James4:17–Knowing What is Right and Not Doing It

James 4:17–"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is a sin."

This verse and those like it (Luke 12:47-48; John 9:41; 2Pet 2:21) confirm one simple truth: that righteousness is not optional for the righteous. There seems to be a specific ethic espoused in Scripture for the people of God.  This ethic calls out from the very depths of our beings just as the Holy Spirit is living within us and calling out to us and compelling us to live according to the holy commandments.

But as the Scriptures exhort, the righteous life is not merely about eschewing the evil; it is equally about doing the good.  And this doing good demands that we do the right at all times.  Add to this the stipulation that if we know what the right thing to do is and we fail to do it, we fall into sin.  In other words, our knowledge of God and of godliness holds us accountable to live by His righteous standards.

We should not ever forget this basic, fundamental component to the Christian life as we strive to live righteously as God calls us to do!