By Olubunmi Adebayo
*We shall today be concluding our discussion on the above topic.*
*Please consider the following further examples on the subject of presumption :*
*E) The Sons of Sceva in Acts 19:13-16 :*
*They operated on the presumption that “We can use the name of Jesus like a magic formula to do whatever.”*
*They attempted casting out demons without having any personal encounter with the Saviour Jesus Christ.This resulted in the demonized man attacking and wounding the 7 of them.*
*F) The Presumption of the Pharisees in Mat 23 and Luke 18:9-14 :*
*They operated the presumption of “We are righteous because of the rules we observe and our status.” Thereby making them to look down on others as mere “sinners” and behaved as though God was oweing them. Yet, God owes no man.*
*This prompted Jesus to call them spiritually blind people, thereby missing the Messiah who came in flesh and blood among them.*
*G) The encounter of Peter in the story at Caesarea Philippi – Mat 16:21-23.*
*Peter operated on the presumption that “I know better than the other disciples”*
*This was right after calling Jesus “The Christ,” Peter proceeded to rebuke Jesus for talking about his own death and the cross.*
*This prompted Jesus to make the popular statement “Get behind me, Satan. You do not have in mind the things of God.”*
*The act of Presumption in the Bible usually sounds like: “God won’t mind if I cut this corner.”*
*Again it could sound like “The rules are for other people, they are not for me”.*
*“I can handle this without God”.*
*“I know what God should do”.*
*Deeply reflecting, all the above are a confirmation of one thing as detailed in Prov 16:18 – “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”*
*On inter-relational level, you and I should guide against presumptions in our relationships. This is because most people live by the principle of presumption, leading to our taking assuming stands in forming our judgement on people.*
*Whereas the necessity of life requires that we critically take a look at issues around us before forming our judgment or jumping into conclusions.*
*Also, don’t be deceived, it is often difficult to decipher the true and correct positions of things concerning a man or situation around you.*
*Note that most situations don’t appear in their true colours,or men in their nature, unless you probe,at times, quite deeply into them to know what is correct.*
*Know that men are very clever in concealing their true motives, while situations are subject to the unpredictable vagaries of the human environment.*
*If one is not very careful, it is easy for a person to become a victim of such deceptions and ended up operating on presumptions.*
*Therefore,we must take care to study people’s character over a range of time. Take a second look at the fruits of that man’s life and see if he is what he claims to be. Ask for the critical content of their behaviors. Find out what is it that such people usually leave behind when they are done in a place?*
*Don’t just presume by the peripheral things you see around you please,man is deep,far deeper than they seem.*
Do have a great servic you 👍
©️ Olubunmi S Adebayo.
