church pew, sing the songs, bow during the prayers, listen to the sermon, and still remain guilty before God.
James speaks of the sin of omission — not doing wrong, but failing to do right. He says, “To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” That verse ought to make every honest heart pause. Because it means that a person can avoid many visible sins and still be disobedient. A person can say, “I never hurt anybody,” and still be guilty because he never helped anybody. A person can say, “I didn’t do anything wrong,” and yet God may say, “Yes, but you knew what was right, and you did nothing.”
That is a sobering thought.
It is possible to be outwardly decent and inwardly disobedient. It is possible to be morally respectable and spiritually negligent. And if we are honest, many of us may not be guilty of great public wickedness, but we may be guilty of great neglect.
James says this begins with knowledge. “To him that knoweth…” He is not talking about someone who has never heard the truth. He is speaking about someone who does know. Someone who knows what God has said. Someone who knows what love requires. Someone who knows what truth demands and knows what duty is calling them to do.
And that is important because knowledge always brings responsibility.
In Luke 12 and verse 47, Jesus tells Peter the following:
“47 The servant, who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
Luke 12:47-48
You see, the more we know, the more accountable we are. Every sermon we hear, every Bible class we attend, every scripture we understand, every truth God makes clear to us becomes a responsibility. Bible knowledge is not just something to admire. It is something to obey.
Imagine a man collapsing on the sidewalk. A crowd gathers. Some people do not know what to do. But standing there in the crowd is a trained physician. He sees the man fall. He recognizes the symptoms. He knows what needs to be done. But instead of helping, he folds his arms and says, “That’s not my problem.”
We would be horrified. Why? Because his knowledge creates responsibility. The more he knows, the more he is obligated to act.
So going back to our scripture in James we can understand what James is telling us spiritually. Once we know the good, we are not free to ignore it.
Then James says, “to do good.” That phrase is bigger than simply being nice. In Scripture, doing good means living in active obedience to God. It means obeying His commands, serving others, showing mercy, speaking truth, helping the weak, encouraging the discouraged, teaching the lost, restoring the fallen, forgiving the offender, and using our opportunities for the glory of God.
Micah 6:8 says,
“8 He has shown you , O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8
And Galatians 6:10 tells us,
“10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Galatians 6:10
From these scriptures we can draw the conclusion that Christianity is not merely a religion of restraint. It is not only about what we must avoid. Yes, God tells us not to lie, not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to be drunk, not to hate, not to gossip, not to live in sin. But Christianity is also a religion of action. Feed the hungry. Visit the sick. Encourage the fainthearted. Bear one another’s burdens. Teach the gospel. Defend the truth. Love your neighbor. Forgive as God has forgiven you.
The Christian life is not merely, “Don’t do evil.” It is also, “Do good.”
But then, back to our scripture in James, he adds the tragic part: “and doeth it not.” The person knows what to do when the situation is revealed. The duty is clear. The need is visible and the truth is understood. Yet nothing happens.
There is no action and no obedience. There is also no repentance. No movement.
And James does not call that a minor oversight or a personality flaw. He says, “to him it is sin.”
That means heaven does not only take account of the wrong things we have done. Heaven also takes account of the right things we left undone. That is why this verse cuts us so deep.
When we look through Scripture, we find that some of the most serious warnings God gives are not about people who committed some shocking crime. They are about people who simply failed to act.
Think about the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. A man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. He fell among thieves. They stripped him, wounded him, and left him half dead. Then a priest came by. He saw the man, and he passed by on the other side. Then a Levite came by. He also saw him, and he passed by on the other side.
Now notice what Jesus does not say. He does not say the priest robbed the man or the Levite beat him or that either one of them added to his wounds. Their sin was not what they did to him. Their sin was what they refused to do for him.
They saw need and did nothing.
Then the Samaritan came. He saw the same wounded man, but he responded differently didn’t he. He had compassion. He bound up the mans wounds. He poured in oil and wine. He placed him on his own beast. He brought him to an inn. He paid for his care.
Jesus then said, in effect, “That is what loving your neighbor looks like.”
And that ought to come home to us. How many wounded people are lying along the roads of our lives? Not always physically wounded, but spiritually wounded, emotionally wounded, discouraged, grieving, lonely, tempted, slipping away, carrying burdens which nobody sees.
There may be a brother who has not been himself lately. A sister who is grieving quietly. A young person drifting from the Lord. A visitor who came once and never came back. A family under strain or a member who used to be faithful but has slowly disappeared.
And sometimes we do not mistreat them. We do not speak against them. We do not harm them. We simply pass by.
