James 4:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

NIV: If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

NASB: So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.

CSB: So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.

NLT: Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

KJV: Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

NKJV: Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

The entire passage leading up to this verse has been about the difference between earthly, worldly wisdom, and heavenly, godly wisdom. Most recently, James has pointed out that speaking about human plans without acknowledging the influence of God is evil. It's a form of bragging and fits only with the arrogant attitude over which he's been scolding his readers.

Then, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, James makes this profound and challenging statement. This verse is a bit jarring, and it is probably meant to be. James has offered several arguments about what it means for a Christian to live out our faith in God. He has been clear that many of the "normal" ways we're used to thinking about our lives are arrogant, self-serving, and faithless.

Most religions frame moral obligations in a very passive way. They emphasize the avoidance of evil. Here, James follows the example of Jesus, who gave us a much more difficult, more powerful command: to actively pursue the good of others (Matthew 7:12). James's intent here is to make the need for obedience to God very personal. Christianity does not accept the idea of passive spirituality—a response is required from all men.

For the non-believer, this begins with the response to—or rejection of—the gospel. For the saved believer, it means acting according to what we claim to believe. To continue down a path of worldliness and self-reliance instead of trusting God in our everyday choices is sin. We know what we should do, so we have no excuse not to do it. If any of James's teaching in this book describes us, we will be wrong if we don't change course now.

It's too easy to respond to the teaching of Scripture philosophically without really making any changes. We might enjoy pondering the big ideas, considering the various points and counterpoints, weighing the meaning. But if all we do is think about it and never become "doers of the word" (James 1:22), we will be in sin. This verse adds a layer of duty to our knowledge: failure to act is, in itself, an act. We are not merely meant to avoid evil—believers are morally obligated to do what we know is good.

What was causing fights and quarrels among the Christians to whom James was writing? They were living by the world's wisdom. This false perspective says human beings should do whatever it takes to get what they want in this life, even if it hurts other people. James says that to live that way is adultery, but God gives grace. Christians should repent and move close to God again. We should trust Him to provide, to be the Judge, and to lift us up in His time. In humility, we must acknowledge that all of our plans are dependent on Him, and He can change them at any moment.

The book of James is about what it means for a Christian to live a life of complete trust in God. Chapter 4 builds on the end of chapter 3, where James described the self-seeking wisdom of the world. Following this worldliness was the cause of fights among James's Christian readers. He called them to repent and, in humility, receive God's grace. He called them to stop making their plans for business as if they could accomplish anything without God. In chapter 5, he will continue to talk about the dangers of trusting riches instead of the Lord.

The book of James is about specifically understanding what saving faith looks like. How does faith in Christ reveal itself in a believer's life? What choices does real trust in God lead us to make? Those are the questions James answers. Most scholars believe the writer was Jesus' half-brother, a son born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus' birth. James may not have come to believe Jesus was the Messiah until after the resurrection. Eventually, though, he became one of the leaders of the Christian church in Jerusalem. This is possibly the earliest-written of all the New Testament books, around AD 40–50. James addresses his letter to Jewish Christians scattered around the known world.