PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY

“…he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.” — Matthew 26:70

We hear a lot today about “plausible deniability.” This is when individuals try to create a personal safety net for themselves by seeking to convince others that they had no knowledge of the events in question. It is a strategy often employed by guilty politicians and even preachers when faced with charges of scandal and impropriety.

It is not a new strategy. Cain claimed “plausible deniability” when God confronted him about the whereabouts of Abel, whom Cain murdered— “And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9). Peter used the same tactic when he denied being one of Christ’s disciples — “…he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest” (Mt. 26:70).

However, there is no “plausible deniability” with God. God knows the truth (1 Sam. 16:7). When confronted with sin in our lives, it is best to own up to it and repent, like King David did (2 Sam. 12:13; Psalm 51). Only then can we be right with God— “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Prov. 28:13).