1. I was in Greenville, South Carolina last Lord’s Day and the preacher preached from the book of Numbers.
2. I will not say much about his sermon (it was a very good message) but would like to draw your attention to some Scriptures he read from Numbers 15:24—30.
3. Notice the contrast: “him that sinneth through ignorance” (Num. 15:29) and “the soul that doeth ought presumptuously” (15:30).
4. Here we find a clear distinction between sins committed “through ignorance” and presumptuous sins.
5. In Psalm 19:13, David prayed, “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me.”
6. I am going to speak this morning on the subject of presumptuous sins.
7. Spurgeon preached a message on this subject, and he said:

“All sins are great sins, but yet some sins are greater than others. Every sin has in it the very venom of rebellion, and is full of the essential marrow of traitorous rejection of God. But there be some sins which have in them a greater development of the essential mischief of rebellion, and which wear upon their faces more of the brazen pride which defies the Most High. It is wrong to suppose that because all sins will condemn us, that therefore one sin is not greater than another. The fact is, that while all transgression is a greatly grievous sinful thing, yet there are some transgressions which have a deeper shade of blackness, and a more double scarlet-dyed hue of criminality than others. Now the presumptuous sins of our text are just the chief of all sins: they rank head and foremost in the list of iniquities. It is remarkable, that though an atonement was provided under the Jewish law for every kind of sin, there was this one exception: ‘But the soul that sinneth presumptuously shall have no atonement; it shall be out off from the midst of my people.’ And now, under the Christian dispensation, although in the sacrifice of our blessed Lord there is a great and precious atonement for presumptuous sins, whereby sinners who have sinned in this manner are made clean, yet, without doubt, presumptuous sinners, dying without pardon, must expect to receive a double portion of the wrath of God, and a more wonderful manifestation of the unutterable anguish of the torment of eternal punishment in the pit that is digged for the wicked.”

1. WHAT ARE PRESUMPTUOUS SINS?
2. WHY ARE PRESUMPTUOUS SINS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS?
3. HOW CAN WE ESCAPE PRESUMPTUOUS SINS?

I. WHAT ARE PRESUMPTUOUS SINS? (NUM. 15:30, 31).

1. Spurgeon said, “A sin that is committed willfully against manifest light and knowledge is a presumptuous sin.”
2. Some men sin out of ignorance.  They do not know certain things are sinful. They sin out of ignorance, but there are others who deliberately and wilfully sin against the light God has given them.
3. We could say that presumptuous sins are committed with eyes wide open in violation of God’s Word (cf. Num. 15:30, 31).
4. Over ten years ago I moved from Queens County to 5-Towns.   I had just moved into the neighborhood and was driving south on Rockaway Turnpike, approaching Peninsula Boulevard.
5. If you are in the left lane you are supposed to make a left turn onto Peninsula.  I was in the left lane but did not notice the sign and was not familiar with the law.   I did not turn onto Peninsula Boulevard but continued going straight.
6. Sure enough, a policeman saw me and pulled me over.  I showed him my license and explained that I had just moved into the neighborhood.  He let me go with a warning because I sinned “out of ignorance.”
7. But suppose the next day I did the same thing. And suppose I kept on doing the same thing, and suppose the same policeman saw me and pulled me over?  Do you think he would let me off the hook?  No, I do not think so because then it would be a “presumptuous sin” on my part.
8. Once you know the truth, God expects you to act upon it (cf. Hebrews 10:26-31).   There are many sinners who attended services here at this church.  They heard the Gospel and rejected it.
9. I agree with Spurgeon, who said, “they must expect to receive a double portion of the wrath of God.”
10. Consider what our Lord said in Luke 12:47, “And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.”
11. Under the old covenant (OT), the man who despised the law of Moses died “without mercy” after the testimony of two or three witnesses (Heb. 10:28).  But under the NT, the sin is far greater (“sorer punishment” – Heb. 10:29). 
12. The Christ-rejecting sinner has “trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing” (Heb. 10:29).
13. This is not a description of some ignorant heathen who has never heard about Jesus.  This is a fearful description of one who has been to church many times but has spurned the grace of God and resisted the Holy Spirit of God (Heb. 10:29).
14. Here in the United States, our laws make a distinction between premeditated murder and a murder that was not planned ahead of time. These laws are based upon the Bible (cf. Exodus 21:12-14).
15. A man who unintentionally killed a man could flee to the altar or to the city of refuge for safety (cf. Ex. 21:13; Numbers 35:11, 12).
16. But the man who planned on killing another man was executed immediately (Exodus 21:14).
17. Some people think they can sin presumptuously, and then expect God to keep on forgiving them.  AC Dixon told a story about a little girl who kept sticking her fingers in the jelly jar.  Her mother kept telling her to stop but day after day she kept on doing it.
18. One day her mother caught her in the act with her face all smeared with jelly.  Her mother said, “Didn’t I tell you that was wrong and that God was angry with you for disobeying me?” 
19. The little girl replied, “Yes, I know God does not like it, but I am asking Him to forgive me all the time.”
20. That is presumptuous sin.  Our churches are filled with people like that little girl.  And there are preachers who have convinced them that God never judges sin and that everything is going to be OK.

