Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Someone asked me a question recently and I answered by saying “I assumethat it is.” Afterwards, I thought about my answer and began to wonder if I should have said “presume” instead so I proceeded to investigate the matter. Although some are of the opinion that they both mean “suppose”, most grammar experts do note a distinction. They say that although they both mean to take something for granted, a presumption is usually more authoritative than an assumption. In other words, to presume is to make an informed guess based on reasonable evidence, while to assume is to make a guess with little or no evidence. In my case, it would have been more correct to have used presume instead of assume.
Speaking of presume, it is the root word for the word presumptuous, an adjective which the Merrian-Webster dictionary defines as: “overstepping due bounds: taking liberties; being too confident in a rude way, and something done without permission, right, or good reason.” David wrote in Psalm 19:13, “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright , and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.”David recognized that while all sins offend God, presumptuous sins are the worst and that is why he referred to them as the “great transgression.” To put it more plainly, a sin of presumption is a willful sin. Can you know see the connection, that when one commits a presumptuous sin, he is taking liberties he does not have? Going back in David’s life, was not the sin he committed with Bathsheba and against her husband a sin of presumption? Did David not think at the time, “Hey, I am the king and I have the right to do anything that I please.” No, he did not have that right and he probably knew it at the time, although he permitted the devil to deceive him and persuade him into justifying his actions. Sadly, David forgot his prayer to God on the day he committed his ugliest sins.
Grace is one of the greatest gifts we have from God but unfortunately we all try to take advantage of it from time to time. Our thinking is, “I’m saved by grace; there is nothing I can do to separate me from the love of God.” We then proceed to think that, since we can never be condemned, we have a free ride and can do anything we please, just like David thought on the day that he fell. If that prayer to God to keep him from presumptuous sins was important to David, it is equally important to us. Lets not permit anything or anyone to deceive us. Lets remember that Paul wrote, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.” (Ephesians 5:6) Lets keep in mind that God will chastise His children when necessary. More importantly, let me remind you that, as God’s children, we are better than that.
Memory Verse for the week: (Psalm 18:28) “You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”
