Good day dear listeners and welcome again to overcoming temptations, My name is Oyisi Okatahi. Today our topic is titled “The Sin of Omission”
Generally speaking when we talk about sin or evil we refer to adultery, lying, greed, pride, murder and so on.
These are all actions of sin of commission, meaning these are thing we do wrongly. But how about the things we fail to do, this are the sins of omission. For instance if some lies against an innocent person he or she has committed a sin, this is a sin of commission. Imagine an innocent person is about to be killed and you know the truth and can help in saving the person by testifying, if you choose to keep quiet for whatever reason, you are equally guilty and this is the sin of omission. Both of them are wrong in the eyes of God. The bible says in James 4:17. Therefore to anyone who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. So this means that sin is not only doing wrong but failing to do what is right. So I encourage you no matter what people say or think, do what you know is right in the eyes of God. Even if you lose temporarily for doing the right thing, you gain more even on this earth and most important in heaven.
Jesus gave an interesting story in Luke 16:19-23 and I read – 19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side
So in this story, Jesus did not state any obvious sin of this rich man. We were not told that he killed, stole, fornicated or anything like that. What we are told is that there was just one beggar called Lazarus staying by the rich mans gate, meaning that everyday as the rich man came in out of his house he saw Lazarus condition but did nothing about it. There was no record that the rich man ever gave Lazarus some food to eat or water to drink, the bible says that Lazarus was always hoping to eat the remnants from the rich man’s table, he did not always have the opportunity to even eat the remnants. Mind you the rich man was probably not the cause of Lazarus problems, his attitude was what is my business. However it means that we need to always show concern and empathy to those around us.
