The sin of presumption

The sin of presumption

by Patte Smith on Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 12:47pm ·

Shaniqua arrived to kill her baby this morning. She says she is a Christian. She has a Bible in her car. She says that she has already asked for forgiveness. Jesus was kind to send one of His servants, John Barros, to speak the truth in love to this wayward religious woman. Shaniqua spurned his holy counsel and warning from the Lord. She is counting on the grace of Jesus to atone for her sexual immorality and the murder of this, and perhaps other, infants. Shaniqua is like many professing Christians we meet who comfort themselves with religious lies, saying "Let us do evil that good might come. Let us sin more that grace might abound." (Romans 3:8;6:1-2) God forbid!

No murderer has eternal life abiding in him....
But..murderers..shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:
which is the second death.
~ I John 3:15;Revelation 21:8 

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
~ Hebrews 10:31

What does the Bible have to say about presumptuous sin?

The following is excerpted from Thomas Watson's brilliant and penetrating biblical treatise on Degrees of Sin. Watson writes:


Some sins have a greater degree of punishment than others. 'Ye shall receive the greater damnation.' Matt 23: 14. 'Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?' God would not punish one more than another if his sin was not greater. It is true, 'all sins are equally heinous in respect of the object,' or the infinite God, against whom sin is committed, but, in another sense, all sins are not alike heinous; some sins have more bloody circumstances in them, which are like the dye to the wool, to give it a deeper colour.

Such sins are more heinous that are committed presumptuously. Under the law there was no sacrifice for presumptuous sins. (Numbers 15: 30). What is the sin of presumption, which heightens and aggravates sin, and makes it more heinous?

To sin presumptuously, is to sin against convictions and illuminations, or an enlightened conscience. 'They are of those that rebel against the light.' Job 24: 13. Conscience, like the cherubim, stands with a flaming sword in its hand to deter the sinner; and yet he will sin. Did not Pilate sin against conviction.. in condemning Christ? (Matt 27: 18.) He confessed he 'found no fault in him.' Luke 23: 14. His own wife sent to him saying, 'Have nothing to do with that just man.' Matt 27: 19. Yet for all this, he gave the sentence of death against Christ. He sinned presumptuously, against an enlightened conscience. To sin ignorantly does something to extenuate and pare off the guilt. 'If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin,' that is, their sin had been less. (John 15: 22). But to sin against illuminations and convictions enhances men's sins. These sins make deep wounds in the soul; other sins fetch blood; they are a stab at the heart.

When a man sins after counsels, admonitions, warnings, he cannot plead ignorance. The trumpet of the gospel has been blown in his ears, and sounded a retreat to call him off from his sins, he has been told of his injustice...yet he would venture upon sin. This is to sin against conviction; it aggravates the sin, and is like a weight put into the scale, to make his sin weigh the heavier... it is presumption; and if he be cast away, who will pity him?

When a man sins against express combinations and threatening. God has thundered out threatenings against such sins...Though God set the point of His sword to the breast of a sinner, he will still commit sin. The pleasure of sin delights him more than the threatenings affright him... 'he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.' Job 41: 29. Nay, he derides God's threatenings. 'Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it:' we have heard much what God intends to do, and of judgement approaching, we would fain see it. (Isa 5: 19). For men to see the flaming sword of God's threatening brandished, yet to strengthen themselves in sin, is in an aggravated manner to sin against illumination and conviction.

Those sins are more heinous than others which are committed under a pretence of religion. To cheat and defraud is a sin, but to do it with a Bible in one's hand, is a double sin. To be unchaste is a sin; but to put on a mask of religion to play the whore makes the sin greater. 'I have peace offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows; come let us take our fill of love.' Prov 7: 14, 15. She speaks as if she had been at church, and had been saying her prayers: who would ever have suspected her of dishonesty? But, behold her hypocrisy; she makes her devotion a preface to adultery. 'Which devour widows' houses, and for a show make long prayers.' Luke XX 47. The sin was not in making long prayers; for Christ was a whole night in prayer; but to make long prayers that they might do unrighteous actions, made their sin more horrid.

You see all sins are not equal; some are more grievous than others, and bring greater wrath; therefore especially take heed of these sins. 'Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins.' Psa 19: 13. The least sin is bad enough; you need not aggravate your sins, and make them more heinous. He that has a little wound will not make it deeper. Oh, beware of those circumstances which increase your sin and make it more heinous! The higher a man is in sinning, the lower he shall lie in torment.