Have you ever gotten in trouble for something that you didn’t do? Now I know that everyone at one time during his or her childhood was probably wrongfully punished for something that they didn’t do. You know, maybe your brother or sister was the culprit and for some reason you got in trouble for it. I personally can’t remember such a time in my life, most of the things that I got in trouble for I was the guilty one. But I know that it happens.
But have you ever gotten in trouble for something that you didn’t do? Let me explain what I mean. I’m going to tell on myself this morning. There have been times that I have taken my wife to work and before she got out of the car she would politely ask me to do something for her that day. Whether it be switching the load of laundry that she had started that morning or buying something that we needed or whatever. But she would ask me to do something. And I would say, “Sure, I can do that.” And I would go home and begin getting to work putting a message together or going and seeing someone or whatever it was, but I would get busy. And before I would know it the time had come for me to hop in the car and go to work or go get Cora. And as I would be driving along, I would remember, “Oh no, I forgot to do the laundry.” Any husbands here been in that boat before? Now, the reason that I’m not telling this like it was a single experience is because it’s not. I have had this happen several times. But Cora would come home and she’d go down in the basement and find the laundry all sitting where she had put it that morning, and sure enough I’d be in trouble. Now, do you understand my question? Have you ever gotten in trouble for something that you didn’t do?
Now, that little tattle-tell on myself may be funny to some of you, and it’s even kind of funny to me… now. But the truth that I want to share with you this morning isn’t funny at all. You can find that truth in the book of James, chapter 4. Turn there with me if you would and let’s read it together. It’s just a simple, short verse that is packed with a powerful truth.
James 4:17… Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
To him that knows to do good and doesn’t do it, it’s sin. Sin isn’t just disobeying the “thou shalt nots” of the Bible. But there are things that the Lord has asked of us. And when we turn our backs from those things and ignore them, all the while knowing that this is something God wants us to do, then we are sinning.
Let me give you an example from Scripture. In Matthew 19, Jesus is confronted by a
young man who asks Him what it takes to have eternal life. Let me just read you that passage.
Matt. 19:16-24… And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
So Jesus tells this young man that in order to get into heaven he must obey the commandments. OK, we understand that. In 1 John we’re told that one way we know that we’re a child of God is if we keep His commands. But Jesus didn’t stop there. When the young man said, “I have kept all of these commandments from my youth,” what does Jesus go on to say? “Then sell your possessions and follow me.” And what happened? The young man went away sorrowful, because he was very wealthy. He was unwilling to do what he knew was right.
What am I trying to say through this? Being a Christian is not just about not doing certain things that are wrong, but it is also about doing certain things that are right. The Puritans classified sin into two categories. First there are sins of commission. Disobedience to the laws of God. Then there are sins of omission. And the sin of omission is what we’re talking about today. You can follow the commandments in Scripture all day long, but if you know to do something good, but you don’t do it, for you it is sin. And sin doesn’t get you into heaven. In fact, it keeps you out.
So this morning I want us to look at 3 specific aspects of this verse… 3 ways that we can know to do good, but by not doing it, we sin. Are you ready?
I. To Know Of Needs But Not Helping
First of all, it is a sin to know of needs without helping. When you know that someone needs your help, and it is possible for you to give it, but you don’t. When you see a need and are unwilling to do anything about it. When someone asks for your help and it is in your means to help that person, but you ignore that need, that is sin. Let’s look at the Scripture again. Matt. 25:30-46…
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? Or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? Or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink. I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
So both of these groups saw a need. They saw the beggar on the side of the road needing to be fed. They saw the widow that needed encouragement. They saw the orphan that needed a place to sleep. The saw the sick who needed attention. They saw the prisoner who needed to know someone cared. There was only one difference between the two groups. One group did something about the need they saw, the other group didn’t. It all depended on what they did or didn’t do.
Now, let me quickly remind you that we are not saved by works. Just because you are involved in ministry doesn’t make you ready for heaven. But what I’m saying is that it is sinful to know to do good, but not do it. It is sinful to see a need that you can meet, and ignore it.
