- Jun 29, 2019
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James 4:17 says, “...whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” Some of my friends here say that James was talking to Jews when he said that. But even if he was, it is in the NT of the Bible, making those words come from God in accordance with 2 Timothy 3:16; and as Galatians 3:28 says we are all equal in Christ whether we’re Jews or Greeks, etc., this passage speaks to everyone who is in Christ.
That said, it has been asserted that James 4:17 is derived from John 9:41 in which Jesus says, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.” So, the inference is that if we know what to do but don’t do it, then that is sin which rises to being the sin of neglect. The inference in John 9:41 is if we don’t know what to do, to the extent we don’t know we have not committed sin by neglect.
But compare that to God saying after the Flood in Genesis that there will always be sin in our hearts, and Psalms 51:5 which says, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” And later on, Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...” Romans 3:23 makes it plain that we all have sinned whether we know it or not. And is that not the basis for John 3:16-17 which says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be SAVED through him”? So, the specific act of sin through neglect is not the only form of sin we have to contend with.
The OT and the NT both implore us to ask God for forgiveness of our sins, on the basis that we are sinners by heart and our sins need to be cleansed. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That includes sins we don’t know we committed. The Bible doesn’t place a limit on the number of times we ask God for forgiveness, so in a sense it’s like washing your hands whenever they’re dirty.
The NT tells us to pray constantly, meaning to schedule our prayers to God in our lives for as long as we live. Prayers are our communication with God through Christ, and God answers us through His actions. Many times, His actions may not seem to be a logical response to our prayers, but as Romans 8:28 says that with God all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose, whatever He does is for the promotion of goodness.
That said, it has been asserted that James 4:17 is derived from John 9:41 in which Jesus says, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.” So, the inference is that if we know what to do but don’t do it, then that is sin which rises to being the sin of neglect. The inference in John 9:41 is if we don’t know what to do, to the extent we don’t know we have not committed sin by neglect.
But compare that to God saying after the Flood in Genesis that there will always be sin in our hearts, and Psalms 51:5 which says, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” And later on, Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...” Romans 3:23 makes it plain that we all have sinned whether we know it or not. And is that not the basis for John 3:16-17 which says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be SAVED through him”? So, the specific act of sin through neglect is not the only form of sin we have to contend with.
The OT and the NT both implore us to ask God for forgiveness of our sins, on the basis that we are sinners by heart and our sins need to be cleansed. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That includes sins we don’t know we committed. The Bible doesn’t place a limit on the number of times we ask God for forgiveness, so in a sense it’s like washing your hands whenever they’re dirty.
The NT tells us to pray constantly, meaning to schedule our prayers to God in our lives for as long as we live. Prayers are our communication with God through Christ, and God answers us through His actions. Many times, His actions may not seem to be a logical response to our prayers, but as Romans 8:28 says that with God all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose, whatever He does is for the promotion of goodness.
