“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.” (Psalms 19:13)
One thing we have to remember about this psalm is that it was written in a time when there was no eternal forgiveness for sin. David knew how sin could overtake him and how liable he could be in committing presumptuous sins. Man on his own effort tried to live righteously but couldn’t. The Law pointed this out. In this psalm, David recognizes and submits to the only One Who could keep him from sin.
Presumptuous sins are willful sins that have pushed the boundaries. We all sin. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1John 1:8) Even those washed in the blood of the Lamb because of this sinful world we live in and which we will not escape until the body dies and because of the flesh which constantly fights with the spirit of man. For the child of God, this sinning is not deliberate. It happens when we are tired, sick or overwhelmed. Sin no longer has dominion over us. “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” (Romans 6:16-18)
Our reborn spirit that has been born of God doesn’t have a sinful nature but has the nature of God. It's not comfortable in sin. For those of us who have been reborn as adults we know this experience. Before turning to our Lord and Savior, we participated in sin and felt no remorse and no tinge of guilt in the sin. We enjoyed sin. But after coming to the Lord, repenting of sin and being born again of God, sin is loathed. Our new spirit man will not tolerate sin. And when we do fall into sin, we condemn ourselves, we even physically feel the detestable taste of it. That is why 1John 1:9 is so important. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)
This brings up a question. Wasn’t the sacrifice of Jesus sufficient for today’s sin? Yes, of course. “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all... For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:10, 14) The fact is that when we fall into sin, that sin is forgiven and paid for. But our conscious is full of guilt. We realize that our flesh is full of sin, flesh not spirit. We must confess it, acknowledging our failure, weakness and disobedience. We must repent of it. And we must allow the Holy Spirit to work miraculously in sanctifying us. Paul wrote about this. “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Romans 7:15-25)
Paul mentions his mind as warring against the flesh. It’s his mind influenced by the reborn spirit. We can allow ourselves to be influenced by the new reborn of God spirit man or the flesh. Paul recognized that the flesh warred against his spirit man and against God. We are reminded that our spirit was reborn, not our flesh. The flesh is still rebellious against God and wants to rule. It will try to influence our soul (mind, will and emotions.) But the soul that is transformed by the Word of God can resist and obey God. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2) That renewing of the mind comes from reading the Word of God, the Word of God which is alive and powerful. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
Yes! Reading the Bible will transform us. It’s the Word from God’s mouth that said, “Let there be...” and it was. (Genesis) The Word of God is able to perform it. Again, we see that not only is our salvation a work of God, but our sanctification. The Lord is the One Who keeps us from presumptuous sin and from falling also. “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25)
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