Tiago 4:17

DISCOURSE: 2373
SINS OF OMISSION CONSIDERED

Tiago 4:17. To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

THERE is not any thing of which men are more convinced, than the shortness and uncertainty of life: yet in the habit of their minds they live as if they were certain of many months and years to come. They form their plans and projects as if they were sure of living to see them executed. Of this the Apostle complains in the preceding context, because it altogether overlooks God in the government of the world, and is nothing less than practical atheism.
Having pointed out the evil of such a habit, the Apostle deduces from it this general position; that, as the person who in theory acknowledges the providence of God, and practically denies it, sins; so, whoever omits to do any other thing which he knows to be right, sins also.
It is my intention,

I. To confirm this truth—

Let us consider what such conduct manifests. It argues,

1. An insensibility in the conscience—

[God has given to every man a conscience, to be, as it were, his vicegerent in the soul. It is designed by him to check us, when we are in danger of committing any evil, and to stimulate us continually to whatever is pleasing in his sight. But if, when we know what is good, we do it not, we shew that we have silenced the voice of conscience, or have rendered ourselves incapable of attending to its suggestions. And is this no sin? Is a sentinel who sleeps at his post guilty of no crime, when through his unwatchfulness a camp or city is surprised? And is not a minister, who, when he seeth the sword of God’s vengeance uplifted to strike his people, neglects to warn them, justly chargeable with their blood [Note: Ezequiel 33:6.]? Shall not guilt then attach to you, who lull your consciences asleep, and say to yourselves, “I shall have peace, notwithstanding I walk after the imagination of my own evil heart [Note: Deuteronômio 29:19.]?” The very heathen were charged with guilt, because, “when from the works of creation they knew God, they glorified him not as God [Note: Romanos 1:21.]:” depend upon it, therefore, that your neglect of known and acknowledged duties cannot but involve your souls also in much guilt.]

2. An indifference to the welfare of our own souls—

[It is by our works that we shall be judged in the last day. We are as servants that have talents committed to us: they who make a good improvement of them will have a proportionable reward: but those who hide them in a napkin will be dealt with as wicked and unprofitable servants [Note: Lucas 19:15.]. What then do you say, in fact, when you neglect an acknowledged duty? You say, in reality, ‘I care not for my soul; I care not whether it is happy in a future world, or not: I know that by a diligent attention to all God’s commands, I might advance its eternal interests: and I know that by inattention to his will I shall involve it in misery: but let me have present ease; let me be excused the trouble of doing what does not suit my taste and inclination: let me have the world with its pleasures and interests: and if through my love to present things I must lose my soul, be it so: I consent to “the exchange [Note: Mateus 16:26.]:” “I will sell my birth-right for a mess of pottage [Note: Hebreus 12:16.].” ’ Tell me now, Is there nothing criminal in this? May not such persons be justly charged with “loving death, and wronging their own souls [Note: Provérbios 8:36.]?” Yes: whether a man do a thing of which he doubts the lawfulness, or neglect to do a thing of which he admits the necessity, he is equally “a sinner against his own soul:” for, as “whatsoever is not of faith, is sin [Note: Romanos 14:23.],” so to know what is good and to neglect it, is sin also.]

3. A contempt of Almighty God—

[Whatever obedience a man may pay to all other commandments, if there be one which he knowingly violates, or wilfully neglects, he is a rebel against God, and a contemner of his Divine Majesty [Note: Salmos 10:13.Lucas 10:16.]. For the same authority that enjoins one, enjoins all: and if it be disregarded in one, it is in reality disregarded in all [Note: Tiago 2:10.]: for it is impossible to have a due regard to it in any thing, if we have not a regard to it in every thing. And is it no sin to cast off the yoke of God, and to say, “As for the word that has been spoken to me in the name of the Lord, I will not hearken unto it [Note: Jeremias 44:16.]?” Our blessed Lord has told us what he will say to such persons in the last day: “Bring hither those that were mine enemies, who would not that I should reign over them, and slay them before me.” “Those who knew not their Lord’s will,” and sinned through ignorance, are chargeable with guilt, and will be visited with punishment; because they had the means of instruction, and did not diligently improve them: but if “the servant who knew not his Lord’s will shall be beaten with few stripes, be assured, that the servant who knew his Lord’s will and did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes [Note: Lucas 12:47.].”]

