--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not only that sin consists in doing…" description: "\"It is not only that sin consists in doing evil, but in not doing the good that we know.\" — Henry Allen Ironside" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/henry-allen-ironside-24261_doing-good_it-is-not-only-that-sin-consists-in-doin_2573884.jpg" --- # It is not only that sin consists in doing evil, but in not… ![“It is not only that sin consists in doing evil, but in not doing the good that we know.” quote by Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/henry-allen-ironside-24261_doing-good_it-is-not-only-that-sin-consists-in-doin_2573884.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/henry-allen-ironside-24261_doing-good_it-is-not-only-that-sin-consists-in-doin_2573884.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/henry-allen-ironside-24261_doing-good_it-is-not-only-that-sin-consists-in-doin_2573884.jpg) > “It is not only that sin consists in doing evil, but in not doing the good that we know.” [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sin includes not only committing evil but also failing to act on known good, highlighting moral responsibility to do what is right. **In simple terms:** Sin is both doing evil and not doing good we know. Key Takeaway Act on known good to avoid moral failure. Themes morality responsibility ethics action Mood reflective serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - helping others - environmental stewardship - community service - daily decisions Key Concepts virtue ethics omission moral duty Questions to Reflect On - What good do you know but neglect? - Why is it hard to act on moral knowledge? A Different Perspective Inaction can stem from fear or apathy; knowing good isn’t enough. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-good/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) ## Related quotes > [We are taught to attack the forces of evil and not those doing evil. That is what we are trained in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sarsour/we-are-taught-to-attack-the-forces-of-evil-and-not-those-doing-evil/) [Linda Sarsour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sarsour/) > [God is the creator of all things, right? He is the force that dictates the laws of the universe, and is therefore the ultimate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/god-is-the-creator-of-all-things-right-he-is-the-force-that-dictates/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [ A \[reformed\] vampire ... mostly tries to make reparation for his previous evil by doing good deeds-most commonly, apparently, going into the crime solving business. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivian-vande-velde/a-reformed-vampire-mostly-tries-to-make-reparation-for-his-previous/) [Vivian Vande Velde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivian-vande-velde/) > [A sin...consists in doing, saying, thinking, or imagining anything that is not in perfect conformity with the mind and law of God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/a-sin-consists-in-doing-saying-thinking-or-imagining-anything-that-is/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [We are told that Sin consists in acting contrary to God's commands, but we are also told that God is omnipotent. . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/we-are-told-that-sin-consists-in-acting-contrary-to-god-s-commands-2/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“As Martin Luther writes: The sinful worship of Mammon does not consist in eating and drinking and wearing clothes . . . for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/as-martin-luther-writes-the-sinful-worship-of-mammon-does-not-consist/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Christian society is like a bundle of sticks laid together, whereof one kindles another. Solitary men have fewest provocations to evil, but, again, fewest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-hall/christian-society-is-like-a-bundle-of-sticks-laid-together-whereof/) [Joseph Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-hall/) > [There is much said about the wickedness of doing evil that good may come. Alas! there is such a thing as doing good that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-barr/there-is-much-said-about-the-wickedness-of-doing-evil-that-good-may/) [Amelia Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-barr/) > [With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/with-or-without-religion-you-would-have-good-people-doing-good-things/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [“When ignorance is passed down for a long time without giving it a second thought, it leads to evil because you are doing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/when-ignorance-is-passed-down-for-a-long-time-without-giving-it-a/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [The greatest penalty of evil-doing is to grow into the likeness of a bad man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-greatest-penalty-of-evil-doing-is-to-grow-into-the-likeness-of-a/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [The greatest penalty of evil-doing is to grow into the likeness of bad men, and, growing like them, to fly from the conversation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-greatest-penalty-of-evil-doing-is-to-grow-into-the-likeness-of/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Human law cannot punish or forbid all evil, since while doing away with evils it would do away with many good things, which would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/human-law-cannot-punish-or-forbid-all-evil-since-while-doing-away/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [I think that you only occasionally have to play evil because everything you're doing is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-o-quinn/i-think-that-you-only-occasionally-have-to-play-evil-because/) [Terry O'Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-o-quinn/) > [Sometimes (at least in principle) God might allow some evil because doing so will prevent a greater evil, and sometimes He might allow evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-koukl/sometimes-at-least-in-principle-god-might-allow-some-evil-because/) [Greg Koukl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-koukl/) ## More by Henry Allen Ironside > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [Beware lest we mistake our prejudices for our convictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/beware-lest-we-mistake-our-prejudices-for-our-convictions/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [People are stumbling over the simplest things. Take, for instance, that word believeth. You would think that was plain enough for anybody, but all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/people-are-stumbling-over-the-simplest-things-take-for-instance-that/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [All self-effort is but sinking sand. Christ alone is the Rock of our salvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/all-self-effort-is-but-sinking-sand-christ-alone-is-the-rock-of-our/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [To the lover of the Lord Jesus Christ there can be nothing legal about baptism. It is simply the glad expression of a grateful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/to-the-lover-of-the-lord-jesus-christ-there-can-be-nothing-legal/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [We are not preaching the Gospel of a dead Christ, but of a living Christ who sits exalted at the Father's right hand, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/we-are-not-preaching-the-gospel-of-a-dead-christ-but-of-a-living/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [It is well to remember that reading books about the Bible is a very different thing to searching the Word for oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/it-is-well-to-remember-that-reading-books-about-the-bible-is-a-very/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [The Apostle Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost of the risen Savior, says, "God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/the-apostle-peter-preaching-on-the-day-of-pentecost-of-the-risen/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [Christianity is Christ!