Sins of presumption

There are sins of omission and sins of commission.

But there are also sins of presumption.

We neglect to honor God; this is a sin of omission.

We curse in God's name; this is a sin of commission.

We think we are God; this is a sin of presumption.

The great preacher C. H. Spurgeon once pointed out that, in all of the Old Testament sacrifices for sins, there is no sacrifice for the sin of presumption. In fact the presumptuous person is to be cut off from God's people:

But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the LORD, and he shall be cut off from among his people.

Serious words.

But we say we never presume we are God. Oh but we do. Perhaps not God with a capital "G", but god with a small "g":

He is Omniscient / we think we know it all.

He is Omnipotent / we think we are unassailable.

He is Omnipresent / we think the grass is greener over there, and so we grumble over our lot.

He is Holy / we think we are holier than thou.

Holier than thou. A common sin of presumption of good religious people. Good religious people who have all the checks in the right places, hence no sins of omission or commission, or so we think.

But because we think so, the aroma of presumption fills the room with us.

And so King David says, "deliver me from presumptuous sins ..."

Logos2Go

Numbers 15.30 But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the LORD, and he shall be cut off from among his people.

Revelation 3.17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Psalm 19.13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

C.H. Spurgeon, "Presumptuous Sins" Sermon June 7, 1857