Committing Sin

But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. James 2: 9.

Having been warned by James about guarding against showing partiality, and having been apprised of the heaviness of such posture and position, we move on to the other huge word.

The second huge word is commit - You commit sin.

Commit is huge in height. On its own, the word commit, tells of loyalty, giving over to, being solely and wholly given to a person or thing. When you commit yourself to a task, it means that come what may, you will do all in your power to see it through.

Here is a wise saying, which speaks of committing, from one to whom God gave wisdom and understanding par excellence. Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established. Proverbs 16: 3.  Note how huge in height this action of committing is. Solomon has categorically stated that if we, give over our works to God, without wanting them back; if we hand over our way to God, without taking it back; if we offer over all we will do to God and not want to control and have human input into what God is doing, then this is what we shall receive.

We will receive our Lord’s full commitment to establish, to make perfect, stable, right and true, our thoughts and our minds.  Don’t you think and see this as huge? Huge, because who can fathom God’s commitment to His committed servants? Remember, our God is a God, who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Ephesians 3: 20b. Is not commitment huge in height, reaching way up to God who comes to dwell within mere mortals?

Commit, is also huge in the height of sin. I have to confess that it was only as I was at school in this time of study, this fact was brought to me. Teacher, Holy Ghost, brought light and established in my thoughts this most curious fact. It was shown to me that when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments for God’s beloved and precious children, the word commit, was only used once. In other words, of the Ten Commandments given, only one carries the word, commit. You shall not commit adultery. Exodus 20: 14.

Confirming this sin and giving it greater height, in understanding of thought, word and deed, Jesus spoke these words of judgment. You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5: 27 – 28. 

Has not Jesus taken the sin of commit, to its highest height, that of the heart? In other words, when we are told that to show partiality is to commit sin, we must understand that this is the very height of sin, since it is from within the heart, the centre of all life, good and bad, righteous and sinful.

Just to look at people and have any kind of thoughts of favouritism, no matter how small or innocent you think it may be, is to commit sin. Sin is as God calls it and not as we call it. Foolish! To say the least, for showing any kind of partiality is to commit sin outright, in the mind of God.

To show partiality has no high or low way in the sight of God.

To show partiality is the height of sin.

It is to commit sin and be convicted by the law as a transgressor.