The Shame and Folly of Presumptuous Sin
Psalm 19:13, Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me.
We all make mistakes. This is human nature, even for believers who serve Christ and live close to Him.
It is a mistake to say you did something on Monday, when you intended to say it happened on Tuesday. We make mistakes in transposing numbers while writing them down. We have all given out the wrong Scripture reference on occasion.
However, some things that we do are not mistakes.
As Proverbs 18:13 states, coming to a conclusion and "spouting off" before inquiring and listening to facts is both a shame and foolish. For this, there is no excuse and it is not a mistake. According to Psalm 19:13, it is a "presumptuous" sin.
Clarke's Commentary on the Bible describes presumptuous sin as: "Sins committed not through frailty or surprise, but those which are the offspring of thought, purpose, and deliberation. Sins against judgment, light, and conscience."
I can write passionately about this topic because I have been guilty of this sin. Presumption is especially seductive because it is self-deluding, self-contented, and comfortable in its error—until exposed to the light of truth and knowledge. This light does not come from within, where the presumption dwells, it comes from without by the help of the Holy Spirit and from friends, disciples or leaders in Christ who come to our aid.
I've sat among fellow broken people who were years late in recognizing their presumptuous sins, have unnecessarily carried error, held wrong judgments against others, and lived under the dominion of their presumptuous sins.
Take my word for it: You don't know what you don't know. Get the facts, talk to people you should talk to—and not others— and avoid this shame and foolishness.
