Do
not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the
commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you. (Deuteronomy 4:2 NLT)
God’s Word is never up for revision. Moses warned his people to never add to or
take away from God’s instructions. It is
never wise to do mathematical calculations with His Word.
In times of trial, we often try to make God’s Word fit into
our theological box, instead of conforming our lives to the precepts of the
Word of God. To accomplish this, we have
to add to or take away from God’s explicit instructions. God’s Word has great value to us if
accompanied by obedience. God is not
looking for hearers of His words, but doers of them
The path of disobedience tries to make the Bible say more
than its clear instruction or less than it means. Adding to what God has said leads to
legalism. We have rules and regulations
that may be described in the Scripture but are not prescribed for universal
application. If we don’t consider the
context and the culture in which the commands are written, we can make the
Scripture say more than intended.
Conversely, taking away from God’s Word, leads to liberalism. If God’s commands make us uncomfortable, we
ignore parts of His instruction, permitting us to practice things that are
expressly forbidden in the Bible.
Obedience is always the prerequisite for understanding God’s
Word. It is not that we can’t understand
it, it’s that we won’t. The Word of God
should change us, and not us try to change it. Small changes to God’s Word
leads to large-scale apostasy. Disobedience always leads to adding or
subtracting from the Bible.
The image is used with permission by Microsoft.
Ken Barnes, the
author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places” YWAM
Publishing
Email: kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: Ken Barnes' Book Site
Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com
http://gleanings757.blogspot.com
Email: kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: Ken Barnes' Book Site
Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com
http://gleanings757.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment