Therefore, To Him Who Knows To Do Good And Does Not Do It, To Him It Is Sin James 4:17
By: Matthew Robert Payne
James 4:17 (New King James Version)
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
I am not sure about you but this scripture knocks me for a six. This scripture I wish was not on the Bible as it convicts me so much and takes away all my excuses and turns my life into a life of sin.
I am essentially a lazy guy who has a floor that needs a vacuum and I have not got a cleaner and all I have is a broom so do you think I sweep mu carpet and fllor each week? Not of coarse not!
My house is dirty and I sin in this.
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
If only I had a wife or a secretary that cleaned for me or I could afford to pay a maid to do my cleaning and then I don’t have to feel so bad.. The Bible says I don’t need all of this. I need to see myself and humble myself and then do the cleaning myself. I have recently had a new mental health worker and each week for homework I have to do homework which is one cleaning job. Two weeks this has humbled me and had me clean my house in ways. I have been humbled and given more grace and had to draw near to God, reject Satan and work through my sin.
James 4:6-10 (New King James Version)
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“ God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”[
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
When it came to it and I had a person coming the next day to check if I had cleaned my dining room and the lounge room I submitted to God and turned on the radio and sand and started to do a miracle. My pride would have said, I don’t have to do this, I don’t care about my homework I can give her an excuse and yet humility made me clean like I haven’t in a long time.
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
The Christian radio station allowed me to put my thoughts on God and as I did what was right I resisted the thoughts to give up as Satan placed them in my head. Mist people think they can resist the Devil and He will flee. They cannot flee the Devil unless they are committed to doing something opposite for God. First you have to submit to God’s will. I submitted to God and promised the case worker that I would clean my house and a stayed true to my worked right past laziness to the drastic change.
About here months ago I left a sex addiction and now I am preparing to collect all my articles and put them ina book all my income is going toward proof reading and things I need to get that goal. Putting my money toward all the right things is submitting tto God. When the temptation then comes to see a sex worker it is not as hard to resist because I have already a reason to invest my money for God and a way to fight the temptation as it would take money away from my goal.
You see if you are sinning you fist have to make a promise to God to so something that is the opposite of what you sin has you do. This is submitting to God. It is vital and can only be done if your draw near to God and do some weeping.
James 4:8-10 (New King James Version)
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
You have to cleanse your hands and admit your sin without all the excuses. If you know you have to do some good and you are not doing it you are a sinner.. If God has put it on your heart to tithe 10% of your income to your church and you don’t do it you are sinning. If God has put it on your heart to support a ministry and you have not sent them money you are sinning and you need to cry about ti and change your ways. God will lift you up and give you’re the courage and the faith to give. This verse promises that!
Now it’s tempting to start to point to other people and say that if this person stopped judging me or if this person stopped doing this. You always love to judge others and say your son is less. Don’t give us your judgements and speak about other people.
James 4:11-12 (New King James Version)
11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who] are you to judge another?
We all seem to here a sermon and start to think of others that can benefit from this sermon and this is always a good sign that we are shifting the blame. You need to look at this message and judge your own heart before you email it to a friend and repent.
If you are honest with yourself there is planet of things that you are not doing that you should be doing and you are sinning in this. Get on your knees and cry out to God for mercy and then get up and change your ways.
I dare you!
Matthew shares his heart in these articles and can be found at http://www.online-prayer.net You can read more of his articles at his link below.
If you want a copy of his upcoming book of articles which will have the first sixty of the articles on this web-site called “The Musings of a Mad Prophet” please contact Matthew via email so he can contact you around February 2007 to tell you of the progress of the book.