II. WHY ARE PRESUMPTUOUS SINS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS?

1. Presumptuous sins are especially dangerous because those who commit them despise the Word of God (Numbers 15:31).
2. God says, “For them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed” (I Sam. 2:30).
3. I heard an old story about a king who was well known for his patience and gentle forbearance.  But he had a certain servant who took advantage of this king’s kindly disposition.
4. With every transgression and every pardon, the servant became more and more reckless and impudent, and eventually presumed to do just about anything with impunity.
5. One day the servant entered the presence of the king with his hat on.  The king rebuked him for his disrespect and the servant said, “I have a cold and so I must keep it on.”
6. The king then said, “You will never catch a cold again,” and then had his head cut off.
7. One of the king’s friends was surprised and said, “You often pardoned him for far more serious crimes.” 
8. The king replied, “Yes, but when the cup is full to the brim it will not do to add a single drop, because it will then run over.”
9. The moral of this story: the overflowing cup of God’s mercy is wrath for the presumptuous and impenitent sinner.

III. HOW CAN WE ESCAPE PRESUMPTUOUS SINS? (PS. 19:13).

1. David asked the Lord to keep him from presumptuous sins (Ps. 19:13).  David knew that he could not do it without God’s help.
2. Our Lord said in John 15:5, “Without me ye can do nothing.”
3. We need the power of God to stay close to God, and to stay away from sin.
4. We live in a very wicked day and age, where sin is everywhere.  Isaiah 5:20 describes this generation: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
5. Here is a recent news report from Kansas City, Missouri:
   “Woman Gives Birth in McDonald’s Restroom.”
   “Kansas City police are investigating a 20-year-old woman who allegedly tried to flush her newborn son down the toilet at a McDonald’s restaurant after giving birth in the restroom” (FOXNews.com).
6. Unfortunately things like this happen all the time.  A few years ago a HS student was dancing at her prom.  She went into the bathroom, gave birth to her baby, killed the baby, and then went back out on the dance floor like nothing had happened.
7. Every day there is some sordid scandal in the media.  Another politician has been exposed as a pervert.  Another Catholic priest has been caught molesting children. Another movie star has tried committing suicide.   Another millionaire athlete has been arrested.
8. If we want to stay clean and stay pure, we need to ask God to keep us from presumptuous sins (Ps. 19:13).
9. Also, we must deal with sin in our lives.  David was a man after God’s own heart but David sinned.  God dealt with David’s sin and David repented.
10. In the 51^st Psalm, David wrote, “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.  Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.”
11. Repentance is greatly overlooked these days.  For example, that perverted senator from Idaho is making excuses and denying that he is a sodomite.
12. Our churches are filled with people who have never repented over their sin. Nowadays people feel they can keep on sinning presumptuously and get away with it.  They are terribly mistaken.
13. True confession of sin means being completely honest about your sin.  We must face our sin honestly and we must admit our guilt.
14. I have heard Christians pray, “And Lord – if I have done something wrong, please forgive me, etc.”   I often suspect that deep down they know they have done wrong!
15. John R. Rice said, “As long as you put an if about your confession of sin, God puts an if about His forgiveness of that sin!”
16. A woman once came to D.L. Moody and asked his help with a big problem she had. She told him, “I have a habit of exaggeration.  Can you tell me how to overcome this bad habit of mine?”
17. Moody got right to the point.  “Yes, the next time you are guilty of that sin, simply go to the person to whom you exaggerated and confess that you lied and that you were ashamed and sorry for it.”
18. “Oh, but I wouldn’t call it a lie!” said the woman.  “Yes,” said Moody, “but if you do not call it a lie you will not quit it.”
19. As long as we pussyfoot around with sin we will not get victory over it.   Too many Christians try and minimize their sin, and gloss over their sin, and make excuses for their sin, and blame others for their sin, etc.

CONCLUSION:

Many years ago, a preacher named Jeremy Spencer described sin this way:

1. First sin startles a man,
2. Then sin becomes pleasing,
3. Then he finds sin delightful,
4. Then frequent,
5. Then habitual,
6. Then confirmed,
7. Then the man is impenitent,
8. Then he is obstinate,
9. Then he is resolved never to repent,
10. Then he is damned.