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/christianity-is-christ/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [To tell a man who has no realization that he is lost, that he may be saved by faith in Christ, means nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/to-tell-a-man-who-has-no-realization-that-he-is-lost-that-he-may-be/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [The Christian life is never static. One must either grow in grace, or there will be backsliding and deterioration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/the-christian-life-is-never-static-one-must-either-grow-in-grace-or/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [Real worship is that of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/real-worship-is-that-of-the-heart/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [If what they are saying about you is true, mend your ways. If it isn't true, forget it, and go on and serve the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/if-what-they-are-saying-about-you-is-true-mend-your-ways-if-it-isn-t/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [Time is given us to use in view of eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/time-is-given-us-to-use-in-view-of-eternity/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [Faith is to rest, not in the best of God's servants, but in His unchanging Word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/faith-is-to-rest-not-in-the-best-of-god-s-servants-but-in-his/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) [Explore all 24 Henry Allen Ironside quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) ## More Doing good quotes > [There's nothing like getting feedback that's positive and supportive. That's what I'm all about. I'm really just genuinely doing good music. I'm not looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-villarreal/there-s-nothing-like-getting-feedback-that-s-positive-and-supportive/) [Tiffany Villarreal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-villarreal/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [When things are going bad that does not mean God has stopped doing good It's mean He is shifting things around you to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christianquotes/when-things-are-going-bad-that-does-not-mean-god-has-stopped-doing/) ChristianQuotes > [“doing good required taking risks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/doing-good-required-taking-risks/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [NGOs have a complicated space in neoliberal politics. They are supposed to mop up the anger. Even when they are doing good work, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/ngos-have-a-complicated-space-in-neoliberal-politics-they-are/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [“Rich and famous and doing good," mused Schlichtmann. "Rich isn't so difficult. Famous isn't so difficult. Rich and famous together aren't so difficult. Rich,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-harr/rich-and-famous-and-doing-good-mused-schlichtmann-rich-isn-t-so/) Jonathan Harr > [There is only one way of not hating those who do us wrong, and that is by doing them good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/there-is-only-one-way-of-not-hating-those-who-do-us-wrong-and-that-is/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [“What is an artist? For every thousand people there's nine hundred doing the work, ninety doing well, nine doing good, and one lucky bastard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/what-is-an-artist-for-every-thousand-people-there-s-nine-hundred/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Being a good person is appreciable. But doing good things in life is what shows others who really you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/being-a-good-person-is-appreciable-but-doing-good-things-in-life-is/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [As long as any one has the means of doing good to his neighbours, and does not do so, he shall be reckoned a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irenaeus-of-lyons/as-long-as-any-one-has-the-means-of-doing-good-to-his-neighbours-and/) [Irenaeus of Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irenaeus-of-lyons/) > [My mum supported me after she saw I was doing good in weightlifting, I was able to get a scholarship, I was able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hidilyn-diaz/my-mum-supported-me-after-she-saw-i-was-doing-good-in-weightlifting-i/) [Hidilyn Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hidilyn-diaz/) > [We've always tried to convey these strong messages of strength and power and doing good in the world and, at the same time, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-halford/we-ve-always-tried-to-convey-these-strong-messages-of-strength-and/) [Rob Halford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-halford/) > [The pulpit only "teaches" to be honest; the market-place "trains" to overreaching and fraud; and teaching has not a tithe of the efficiency of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/the-pulpit-only-teaches-to-be-honest-the-market-place-trains-to/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-are-not-to-preach-the-doing-of-good-things-good-deeds-are-not-to/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Even if everyone elseIs not doing good,I alone will.Even if everyone elseis doing wrong,I alone will not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/even-if-everyone-elseis-not-doing-good-i-alone-will-even-if-everyone/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) [Browse all 783 Doing good quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-good/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is not only that sin consists in doing evil, but in not doing the good that we know.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Allen Ironside" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/it-is-not-only-that-sin-consists-in-doing-evil-but-in-not-doing-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doing good" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/it-is-not-only-that-sin-consists-in-doing-evil-but-in-not-doing-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/henry-allen-ironside-24261_doing-good_it-is-not-only-that-sin-consists-in-doin_2573884.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/henry-allen-ironside-24261_doing-good_it-is-not-only-that-sin-consists-in-doin_2573884.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/henry-allen-ironside-24261_doing-good_it-is-not-only-that-sin-consists-in-doin_2573884.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is not only that sin consists in doing evil, but in not doing the good that we know.” — Henry Allen Ironside", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry Allen Ironside", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is not only that sin...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/it-is-not-only-that-sin-consists-in-doing-evil-but-in-not-doing-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/it-is-not-only-that-sin-consists-in-doing-evil-but-in-not-doing-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```