DON’T ADD TO GOD’S WORD

(NKJV) Deut 4: 2 = “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”

(CEV) Deut 4: 2 = “and now he is your God. I am telling you everything he has commanded, so don’t add anything or take anything away.”

(NKJV) Proverbs 30:5-6 = “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him…Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”

(CEV) Proverbs 30:5-6 = “Everything God says is true and it’s a shield for all who come to him for safety…Don’t change what God has said! He will correct you and show that you are a liar.”

The book of Revelation Says that anybody who adds or subtracts from the word of God will be punished. Some organization and churches have added some books to the Bible, but they seem to be still thriving after all these years. However, the thriving of a particular organization or church isn’t evidence that what they’re teaching is true. There have been all sorts of movements over the last 2,000 years that have thrived for a period of time.

Jesus Had strong Words for the religious leaders in His day. He Told them that they were replacing God’s Word with their own rules: “So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men’” (Matt. 15:2–9). We need to be careful. Think about Revelation 22:18–19. God will Bring Judgment on those who add to or take away from his Word.

Anytime we turn on our radios and televisions, we get to hear so many people who are speaking in the Name of the LORD. As we thank God for the Outpouring of His Holy Spirit, we ought to also be careful of what we hear and follow as ‘the Word of God’. Sometimes, we even twist the written Word to favour our own endeavours. God is warning us today, “If you add to My Words, I will definitely prove to the world that you are a liar”.

The Word of God is Flawless, be it written in the Bible or spoken under Divine inspiration. However, it is possible for a preacher to adopt worldly philosophies, psychology, sorcery or spiritism and rebrand them as being God’s Word. Many have been misled into receiving a word or ministry that is not Biblical. God’s Word must not be mixed with human ideas and speculations.

There have also been times when we forced a particular Scriptural text to imply what it never meant. I have heard some Christians lift a phrase of Scripture out of its context in order to defend their wayward ways. A typical example is in Haggai 1:6, where a phrase which says, “…ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink…” has been twisted by alcoholics to sound, “drink, but don’t get drunk” so they can preach that it is ok to take in alcohol as long as you don’t get drunk.

That text had nothing to do with endorsing alcoholism, yet I’ve heard many Christians use it to defend their course. Who are they deceiving – their colleagues or God? They are deceiving themselves, for God will prove them liars.

Secondly, if God hasn’t instructed you to say something, don’t even attempt to say, “thus saith the LORD…”. Today, many people wonder what word to believe. This may be because they once accepted a ‘Prophetic’ word which was far from God’s Word and therefore failed to bring salvation to them. These are the days of our lives where we have several spokesmen for God; yet the actions and declarations of some are nothing but human psychologies and spiritism.

Let us be careful not to add to God’s Word, lest He Exposes us in shame. Know the Word of Truth for yourself and preach the undiluted Word of God.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, please Forgive me for the times I ignorantly or consciously added to Your Word or twisted it for my selfish agenda. Please Grant me discernment to discover what is truly coming from You. Lead me daily on Your Path of Righteousness.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.