But James asks, “Did you know there was good to do?” And if we knew, and did nothing, James says that is sin.
Think also about the one-talent man in Matthew 25. His master entrusted him with just a single talent. Now a single talent doesn’t sound like much, but most historians agree that it was likely worth about twenty year’s worth of wages. The man did not lose it in wild living. He did not gamble it away. He did not spend it on sin. He simply buried it. He preserved it. He kept it safe. He did nothing with it.
And when the master returned, he did not say, “Well, at least you stayed out of trouble.” He said in Matthew 25:26, “Thou wicked and slothful servant.”
That is powerful. The man was called wicked, not because he committed some scandalous public act, but because he failed to use what had been entrusted to him.
God has entrusted every one of us with something. Time. Influence. Ability. Opportunity. Resources. Knowledge of the gospel. A place in the body of Christ. A family. A voice. A circle of people we can reach.
And the question is not only, “Did we avoid evil?” The question is also, “What did we do with what God gave us?”
Some Christians seem to think the goal is to arrive at judgment and say, “Lord, I stayed out of trouble.” But the Lord may ask, “What did you produce? Whom did you serve? Whom did you teach? Whom did you encourage? What did you do with the talent I placed in your hand?”
The rich man in Luke 16 teaches the same lesson. Remember this story? Lazarus lay at his gate, full of sores, longing for crumbs. The rich man was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared well every day. The text does not say the rich man beat Lazarus. It does not say he cursed Lazarus. It does not say he personally caused Lazarus to suffer. But Lazarus was at his gate, and the rich man ignored him.
He had opportunity. He had ability. He had knowledge of need. But he did nothing.
And in eternity, the roles were reversed.
That story reminds us that it is possible to be comfortable on earth and condemned in eternity. It is possible to have a full table and an empty soul… to be dressed in fine clothing and still be clothed in guilt.
Then we come to one of the most sobering judgment scenes in the Bible, Matthew 25:31-46, where Jesus separates the sheep from the goats. And when He speaks to those on the left, notice what He says in verse 42. He says:
“42 For I was hungry and you gave nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.
Matthew 25:42-43
Those on the left are condemned because they did not feed, give drink, the didn’t welcome or clothe those in need, and they did not visit or minister to those who were shut-in or in prison.
After those on the left complain and try to proclaim how they worked for Jesus, then Jesus rebukes them in verse 45:
“45 He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me’.”
Matthew 25:45
That is staggering. Jesus takes personally the good we FAIL to do. He identifies Himself with the needy, the hurting, the neglected, and the vulnerable. And He says that when we ignore them, we are not merely ignoring them. We are ignoring Him.
That means Christianity cannot be reduced to sitting in a pew, believing correct doctrine, and avoiding public shame. Correct doctrine matters. Worship matters. Moral purity matters. But if our faith never moves our hands, our feet, our mouths, our wallets, our calendars, and especially our compassion, then we need to hear James 4:17 again.
So why do we fail to do the good we know?
Sometimes we fail because of procrastination. We tell ourselves, “I’ll do it later.” I’ll make that call later. I’ll visit them next week. I’ll apologize when things calm down. I’ll get serious about my faith one day. I’ll obey the gospel when the time feels right. I’ll start serving when life slows down.
But one of the devil’s most favorite words is “later.” But that’s not what Jehovah says is it? In the latter part of 2 Corinthians 6:2 He tells us:
“2b I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”
2 Corinthians 6:2
You know, there’s an old saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I think there is truth in that statement. Many people do not intend to be lost. They do not intend to rebel forever. They do not intend to neglect God all their lives. They simply keep postponing obedience until postponement becomes a way of life.
Felix did that in Acts 24:25. Paul reasoned with him about righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. Felix trembled. He was moved. He was convicted. But Felix procrastinated and told Paul:
“25b That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”
Acts 24:25b
As far as we know from what Scripture tells us, that convenient season never came for Felix.
That may be one of the saddest phrases in the Bible — a convenient season. How many souls are waiting for a convenient season to obey God? But obedience is rarely ever convenient. Repentance is rarely ever convenient as is also forgiveness and serving others. You see, taking up the cross is not built around convenience.
Sometimes we fail because of fear. We know we ought to speak, but we fear how someone will respond. We know we should invite someone to study the Bible, but we fear rejection. We know we should confront sin lovingly, but we fear conflict. We know we should admit we were wrong, but we fear the embarrassment that may entail. We know we should stand for truth, but we fear being disliked.
Proverbs 29:25 says,
“25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
Proverbs 29:25”
Fear has silenced many good intentions. It has kept many apologies unspoken and many invitations unoffered. Fear has kept many Christians from doing what they knew God wanted them to do.
