James 4:17-5:6 Sins of Omission

Title: Sins of Omission

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

Do Good - Others

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good (to others), and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

“ Others”

Others is implied, God is not telling us to do good to ourselves…

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Transition: How can we do good to others?

1. Put others first

The Bible tells us over and over to put others first

Problem

Self-Indulgent

Self-Centered

Self-Reliant

Self-.....

Life is not about Self anymore

James is helping us to change our mentality, our thought process

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

2. Give to others

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Riches are a Responsibility

Most people think of riches as a reward, but riches are a great responsibility!

But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

1. When we live in opposition to God’s Word we have to suffer the consequences

1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

The verse is prophetic in that it speaks to the future miseries…

We need to live with the future in mind

But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Introduction

2. When you live for riches, you will have regrets later on...

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

the material things that people care so much about will one day be worth nothing

Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Riches deceive and distract from what is truly important

Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Reminds me of Judas: Jesus was sold for 30 pieces of silver

Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

3. When you defraud others - God hears the cries of the victims

Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

Even more powerful than the Labor Unions is the LORD!

God sees and hears the cries of victims

Family: it is sad, when family takes advantage of you, and defrauds you

forgive - let God deal with it

4. Riches are not just for your own pleasure!

Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Conclusion

There are sins of commission and there are sins of omission

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.