Plausible Deniability

“Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.”
—Romans 2:1

Parenting is frustrating at times. You may think very young children are concrete thinkers. However, I am convinced one of the earliest concepts we learn as a child is the most abstract concept imaginable: plausible deniability. I believe it is almost innate to humanity.

There you are looking at your toddler covered from head to toe in chocolate. On the floor next to them is the remnant of a chocolate cake that has been devoured. So you ask them, “Did you eat the cake?” They stare at you as if you asked them if they were Satan himself, then respond with, “No” and a stare.

“Well, then,” you ask, “who ate the cake?” Shoulder shrug. Tears of hurt because you don’t believe them. That questioning look of “how could you accuse me”… plausible deniability. You don’t have to teach it. Every child does it a some point, and most adults perfect it!

You don’t have to teach a child that they don’t know everything. Yet, we are logical creatures and quickly figure out if I don’t know everything, then neither do you. Plausible deniability as a legal defense is built on this conundrum. We don’t have to prove we didn’t do something, we just have to prove you can’t prove that I did.

We’ve all been lied to by people we love. We have all lied to the people we love. And most of those lies hinged on plausible deniability. Not only is it a hallmark of our judicial system (you have to prove something “beyond a reasonable doubt”), it is interwoven into the fabric of our society.

Who hasn’t let a boss think something was true, even though it wasn’t, because it benefited ourselves? Yes, that is plausible deniability. If she finds out the truth, “Well, I never said anything, I just assumed you knew.”

How often do we watch movies and shows where there is risqué behavior, nudity, obscene content…and the list goes on…then railed against the movie industry for making such “trash”. Yet, we watched it. Often got a thrill from it. But also railed against it. “I shouldn’t have to put up with trash like that to watch a show,” we say, and then cue up another one.

We often walk with one hand in the world and the other in eternity. Then we act like the siblings fighting in the back seat of the car on a long trip. “Mom, he won’t stop touching me!” We sit there with our finger a hairsbreadth away from their nose and say, “I’m not touching them!”

This is not a judgment piece. It is a reality check. Plausible deniability is so much a part of our world we often fall into the trap of thinking God is no different than us. Maybe we can use it as a defense. Then, we wonder why our lives do not change or improve.

God gets it, and declares it to be wrong. In Romans 2:1, we are informed that we are “inexcusable”. Unlike our parents, God is omniscient. He knows everything. He watched us eat the cake. Lie to our loved ones. Deceive our boss. Enjoy the lusts of the flesh. He saw it all!

Praise be to God, He also took it all to the cross! He forgave us. And, “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10;10)

At that point the court of inquiry changed. It was no longer a trial of our deeds. It became a path for our life. The focused was changed from what we have done, to what we are going to do. Plausible deniability ceased to be a shield behind which we can hide, because the focus was on what we are going to do, not what we have done. The standard is clear, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men…” (Colossians 3:23). It is proactive, not reactive.

I’m challenged this week to stop trying to justify my actions. Rather, I’m challenged to focus on what is to come and to do it heartily as unto the Lord. I ate the cake. I lied. I deceived. I followed the lust of the flesh. But what does that have to do with the choice before me now? It was all in Christ on the cross. Now, I only have a choice. Will I choose the Lord in this moment? Will I take the next step heartily as unto the Lord?

NOTE: I’m learning that when you are focused on each step being taken unto the Lord, the missteps you’ve taken in the past do not haunt you as much. Something to think about.

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.