Don't just assume

You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. (Ephesians 4:20-24)

"It is dangerous to assume because you might make an 'a**' of 'u' and 'me'..." is a saying that stems from a Mexican insurance company urging drivers to not just get out there on the road without appropriate coverage. It dates back to December 26, 1957 as part of an ad for the Horace DeVargas Insurance Agency as posted in the Rio Grande Sun. We all might have come to the conclusion to think that something is true or probably true without really knowing it is true gets us into a lot of hot water, but there are likely some times when we 'assume' a great deal to be true without ever testing it to see if it really is. Whenever we blindly accept something to be true without doing our 'due diligence' to see if truth backs the claim, we are open to deception. We 'learned Christ' - we learned truth. We need to pay careful attention to what we learned of, from, and through Christ - being 'well-instructed students' of the Word of God.

What does truth do within our lives? It helps to produce God's character with tremendous accuracy instead of allowing the formation of what we 'presume' to be the 'correct character'. It is dangerous to presume - presumption is based on opinion - what we 'think' or 'believe' about a particular matter. The truth of God is not based upon opinion - it is based upon and in Christ. Truth helps us let go of the past - to get rid of the things that only weigh us down and don't help us walk right. Ever try carrying a big bag of stones on your back? Do you know what it does to carry that much weight on your back, bearing down on your shoulders? It makes you walk funny! You actually bend forward a bit, attempting to shift the load so it is more 'centered'. God doesn't want us to 'center' our load of guilt and sin - he wants us to lay it down!

Presumption if just a matter of guessing about something - we hope our guess will produce the right results. When a new business starts up, it can thrive or fail based upon what research has been done ahead of even opening those doors or launching that website. Why is that so true? Knowing is far better than guessing and hoping. When the research has been done, the business owner has evaluated the demographic. Will the product or service meet the needs of that demographic? Will the demand outweigh the risks of launching the new business? When God looked at the demographic of a sinful world, he didn't have to 'do the research' because he already knew what this sinful demographic needed most - Christ Jesus! We try a bunch of stuff to let go of our past, but the truth is all that 'stuff' we try is not ever going to meet the need. We don't overcome sin by presuming we know what we need to do to overcome. We ask God, seek his face, and then listen intently. As we begin to hear what he instructs, we take those steps. We don't move 'hoping' we will be different - we move 'knowing' we will be! Just sayin!

 

Quote: 1957 December 26, Rio Grande Sun, (Advertisement from Horace DeVargas Agency, auto insurance company), Quote Page 10, Column 6, Espanola, New Mexico. (Newspapers_com)