I don’t know, maybe you never got in trouble for this but I have. It’s a little trivial, but it explains my point. If you have stairways in your home they probably can easily become shelves full of things that need to be taken upstairs. In my parent’s home they did. Most of the stuff was freshly cleaned clothes that belonged to my brother or me. Well, I don’t know how many times I would go upstairs to my room without ever touching the clothes that needed to be hauled up. I got in a little trouble lots of times because I saw the clothes that needed to be taken upstairs, but I ignored them. Sometimes I still get in trouble for that, only this time it’s with my wife. But do you understand what I’m saying? It is sinful for us to see a need and ignore it when we can do something about it. Now I’m not necessarily talking about taking clothes up stairways, but I’m talking about seeing other people’s needs and knowing full well that you can help, but don’t.
Let me tell you a story. Maybe you’ll recognize it. A middle aged man was making his way from one city to another. As he reached a long stretch of lonely road that was known for its numerous car thefts, sure enough, a bunch of thieves forced him to the side of the road and pulled him from his car. They stripped his clothes off and beat him till he was almost dead, then they took off in his car and left him to die by the side of the road.
A little while later a pastor was driving that same stretch of road and as he was driving close to the spot where the man had been robbed, he noticed glass on the road so he slowed down. As he did, he noticed the form of a man lying by the road. He thought about what to do for a little while and then remembered that he was running late for a preaching appointment. And He didn’t want to get involved in anything messy like that. So he pulled away and drove off.
A little while later another pastor came down that same stretch. And as he slowed down after noticing the glass on the road he also saw the figure lying by the side of the road. He saw the man twitch so he knew he was alive, but he didn’t think he wanted to get out of the car and help the guy in his brand new suit. He was, after all, on his way to a board meeting that evening. So he too, drove away, ignoring the dying man on the side of the road.
A while later a lawyer drove to the spot. He too noticed the large amount of glass on the road, and he too noticed the body by the side of the road. Immediately he stopped his BMW and got out and ran to the man. The man’s pulse was very low, blood was everywhere, his breathing was very labored. The lawyer got a first aid kit from his car and did what he could with that then he carried the dying man to his car and laid him on the beautiful tan leather seat and drove to the nearest hospital. He told the doctor how he had found the man and offered to pay every single dime of the man’s medical bills if the doctor would take the best of care of him. And after trying to comfort the man whose life he’d just saved, he left the hospital.
Now tell me, do you think that those two pastors had committed sin? Absolutely. If we believe what James tells us when he says, “To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin,” then by ignoring a need they could have done something about, and should have done something about, the two pastors committed sin. Seeing a need and doing nothing about it.
II. To Be Gifted But Not Serving
The second way that we can know to do good and sin by not doing it is to be gifted but not serve. If you have a talent, but you refuse to use it for the glory of God, it is a sin to you. If you have a special gift but hide it instead of using it, you are committing sin.
You all know the parable that Jesus tells in Matthew 25:14-30. Let me read it to you.
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
What was the difference between those who pleased their master and the one who didn’t? It was a matter of using the talents that they had for the master’s glory. It didn’t matter how many talents the master had given them. What mattered is how they used them. And listen, it doesn’t matter what talents or gifts God has given you. You have no control over that. But what you do have control over is how you use those talents. That, you will be responsible for. That, God will hold you accountable for. S.D. Gordon said, “We have nothing to do with how much ability we’ve got, or how little, but with what we do with what we have… God gives it, much or little. Our part is to be faithful, doing the level best with every bit and scrap.”
You see, we all have different talents, different gifts that the Lord has given us. And every single one of those things are needed to further His Kingdom. Paul talks about it in
I Corinthians 12. Verses 1-12. Let me read them to you.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
So Paul says, “Hey, there are many different types of gifts, and all of us have a gift or two that we can use for the Lord’s glory. And we all need to use those gifts. We’re all a part, an important part, of the body of Christ. Every part is needed. Christ is the head and He expects the rest of His body to do its part. Think about it. You expect that when you want your hand to reach out and grab that soda, that it will do just that, don’t you? You expect that when you want your foot to move forward when you’re walking that it will do that. In the same sort of way, the Lord expects the members of His body to function in the exact way that He meant for them to.
