“And especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries.”
They are presumptuous
“Presumptuous” means bold, daring. These people shamelessly dare God’s authority. They dare His truth to have any effect on them. These people are “bold” in the sense that they carry no shame. They are audacious people. They are particularly arrogant. They are so dominated by self-interest that they bold over other people.
These people so overvalue their own goals that they do not honor the goals of others. They are totally inconsiderate of others. They have no dread of authority. They are so bold as to challenge or even defy danger. They are bold toward God’s authority.
PRINCIPLE:
Presumption precludes us from finding God’s truth.
APPLICATION:
Presumptuous people have confidence in their own world-view without adequate knowledge to make decisions. These people can be brazen or bold in the bad sense. They take undue liberties (not freedoms) with the Word of God. They fly in the face of God’s authority. They presume to know more than anyone else does.
A plumber cannot tell a brain surgeon how to remove a tumor from the brain. Today many people give their opinion on how to get to heaven. Their opinion is irrelevant because they are not the ultimate authority on getting to heaven. Television shows are filled with ignorant people giving ignorant answers to things they know nothing of. If we come to God, we must come to God, God’s way. We must come to the cross, and there find forgiveness for our sins. There we will receive pardon and a guarantee of eternal life. We can no more tamper with the gospel than we can tamper with the multiplication table.
Beware of half-truths; you may have gotten hold of the wrong half! It is twice as hard to crush a half-truth as a whole lie.