And sometimes we fail because of selfishness. That may be the plainest explanation of all. Doing good often costs us something. It costs us our time, our energy, our money. It can cost us comfort. It may interrupt our plans. It may require inconvenience.
And if we are honest, sometimes we see the good that needs to be done for others, and yet we quietly choose ourselves.
“3b in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Philippians 2:3b-4
How many times have we seen a need and said, “Somebody ought to do something”? And all the while, heaven may be saying, “Yes. Somebody should. Why not you?”
Sometimes we fail because of spiritual apathy. We are not openly hostile toward God. We are not shaking our fist at heaven. We are just numb. We hear truth, but it does not move us. We see the needs of others, but they do not stir us. We know we have a duty, but that duty does not motivate us.
That is dangerous because apathy often looks respectable. It can wear a suit. It can hold a songbook. It can say “Amen.” It can attend services. But the heart may have grown dull.
James 1:22 says,
“22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 1:22
That is the danger. We can hear so much truth that we mistake hearing for obeying. We can listen to sermons about evangelism and never teach another soul. I’ve grown up in the church, been a Christian for most of my life and sadly I can say it was only within the last couple of years that I’ve truly opened my mouth and tried to discuss the Bible with others. We can hear lessons on forgiveness and still hold bitterness. We can hear about love and remain cold.
James says do not deceive yourself. Just hearing is not enough.
Now let us bring this very close to home.
If a person outside of Christ knows what the gospel requires and refuses to obey, James 4:17 applies. If you know Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again, and if you know that you must believe in Him, repent of sin, confess His name, and be baptized for the remission of sins, then delaying obedience is not just indecision. It is downright disobedience.
We are told over and over again to obey and be baptized.
Jesus said in Mark 16:16, “16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.”
Peter said in Acts 2:38, “38 …Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Ananias said to Saul in Acts 22:16, “16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”
That question is still powerful: “What are you waiting for?” Why are you waiting? Why delay what you know to be right?
But this verse also speaks to Christians. It speaks to us when we know a brother or sister is drifting and we do nothing. Galatians 6:1 says:
“1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.”
Galations 6:1
You see, restoration is not just the preacher’s job. It isn’t just the elders’ job if the congregation has elders. It is the work of spiritual people who love souls.
“19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20
That means when we reach out to the drifting, we are not meddling. We are trying to save a soul from death.
In the scripture for our lesson, James 4:17, it also speaks to us when we fail to teach others. We live in a world full of lost people. Some are in our families. Some work beside us. Some live across the street. Some sit near us in restaurants or stand with us in checkout lines. And while not every Christian can preach publicly, every Christian can do something.
You can invite, encourage, ask, “Would you like to study the Bible?” You can say, “Would you come sit with me Sunday?” You can share a passage. You can tell someone what Christ has done. You can plant a seed.
It’s not optional. In the last two verses in the gospel of Matthew, we as Christians have our marching orders, to use a military term. Jesus Christ Himself tells us:
“19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…”
Matthew 28:19-20
Imagine a house is on fire. You know there are people inside. You may say, “Well, I’m not a firefighter.” That may be true. But if you can shout, shout. If you can knock, knock. If you can call for help, call. If we believe souls are in danger, how can we remain silent?
James 4:17 also speaks when we refuse to forgive. Some people would never think of committing some public scandal, but they will quietly carry resentment for years. They will nurse bitterness. They will replay old wounds. They will refuse to release someone from a debt of the heart. I myself can attest to that.
When I was fresh out of college I had a small screen-printing business and one of my roommates from college, a Christian man, was a partner in this business. Now I won’t go into details but suffice it to say we had a rather harsh parting of the ways. For years I held him responsible and held hard feelings toward him. But one of the things that helped me come back to Christ was that I had decided to just let go of that bitterness. I sent him a letter from my hospital bed in an effort to make amends. It wasn’t easy. But you know what, now several years down the road it has become so easy to not harbor those ill feelings. It no longer matters who was right and who was in the wrong. He is my brother in Christ and as such I love him.
As Christians we just cannot carry bitterness or ill will in our hearts. We must let it go.
“32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32
And look at what Jesus said:
“14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Matthew 6:14-15
Jesus is not saying we have the power to forgive others of their sins, that is in His hands, His domain. He is saying we have to just let their sins against us go. Sometimes the sin is not what we said. Sometimes the sin is what we refused to release.
James 4:17 also speaks when we fail to encourage others. There are people all around us who are tired, who are grieving. Some are lonely. Some are fighting temptations they have not told anyone about. Or they may be carrying family burdens. They’re putting on a good face, smiling in public but they are suffering in private.
