Hi people, hope we are all chilling…
I was somewhere recently and someone referred us to Psalm 19:12-13. This passage says:
12Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13Keep 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.
This passage was broken down to me in ways that I really did not fully grasp. So I decided to ponder on it. I went back home and opened up my Bible and tried to understand what exactly David was on about here. What does he mean by ‘secret faults’? What do ‘presumptuous sins’ entail? Here are my findings on presumptuous sins…
Presumptuous sins mean willful and deliberate sins. This means that as we are about to do it, we are aware that it is wrong but we either say to ourselves, at our worst, ‘whatever!’ and at our best, ‘God understands and I will ask for forgiveness after’. We carefully orchestrate that lie we are about to tell. We construct it with such precision that we amaze ourselves.We know it is wrong but we go ahead and do it anyways.
David, the man after God’s heart, understood the dangers of presumptuous sins all too well and so he prayed for the grace and strength not to commit them. In verse 13, he spoke about it being not just transgression but great transgression. From a Bible commentary, I learned that in those days, ie before Christ, no sacrifice was accepted for it. Presumptuous sins are very heinous and dangerous. They eventually lead to a total separation from God and it reminds me of those Paul spoke of to Timothy that have had their conscience seared with a hot iron (1 Timothy 4:2). They sin despite the habitual convictions and actual admonitions of their consciences. This type of disobedience is done in contempt and defiance of the law and its sanctions/repercussions.
Adam Clarke Commentary says these type of sins are committed not through frailty or surprise, but are those which are the offspring of thought, purpose, and deliberation. Sins against judgment, light, and conscience. It soon becomes a habit of sinning. He who sins presumptuously will soon be hardened and very soon their sin-ometer will change, their standards will change, their yardstick will change. When it comes to sexual immorality for instance, such a person will see absolutely nothing wrong in doing all but the actual deed. When it comes to fraudulent activities aka yahoo yahoo (is it still known as that?), such person starts speaking of it being retribution for the days of slave trade. This is absolutely not of God.
Note carefully that David does not say he needs to be purified from presumptuous sins. He does not pray, ‘Cleanse me from presumptuous sins’, but instead his desire is to be kept back from them in the first place. These were not sins to which he was readily prone, but he felt that the “errors” and “secret faults,” if not checked and `cleansed, ‘ would lead on to the “presumptuous” or deliberate sins, from which he therefore prays to be `kept back. ‘… “great transgression” is the climax of the “presumptuous sins” rebellion’ (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary).
Whenever we feel we are reaching this level, there is great need to cry to God for mercy and also help. The eventual result of leading a life filled with presumptous sins can be found in Romans 1 from verse 28:
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
God eventually will surrender such people to do evils that are unimaginable. It becomes a case of, ‘shebi you want to sin, oya sin very very well’ (excuse the vernacular). I pray that we will never get to this point in Jesus’ name. We need to take heed and listen to what the Spirit of God is telling us either through our thoughts or our conscience. We should take care not to deafen our ears to spritual admonition and warnings. We must not dull our spiritual sensitivity through presumptuous sins.
Each day, our hearts’ cry should be: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer (psalm 19:14). I know that as we ask God, He will make His strength and grace available to us.
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Now to my promised frequent revelations…
5 Random Fact About Me:
– My fingernails, for some reason, don’t grow beyond a certain point. I have tried it all but they just break or I bite them. I really admire girls with well groomed (real) long nails. But I guess God did not plan that for me 😉
-I am sensitive…extremely, and in a lot of regards. For instance, I usually know something is wrong before it becomes evident to all. I sense things. I pick up on subtle hints up to the extent that I sometimes frighten myself when it eventually comes to the fore. A friend of mine says, ‘Oh Temi, you like to worry and you over-think things’ but it’s just me.
-I love Joyce Meyer. She has a story to tell. She is real. She is relateable. She dishes out the word of God in a manner that is so practical. I just love her.
'Aunty Joyce'
-I love being with people yet I love love love my own company. I have been in my flat for three days in a row without stepping out for any reason. On the fourth day, I only went out to Costcutter to get milk and juice.
-I used to like Danielle Steel but I think she is a sadist. She makes you love a character and then kills them off and so, as a matter of principle and for my heart’s peace, I refrain from her books and movies.
-I can play scary tricks with my eyeballs. I discovered this gift/talent (lol) when I was 3 or 4, hehehe. Here’s a glimpse of what my eyes can do
PS: I’m loving Shanday’s recent post read it here!
Stay blessed,
Temiville.xoxo
Musings of a Caramel Latte Addict 
