Evangelize, Don't Fossilize!Shembull

The Great Omission

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. (James 4:17)

A Sunday School teacher who was speaking to her class on the topic of sin asked, “Can anyone tell me what the sin of commission is?”

One girl raised her hand. “I know!” she said. “The sin of commission is when you do what you shouldn’t do.”

“That’s right,” the teacher said. “Now can someone tell me what the sin of omission is?” A boy in the back of the room was anxiously waving his arm, so she called on him. He said, “The sin of omission? Well, those are the sins that you want to do, but you haven’t gotten around to them yet.”

While you can’t help but smile at the boy’s answer, he didn’t quite have it right. The sin of omission is not doing what you should do. And one of the ways we can commit this sin is when we don’t respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to share the gospel.

I think most Christians know more than enough to go out and start sharing their faith, but they are just afraid to try. Yet when Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20 to “go and make disciples of all the nations,...” it was a command in the original language. This is not the Great Suggestion; it is the Great Commission. But for many, it has become the Great Omission.

Also in the original language, Jesus’ words are addressed to everyone. That means it is not just for the so-called professionals. This command is for every follower of Christ. This is for everyone to do. No one is exempt.

These are God’s marching orders. It is a daunting task. It is intimidating, even scary sometimes. But Jesus has called us to do it. And His calling is also His enabling.