If you witness, or know of something detrimental that is or has happened to someone, should you do something about it? There is Scriptural precedence in the affirmative to this question. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17) Without some form of action on your part, there is the possibility of it being a sin on your part because of your inaction.
Moses saw one of his brethren being beaten, so he killed the Egyptian, (Exo. 2:12) Nehemiah found out that the nobles were exacting usury on their own brothers and sisters, (Neh. 5:7) so he acted, Paul was given a message, and he gave it. Each of us who have been blessed with salvation form the Lord have a responsibility to always act in righteousness and love, if we witness an event that is unrighteous and we have the ability, no matter how insignificant it may seem to do something about it, and we do not act, it is sin to us.
I will offer no answer for the following statements, for they are as many of my thoughts on the Most High are, unanswerable by any man, no matter how knowledgeable or wise he may perceive himself to be. I believe there are many such contemplations that only the Almighty can answer for us, and it is His choice to do so or not. In our perspective as human beings, we witness sin on a daily basis, some of it horrific in nature, and yet the Lord does nothing about it, at least not in ways that we can see. Evil acts occur every day, men of ill repute are allowed to live long, healthy lives at the great expense of others, they are allowed to inflict great pain and suffering without any fear of retribution from either their fellow man or from the Most High. God sees this.
I am not speaking only about injustices against us, or you, only, but as a whole and these injustices, these unrighteous acts of evil have been occurring since Cain killed his brother, (Gen. 4:8) and those that do so receive no punishment from the Lord. Now, we know their end if they do not repent, and an eternity of endless pain and suffering, of the complete knowledge of utter hopelessness cannot be compared to any possible retribution from the Lord in this life towards those evil persons, but that is not the subject matter here. These following words must be penned carefully and with great reverence and fear of the Lord God, for I am but dust, and I do not desire to hear the words that He spoke to Job of “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.” (Job 38:4)
If it is evil to us to see unrighteousness and not act, why is it not evil to the Lord? I would offer two verses here for your contemplation, three even. “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.” (Deut. 32:39) “And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” (Matt. 3:9) And the third would be, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37) If I were to add a fourth one it would be, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8)
I believe that far too many who profess to have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ do not really know Him as much as they like to think they do, He does not think like we do, not even close. Here is a third statement that begs contemplation, and again it must be done in reverence and great humility, especially in the light of Psalm 34:17-19. “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”
And it is in at least in part one that you must be able to answer to those who do not yet serve Him when it is asked of you by them, “If God can do something, then why doesn’t He?” As far as I can answer this question today, it is because He chooses not to, and this answer is not going to be enough for those who are and have witnessed horrific acts against those they love and hold dear to them.
Here then is faith, the acceptance of the will of God in no matter what form it appears before us. “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42) Even Jesus asked this question. His answer from the Father was the cross, His reply was thy will be done.