Aggravated Sin

“But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do [it], to him it is sin.” (James 4:16-17 NKJV)

James concludes his condemnation of presumptuous living by calling it boastful. To forget the providence of God and think you can control the events of your life is foolishness. To know the providence of God and to think you can control it is madness.

It is one thing to sin ignorantly or unintentionally. However, to know the truth and willfully ignore it is to commit an aggravated sin. While James may have intended the scope of his words to apply directly to his hearer’s boasting, clearly this principle may be applied to all of God’s commands.  This concept is not at all foreign in Scripture. Consider how Jesus applies this principle to the servants who were to watch for His return.

“And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare [himself] or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes]. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” (Luke 12:47-48 NKJV)

Clearly there is a greater judgment for sins committed knowingly and willfully. My dear friends consider this carefully. We have a great deal of knowledge. We know the commands of God well. We dare not sleep, but keep vigilant watch for our Lord’s return. To do otherwise places a question on our commitment to Christ. Notice what happens to the unfaithful servant in the following passage.

“And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom [his] master will make ruler over his household, to give [them their] portion of food in due season? Blessed [is] that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for [him], and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint [him] his portion with the unbelievers.” (Luke 12:42-46 NKJV)

Friends we know the Lord is returning. Forsake all known wickedness. Pray that you might not fall into folly by the cunning of the devil so that when He does return He might call you a faithful and wise servant.