So like Gordon said, it doesn’t matter what your gift is, or how much of that gift you have. What matters is that you use that gift for the furtherance of Christ’s Kingdom. Whether your talent is to sing or to play an instrument or to bake a cake or to send a card or make a phone call or pray or clean, whatever it is, God wants you to use it in the way that He intended you to use that gift. Ladies, maybe your gift is simply being a mother. God wants you to do that to the best of your ability.
A lady once came to the great evangelist Charles Spurgeon and told him she felt like God had called her into the ministry. And when he asked her about her home and family, she told him that she had 13 children. Spurgeon exclaimed, “Praise the Lord, not only has God called you into the ministry, but He’s given you a congregation.
I don’t know what your gift is. But whatever it is, God wants you to use it for His glory. And when you do, He’ll use you powerfully. But if you don’t, then you, by knowing to do good, but not doing it, are committing sin.
III. To Know The Truth But Not Responding
The last way, this morning, that you can sin by knowing to do good and yet not do it is by knowing the truth, but not responding to it.
When you hear the Word of the Lord preached and you ignore it, you are sinning. When you find something in God’s Word that tells you to change something and you ignore it, you are sinning. When you know the Holy Spirit is speaking to you to do something or not do something and you ignore that voice, you are sinning. When you know the truth but don’t respond to it, you are committing sin.
There are many people who have heard the truth of the Gospel and are ignoring it. They are ignoring it for many reasons. They have things that they want to do. They’ve got to make more money. Or they’ve got to fulfill their fleshly desires. They don’t want to give up something that they know they’ll have to give up. Whatever the reason, they put off responding to the truth. They ignore the truth.
A little boy was lost inside a busy shopping mall. He was standing in the aisle of a department store just crying and crying, “I want my mommy. I want my mommy.” People who passed by felt sorry for him and many of them gave him nickels and dimes and quarters to try to cheer him up. Finally a salesperson from the floor walked up to the distraught little boy and said, “I know where your mommy is, son.” The little boy looked up with his tear trenched eyes and said, “So do I... just keep quiet, I got a good thing going here!”
That’s kind of funny, but it’s an all too clear picture of many people’s reaction to the truth. And the thing is, when you hear the truth but ignore it you put yourself in an extremely dangerous position.
The writer of Hebrews writes… For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.
Peter puts it this way in his second epistle… For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
So once you have heard the truth, you had better respond to it. When you’ve heard God’s message of love spoken to you, respond to it. When you’ve heard the Holy Spirit moving you to change something in your life or to do something for Him, respond to it. Do what He says. Because when you hear the Spirit speaking to you and you ignore it, the Bible tells us that you’re worse off than if you’d never been shown the light. You have no excuse anymore because you know the truth. You know what it takes to get to heaven. You know what God wants you to do. But you turn your back on that.
And listen, if you ignore it for too long, the voice isn’t going to speak anymore. The mercy of God will extend to great lengths, but God is a gentleman and He won’t keep on pushing you when you keep on ignoring Him. Listen for the voice of God and obey Him when He speaks. And the quicker you obey, the easier it will be. Respond to the truth when you hear it.
This morning, I’ve tried to show us that sin is more than just breaking one of the “Thou shalt not’s” of Scripture. It’s more than doing something wrong. But sin can also be something that we don’t do. When you know to do good, but you don’t do it, to you it is sin. When you see a need that you can do something about and ignore that need, you are sinning. When you have a gift, a talent, but you refrain from using that gift for the glory of God, you are sinning. And when you hear the truth, when you hear the Holy Spirit speaking to you, when you read the Scripture, but you ignore that, you sin.
And this morning, you have been confronted with the truth. And it’s up to you to decide what you’re going to do with it. Are you going to respond to it? Or are you going to ignore it? It’s totally up to you. It’s your choice. But I plead with you to respond to it. Because when you stand before God on that final day and you say, “But I didn’t do anything,” His response will probably be something like my mom’s… “I know, that’s just it. You didn’t do anything.” Whatever your need may be, whatever light God may have shown to you this morning or whenever, I urge you to respond to it. And right now, as we pray, I’m opening up these front pews. And if there’s something in your life that the Holy Spirit has pointed out, why don’t you come forward and respond to His voice. Let’s pray.