And sometimes, sometimes one word, one card, one visit, one prayer, one phone call, one kind expression of concern is all it takes to help someone to keep going.
Hebrews 3:13 says, “13 But encourage one another daily...”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up...”
A campfire left alone begins to die down. One coal separated from the others loses its glow. Sometimes a soul grows cold not because no sermon was preached, but because nobody drew near.
And in all of this, Jesus stands as our perfect example. He never failed to do the good the Father gave Him to do.
Matthew 9:36 says that when Jesus saw the multitudes, “he was moved with compassion on them.” Jesus did not look at people as interruptions. He saw souls. He saw pain. He saw need. He saw opportunity.
He touched lepers. He stopped for blind beggars. He received children. He noticed the woman who touched the hem of His garment. He wept with Mary and Martha. He also fed the hungry and He washed feet. Jesus taught the lost and He strengthened the weak.
There’s a passage in Acts 10:38 that gives this beautiful summary of His life in just six words: “and He went about doing good.”
What an accolade that is. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that could be said of us? He went about doing good. She went about doing good. That family went about doing good. That congregation went about doing good.
Jesus did not merely avoid evil. He actively fulfilled the will of God.
In John 4:34, Jesus said, “34 My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work.”
And ultimately, Jesus did not omit the greatest good of all. He went to the cross. If anyone could have claimed inconvenience, it was Jesus. If anyone could have avoided suffering, Jesus was the one. If anyone could have said, “This is just too much,” it was Jesus Christ.
But Philippians 2:8 says, “8…He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.”
Thank the Father in heaven, Jesus did not do nothing. Thank Jehovah God that He did not pass us by. Thank God He did not leave us wounded in sin and that He did not abandon the work of redemption.
So how do we respond to James 4:17?
First, we need to ask God to show us the good we have neglected. We often confess sins we committed, but how often do we confess duties we ignored? David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24,
“23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;… 24 See if there is any offensive way in me.”
Psalm 139:23-24
Maybe we need to pray, “Lord, show me the good I have been avoiding. Show me the call I need to make. Show me the apology I need to offer, the person I need to encourage or the opportunity I have been passing by.”
Then we need to start with the next right thing. Sometimes a sermon like this can feel overwhelming. We think of all the good that could be done and wonder where to begin. Begin with the thing you already know. Make the call or send the card. Visit the person. Ask forgiveness. Begin the study. Invite the neighbor. Restore a broken relationship.
Do not wait until you can do everything because I can assure you that time will never come to you. Do the next good thing God has placed before you.
We also need to stop mistaking intention for obedience. “I meant to” is not the same as “I did.” “I was going to” is not the same as obedience. A seed left in the packet never produces fruit. A lamp never lit gives no light. A Bible never opened never teaches. A good intention never acted upon is still not done.
Take up the mantra we’re given in Ecclesiastes 9:10 which says:
“10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10
And Colossians 3:17 which says:
“17 And whatever you do in, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus...”
Colossians 3:17
The good before us may not be grand. It may be ordinary. It may be quiet and never be noticed by many people. But God sees it. A cup of cold water given in the name of Christ is not forgotten by heaven.
As we close, imagine judgment for a moment. We often think of standing before God and answering for the wrong things we have done. That is sobering enough. But what if there is another list? The good we knew but did not do. The souls we could have warned but did not. The people we could have encouraged but did not. The apology we could have made but did not. The forgiveness we could have offered, the service we could have rendered but did not. The obedience we delayed again and again.
James 4:17 tells us in essence that heaven notices both lists.
So the question this morning is not merely, “What evil have I avoided?” The question is, “What good have I neglected?”
What good do you know you need to do today?
Could it be to obey the gospel? Come back to the Lord? Do you need to repent of sin or ask for forgiveness? You may possibly need to reconcile with someone? Or start serving where you have been passive and neglectful? Do you need to stop delaying what God has already made clear?
The devil does not always have to make a person wicked. Sometimes he only has to make a person inactive. He does not always have to convince someone to curse God. Sometimes he only has to convince them to wait one more week, one more month, one more sermon, one more invitation.
But James says, “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
Possibly you are a member of Christ’s body, the church, already who has been negligent, drifting, or burdened by sin, do not wait. Repent. Return. Ask for prayers. Let your brothers and sisters help you.
Do not leave this gathering today congratulating yourself for the sins you avoided while ignoring the good God is calling you to do.
The safest place is not merely away from evil. The safest place is in the will of God.
And the will of God is not only “don’t.” The will of God is also “do.”
So if you know what you need to do, do not delay.
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