James 4:17 defines sin as what?

• A. Not knowing to do good is sin.
• B. Doing good always absolves sin.
• C. Knowing to do good and do it not, to him it is sin.
• D. Sin is only when you break the law intentionally.

Answer: (C)

Knowingly choosing to do what is good and then not doing it defines sin here. The verse focuses on moral responsibility tied to awareness: if you know the right thing to do and still refrain, that omission is sin. It’s not about ignorance being sin or about sin only from overt lawbreaking; it’s about the accountability that comes with knowledge and action. In practice, this means if you’re aware you should forgive, help, or speak truth, and you deliberately withhold that good, you’re sinning. This emphasis on deliberate inaction in light of known goodness is why this option is the best fit.