Know What You Should Do? Do It.

September 4th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

James 4:17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

In v. 16 James is clear that Christians are not to arrogantly chart their own course for the future, for they have no power over anything and must rely on God for all things. This truth is one that every true Christian knows, for no one coming to Christ for salvation believes they are in control. The very acknowledgment of needing a Savior implies that one is lost and unable to control anything. Therefore, since acknowledging God’s sovereignty is basic to the Christian faith, the true believer “knows the right thing to do.” If he “does not do it, to him it is sin.” So, v. 17 is connected to v. 15, for James urges believers to consider God in all their plans. Failing to do so is sin—the sin of omission. These sins are just as heinous as the sins of commission whereby the person sins defiantly. This is illustrated in the third servant of the parable of the talents when he chose not to invest his money (Matt. 25:14-30) and the people who chose not to help those in need (25:31-46). These folks were not condemned for what they did but for what they failed to do—the sin of omission. Jesus said, “That slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes” (Luke 12:47). In sum, James is saying something like, Now that the issue has been made evident to you, you have no excuse for not obeying. Since you know what should be done, you are now obligated to do it.

Some who profess to know Christ learn all about God’s will, yet they choose to disobey it and arrogantly expect that their disobedience will be forgiven. Peter addresses this sin: “For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them” (2 Pet. 2:21). Virtually no other action displays man’s selfish pride more than to know God’s will but deliberately disobey it. Believers simply cannot take God’s will with a grain of salt, believing they can take it or leave it. Obedience always is the only option for Christians. God does not negotiate.

Ironically, there are some today who claim that following Christ is not only impossible but miserable. Yet the irony is that the only misery in choosing not to obey Christ becomes the ultimate misery for them in the end. Jesus said, “That slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more” (Luke 12:47-48). Although believers can indeed overtly disobey Christ, true believers who do will also be disciplined by God until they repent and submit to His will. For God disciplines those He loves (Heb. 12:5-11). Those who sin freely, who say they love God yet who are not disciplined by God, expose themselves not as God’s children but as the devil’s. For there are only two kinds of people: the children of God and children of the devil (1 John 3:10).

Food For Thought
Our tendency is to pray for forgiveness for the things we do wrong while not seeking forgiveness for the things we never do. Because of this, we might do well to sit and consider all the ways in which we fail God by not engaging in that which we know we should. From encouraging the downtrodden to helping those in a financial pinch to seeing a need in the nursery at church and stepping up to help, there are numerous ways that we can attend to the things that are right in front of us. We won’t forfeit our salvation for remaining as we are, but we can certainly forfeit the heavenly rewards that await our faithful conduct (1 Cor. 9:24-27). Yet blatant disregard for God’s will exposes counterfeit Christians for who they really are. It might not seem like a big deal today, but when we answer for it, it will be humiliating (Col. 3:25).