“To The One Who Knows The Right Thing To Do…”
James 4:17

by Chris Simmons

The verse cited in the title above is completed by the words, “…and does not do it, to him it is sin.” In the context (verses 13-16), James is discussing the sin of presumptiveness and arrogance regarding the future and the need for each one of us to humble ourselves to the will of God in regards to our plans and ideas for the future. But clearly, the inspired writer James establishes a biblical truth that we must be conscious of in all matters of life. That is, to know the will of God and to fail to positively do that which His will commands us to do, is to commit sin. It is “lawlessness” (cf., I John 3:4) when we fail to do “the right thing” according to the word of God.

Under civil law, one can be lawless when he overtly commits an act which law has prohibited, such as to break the speed limit while driving. Under civil law, one can also be lawless when he omits doing that which law commands, such as failing to register your vehicle. Under the law of Christ, we are also lawless when we commit acts (whether in word, deed or thought) which God has said not to do just as we are lawless when we fail to do those things (whether in word, deed or thought) that God has said we must do.

Why don’t we do that which is the right thing to do? For some, it might be a case of ignorance. That is, we don’t know what we are obliged to do. Even worse is the case of willful ignorance. Some might be tempted to apply ungodly thinking in this matter by saying, if it is sin to “know the right thing to do” and not do it, then I’ll just make sure that I don’t know the right thing to do. Some thus falsely reason that ignorance is bliss. Such reasoning is foolish and to one who has sought to escape the judgment of civil law by claiming, I didn’t know I had to do that, should all the more understand that ignorance is not excused by God. Paul declared to the idolatrous citizens of Athens, “therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31). Whether willful or otherwise, ignorance is never an excuse for failing to do what we ought to do. The solution is to diligently and humbly apply ourselves to the study of God’s word (II Timothy 2:15) for knowledge must precede our doing what is right (cf., Ezra 7:10).

Perhaps we fail to do that which is the right thing to do because of apathy or laziness. We become apathetic or lazy regarding matters which are not our priority in life. Perhaps other priorities, whether they be work, recreation, money or anything else, keep us from doing “the right thing to do” because we simply do not leave ourselves the time to do them. Saying, “I didn’t have the time” is simply not an adequate excuse for not doing what we ought to do. Conversely, we are taught by Paul that “good deeds” (i.e., “the right thing to do”) are to be pursued zealously, which necessitates that we set aside the time for them. “Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:13-14). We will not be zealous for doing “the right thing” when we are seeking first after something other than “His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Misplaced priorities come from having “left our first love” as the brethren in Ephesus had done (Revelation 2:5). A lack of love and a lack of zeal will keep many from doing many “right things” including: teaching the lost (II Timothy 2:2), showing hospitality (Romans 12:13; I Peter 4:9), caring for the needs of our brethren (Matthew 25:31-46), worshipping with the saints (Acts 20:7; Hebrews 10:24-25, I Corinthians 11:23-34), praying (I Thessalonians 5:17), giving upon the first day of the week (I Corinthians 16:1), making every effort to restore the brother or sister who is “caught in any trespass” (Galatians 6:1), offering a word of encouragement and exhortation (I Thessalonians 5:11, 14) or anything else in accordance with sound doctrine.

The solution is simple, we must repent. We must change our priorities. We must regain our first love. We must begin to faithfully do all that which we ought to have been doing (cf., Luke 17:10). Once we begin to do what is right, we need to do it again, and again, and again until doing what is right becomes our “habit.” We read in Hebrews 10:25 of some who had the “habit” (or “custom” ASV) of “forsaking our own assembling together.” Such needed to begin to do the right thing and assemble for worship regularly and consistently until assembling for worship became their custom or habit. Paul was an example of one who regularly and repeatedly did the right things as we read in Acts 17:2-3, “And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.’” Paul habitually reasoned with people from the scriptures and taught others about the Christ. It should be noted that such godly “habits” are not things that we do without thought or consideration or with “meaningless repetition” but are to come from the heart (cf., Matthew 6:7)./P>

Finally, if we don’t know what the right things to do are, as expressed earlier, we need to diligently apply ourselves to study God’s word so that we might know them because one day, we will be judged as to whether we have done what we ought to have done (Acts 17:30-31).