What does the Bible say about sins of commission?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Sin is when we act out of harmony with God and His desires and intentions for our lives. A sin of commission is taking action we should not in deed, thought, or word. Conversely, a sin of omission is when we don't take action we should. Both types of sin can be intentional, as when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command (Genesis 2:16-17, Genesis 3), or unintentional, as proven by the Mosaic Laws about sacrifices for unintentional sin (Leviticus 4:2) The Bible shows that sins of commission can have serious consequences, separating us from God and affecting our relationships, our conscience, and our spiritual growth. An example is David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba and his arrangements to have her husband killed (2 Samuel 11). Though David repented and God forgave him, the consequences of David’s sin were dissension in His household (2 Samuel 12:10). Yet even when we actively choose to do what is wrong, God’s grace is available to us through Jesus, offering forgiveness and restoration (1 John 1:9). We are called to acknowledge our wrongdoing, repent, and turn back toward Him (1 John 1:9), allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts, words, and actions (Galatians 5:16). By doing so, we can find forgiveness and experience God’s peace again, living according to God’s purposes and in a way that reflects Him to a world that desperately needs Him (Matthew 5:16).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Law clearly identifies sins of commission and prescribes consequences. Lying, stealing, murder, and idolatry are examples of deliberate actions that break God’s commands (Exodus 20:1-17; Leviticus 19:11).
• The prophets often rebuked Israel for actively engaging in injustice, oppression, or idolatry, showing that deliberate wrongdoing provokes God’s judgment (Isaiah 1:15-17; Amos 5:21-24).
• The Bible contains many examples of sins of commission and omission. Adam and Eve committed a sin of commission when they ate the fruit of a tree they were forbidden to eat from (Genesis 2:16-17).
• King David committed adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11). Because of His great love, God remained in relationship with David. However, the consequences of his sin remained.
• David shows us how to react when we sin. In Psalm 51, he repents of his sin in sorrow, but also with a belief in God's mercy. David admits his sin, turns to God, and asks for His work to continue in him: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit" (Psalm 51:10-12).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The Bible tells us that all people have sinned, and even one sin separates us from God, leaving us without eternal life (Romans 3:23). While the wages of sin is death, God offers us eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23).
• The New Testament discusses deliberate sin, but highlights the role of faith and grace through Jesus. Paul calls believers to put off sinful behaviors like sexual immorality, greed, and deceit (Colossians 3:5-10; Ephesians 4:25-28).
• James discusses the sin of omission, i.e., not acting when we should: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17).
• Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5–7 shows that sins of commission include not only outward acts but also inward attitudes, like anger and lust, which are equally accountable before God.
• The Holy Spirit helps us to know and follow God’s desires for our lives (John 16:13; Romans 8:14), but we still struggle with sin and cannot completely stop sinning (1 John 1:8; Romans 7:18-20). However, we can have peace with God and peace of mind when we put our faith in Jesus Christ and trust that His death and resurrection is our substitute punishment for our sin and the power to resurrect us (Colossians 2:14; Romans 6:6).
• We are told in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that Jesus is perfect, but He took our place so that we could be righteous before God.
• Whenever we sin, either by commission or omission, it comes as a result of our heart’s state: "But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander" (Matthew 15:18-19).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

When we break a law, such as speeding, we owe the maker of the law, the government, a fine to pay for our misdeed. It doesn't matter if we knew the speed limit or were unaware. We still broke the law. We cannot pay God for our sins, but Jesus can, and did, for us. When we act outside of God's intentions for us, we commit sins of commission. When we fail to do what God intends, we commit sins of omission.

As Christians, we will still sin because we are not fully in a perfected state. But, we can respond to that sin by confidently knowing that God hears our confession, remains in relationship with us, and will help us to live in accordance with His desires. We can repent and return to seeking after God. Philippians 4:4–8 offers us wise counsel in how to live that way: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Even when we commit sins of commission—actively doing what is against God’s will—we can still turn back to Him. By confessing these sins, relying on the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and focusing on what is true, pure, and good, we can live in a way that reflects Christ’s love and live according to God’s purposes.

UNDERSTAND

• Sins of commission are deliberate actions, thoughts, or words that go against God and separate us from Him.
• God’s judgment for sin is clear, but His grace through Jesus offers forgiveness when we repent.
• Christians can respond to sins of commission by confessing and relying on the Holy Spirit to again live in a way that reflects what is good and according to God’s purposes.

REFLECT

• How have you recognized times when you deliberately acted in ways you knew were against God’s will?
• How can you rely more on the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts, words, and actions before sin occurs?
• How does knowing that God offers forgiveness through Jesus influence the way you respond after committing a sin of commission?

ENGAGE

• How do we as believers help one another stay accountable and avoid deliberate sins of commission?
• How can our understanding of God’s grace shape how we encourage others who have sinned?
• How does focusing on the heart behind our actions, not just outward behavior, deepen our awareness of sin and responsibility?