The murderer calmly responded, “I knew they wouldn’t do anything. People never do” (Seedman & Hellman, 1974, p. 100). The displayed comment illustrates the concept of “guilty knowledge” - the decision to overlook a crime despite being aware that it is occurring. The apostle James discussed a comparable type of “guilty knowledge” when he said that if a person knows what is right and chooses not to do it, it is counted as sin.
Main Text: James 4:13-17 (ESV)