Presumptuous sins are the most painful of all sins. If the believer is kept back from those, David writes that we will be innocent of the great transgression (Ps. 19:13). The woman in the Song of Solomon 5 represents a sleeping believer refusing the gospel advances of her Lord. She doesn't know what danger she's in, but the Lord Jesus Christ knows that we're very near to presuming against His mercies. Therefore, He comes to us with words of grace, "Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled… (Song. 5:2)." It is as if He said, "Open to Me. You need me." Yet, being asleep, we respond, "I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them (Song. 5:3)."
Whenever joy, peace, and knowledge of the gospel tempts us to turn away the advances of Jesus Christ, know that your flesh is posing as your new man. "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light (II Cor. 11:14)." The new man will never reject Christ, but the old man receives the gospel in word only and uses imputed righteousness, covenant mercies, and the death of Christ to license sin. Therefore, be greatly warned, greatly, greatly warned, that above all sins, you're on guard against this one.
Presumptuous sins are painful, and they often have long lingering affects. The woman in the Song thought that her Lovers advances could be picked up again without much tribulation. It was as if she said, "I know that you're here now. But, even if I chase you away, you will not be gone for too long. Surely, now that you've spoken so well of me, you will not chasten me too sorely. I will put you off for now, rely upon my own strength, and then I'll pick you up again when I think it's more convenient." Unbeliever flee from this foolish reasoning and don't squander your soul. Felix thought that he'd have a "convenient season" to be saved, but he didn't know that his heart would become more hardened for hell (Acts 24:24-27). Believer, Christ shall never utterly forsake you, but you shall learn to reverence His throne. Joseph hid himself from His brethren because they must reverence Him upon the throne. They must learn not to look upon him as "Joseph, our brother"; they must see him as Joseph, the appointed ruler over Pharoah's kingdom; they must see him in his royal apparel and through fear and trembling learn the preciousness of his mercy. Likewise, Christ is not ashamed to be called our Brother. Yet, He will have preeminence in all things. By His departures, we will learn to seek Him sorrowing, and thereby we will learn to esteem and reverence His presence.
The believer, although guilty of presumption, has this hope: God is still with you. The woman in the Song rose to seek her Beloved because His gracious advances were not meaningless to Him. She is still His sister, love, dove, and undefiled (Song. 5:2). He has made her beautiful to Himself by an irrevocable work of grace. Her old man has already paid for her wicked presumption in the Body of His cross. It is by the shedding of His spotless blood that she has been once and for all justified for eternal life (Rom. 5:17-18). Christ did not speak of her as beautiful IF she opened to Him. He speaks to us of what He has made us by His grace. The new man does not sin; all of the rebellion is in the old man (Rom. 7:20-25). And, in spite of the flesh, we are the fit abode of the Spirit by Christ's worthiness (Eph. 2:13-22). Therefore, the Holy Spirit awakens the sleeping saint and draws her to seek the Lord. (Song. 5:5) "My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. I rose up to open to my beloved and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock." Myrrh was the principal spice of the Old Testament holy anointing oil, and it is a representation of the Holy Spirit (Ex. 30:22-29).
There is more hope for the presumptuous saint as you learn from your failure. "I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. The watchmen that smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me (Song. 5:6-7)." You may have began reading this article hoping that your sin would be forgotten, yet it has been brought into immediate remembrance. The remembrance of your failure, your rejecting Christ's advances of love, the carnal ease of David, or the pride of Peter, may echo in your mind at this moment. Yet, the best thing for you is to see your sin as exceedingly sinful, learn from your transgression, and believe Christ's love for you anyway. It is better to have your veil taken away and your sin really exposed, than to seek a shallow peace for covered transgressions. It's better that Christ's communion depart from you now, so that you receive Him with more understanding and esteem later.
When the Spirit refuses to manifestly strengthen the new man, you're subject to great weakness, tribulation, and temptation. You will see that your old man has not changed – "Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him (Prov. 27:22)." You will see that the spiritual things that you once did so easily are now exceedingly difficult. Prayer is lifeless; the knees are bent and the head is bowed, but there is little hope of being heard. The mind wanders further and further and the conscience says, "What's the use. He will not hear me." Bible reading becomes a burden. When the Spirit is quickening the Word brings forth joy and peace. However, when the Spirit is not quickening, the new man is weak. Concerning (I Cor. 15:10) "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I , but the grace of God which was with me." John Bunyan wrote – "What can be more plain than this beautiful text? For the apostle here quite shuts out nature, sanctified nature, for he indeed was a sanctified man, and concludes that even he, as of himself, did nothing of all the great works that he did; but they were done by the grace of God [influence of the Spirit] that was in him. Wherefore nature, sanctified nature, as nature, can of itself do nothing to the pleasing of God the Father. Is not this the experience of all the godly? Can they do that at all times which they can do at some times? Can they pray, believe, love, fear, repent, and bow before God always alike? No. Why so? They are the same men, the same human nature, the same saints. Aye, but the same grace, in the same degree, operation, and life of grace, does not so now work on that man, that nature, that saint; therefore, notwithstanding he is what he is, he cannot do at all times alike… Refined, purified, sanctified nature, cannot do but by the immediate supplies, lifts, and helps of that spirit and principle of grace by the which it is so sanctified."
Yet, there is still more hope and good fruit for the saint that has been snared by presumption. Your failure has brought about great affliction, but your passion to seek the Lord in spite of Him being hidden is a sure evidence of election (I Thess. 1:3-5). The worldling returns to his master when times get tough, the dog returns to his vomit, and the pig to her wallowing in the mud. Yet, the believer seeks Christ because He is her one true love. "I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love (Song. 5:8)." She is not only motivated by a fear of falling away or a dread of future chastisement; she knows that God alone is her refuge, her defense, the One for whom her soul waiteth, her rock, her salvation, and her God to be trusted at all times (Ps. 62:1-8).
Lastly, the believer's broken heart brings forth fruit by humbling us to sincerely speak of our Lord. An aged preacher may not increase much in the letter of the gospel from the age of 40 to 60. The gospel has not changed. Yet, his experience in grace has sweetened, and he has become much more profitable in Christ's kingdom. What has happened? His sin has humbled him, God's continued grace to him has humbled him even more, and the doctrine of the gospel has increasingly become something of personal experience being received by personal deliverances. The woman in the Song, when asked by an interested observer why she loves Christ so much responds with her longest uninterrupted commendation of her Beloved. She starts where the gospel must start as we minister Him to others – "My beloved…" Ah, not mere doctrine or argument, nor mere intellectual revelation, but in the hour of my greatest need, here's how I see Him. "My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand (Song. 5:10)." My Beloved is the Holy One our Blood Redeemer, and He alone is worthy to be praised.