Sin - omission and commission

James 4:17 (NLT)
17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.


James reminds the Christian that a person who does not do what they ought to do is sinning against God. The Greek word for sin is hamartia, which means to be without a share in, to miss the mark, to be mistaken, to go and do wrong, or to wander from God’s law. So a person can sin not only in what they do, but also in what they do not do. So an act of omission can be a sin just as much as an act of commission.


We become involved with sin in two different ways. First, if we know what we should not do and we do it is counted as a sin towards us. Second, if we know what we should do, and we fail to do those acts then it is counted as sin towards us. In John chapter 9, “Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.” The Pharisees were good at following rules, but they were weak in their ability to do what was right for others. Their sins of omission weighed just as heavily on them as their sins of commission. Fortunately we have a savior in Jesus Christ who died for the penalty of our sins. Because of Christ the Holy Spirit guides us to know what is right and good. Yet our sinful nature still calls and we find at times we don’t do what is right or we fail to do well. It is in our failures we find strength in Jesus. It is because of Jesus we have hope to overcome our sins. It is because of Him we will have eternal life.