Verily this is a solemn truth, and deeply to be weighed by every child of man. Let me therefore proceed,

II.

To suggest some reflections arising out of it—

Who that duly considers it must not see,

1. What ground we all have for humiliation before God—

[I will suppose that we have never committed any enormous sin, and that in respect of the letter of the law we have been as blameless as ever Paul was previous to his conversion: still, are we not sinners? There has been no doubt on any of our minds whether we had occasion for the acknowledged duties of repentance, faith, and obedience: but have we diligently performed these duties? Have we from day to day humbled ourselves before God, and wept in dust and ashes? Have we laboured to find out all our past transgressions, to spread them before God with penitential sorrow, and to implore with all earnestness the remission of them? — — — Have we fled to the Lord Jesus Christ for refuge, as to the hope that is set before us? Have we pleaded before God the merit of his sacrifice, and sprinkled our souls with his all-atoning blood? Is this the daily habit of our minds; and the only source of peace to our souls? — — — And have we given up ourselves to God without reserve, to fulfil his every command, and to live altogether to his glory? Do we for this end study his blessed word with all diligence, that we may know his mind? and do we labour incessantly to “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God?” We have known these things to be right; but have we done them? Can we appeal to the heart-searching God, that this has been, and yet is, the daily tenour of our lives? Must we not rather acknowledge, that no one day of our lives has been so occupied with these duties as it ought to have been? Then we are sinners, “sinners before the Lord exceedingly [Note: Gênesis 13:13.]:” and, if we turn not to God in newness of life, we shall speedily become monuments of his wrath and fiery indignation.]

2. The folly of seeking salvation by any righteousness of our own—

[I will not only grant, as before, that we are free from any gross sins, but I will admit, that we have done a great deal that was good and praiseworthy. But how shall we get rid of this immense load of guilt which we have contracted by our wilful and habitual neglects? Our good deeds, admitting that we have performed some, have been only occasional: whereas our neglects have been continual, from the first moment that we began to be capable of acting. Our good deeds have all been marred with imperfections; but our neglects have had in them no mixture of good: they were pure and unmixed evil; and in comparison of them, any good that we do is lighter than dust upon the balance. In truth, no man who reflected a moment on my text could any more entertain a hope of being justified by any righteousness of his own, than he could form a purpose to create a world. He would see, that, whilst he was doing those very works on which he was inclined to build his hopes, the weakness and defectiveness of his exertions infinitely outweighed any merit which they might be supposed to have; and rendered his works a just ground for condemnation, rather than of justification before God. Bear in mind then the declaration before us; and limit not your views to sins of commission, but extend them to sins of omission: and then you will no longer hesitate to renounce all hope in yourselves, but will say with the Apostle Paul, “I desire to be found in Christ, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith [Note: Filipenses 3:9.].”]

3. The improvement which we should make of divine ordinances—

[We should not come to the house of God merely to satisfy conscience and to perform a duty, but really to get instruction respecting the mind and will of God. A mariner about to navigate a ship, and having the assistance of a skilful builder to examine whether she was in a state fit for sea, would not listen to his observations as a mere matter of curiosity or amusement, nor would he shut his eyes to any defects that were pointed out: his object would be, to find out defects, in order to their being remedied: and if only a doubt were suggested, he would endeavour to ascertain how far there was any foundation for it. He would say, I am about to commit my life and property to this vessel, and I must not stay till I am got into the midst of the ocean before I search into her state: it will be too late to do that when I am in the midst of a storm: I must do it now, before I go on board. Precisely in this way should you come up to the house of God. You are about to embark for eternity: and the instructions given by your minister are intended to point out every defect in your vessel, in order to its being remedied in time. Shut not then your ears to his instructions; and close not your eyes to your defects: but bless God for every assistance which you can obtain in a matter of such infinite importance, and endeavour to improve it for the salvation of your soul. In particular, search out your defects; and cry mightily to God to pardon them for the Redeemer’s sake, and to repair them by the influences of his good Spirit: so may you hope to navigate in safety this tempestuous ocean; and in due season to “have an abundant entrance” into the haven of eternal bliss.]