When Subtraction Adds

Finishing up a sermon series on the book of Revelation, our Pastor concentrated his teaching on Revelation 22:18-19:

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

He made the case that we cannot add anything to the Word of God, the whole Word of God, Genesis to Revelation (Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; Revelation 22:18).

Where I attend worship on Sundays, the Pastor takes questions after his sermon. It is always an additional learning time for me. Yesterday a man pointed out that in his experience people are subtracting from the scripture more than they are adding to it.

There are many who consider themselves “New Testament Christians,” who have taken the whole Old Testament out of their Bibles. Because they have not studied it, they seem to think that God acted more harshly there than He does through Christ. They think this even while quoting Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (John 8:58)

There are many Christians who would say that “murder” does not include abortion. They have removed Exodus 21:21-22 from the scriptures.

There are verses in the Bible that clearly say that homosexuals and transvestites are committing sin (Romans 1:26-27; Deuteronomy 22:5). “Pride Month” is revealing how many do not believe the Bible on this.

There are also ideas (rather than God’s instruction) that have crept into our culture regarding family. God’s plan is father and mother who join together as one to raise children and take dominion of the earth for the glory of God.

Deuteronomy 6:6-8 gives the responsibility to educate children to the parents. It seems that in many cases even the church has given them over to the state for education.

We can see what this has done to our nation. We are in a state of moral decline. Our children are being exposed to things that are not right or good in any way.

“Taking away” from the Bible in order to blend in with the culture has given us nothing more than the approval of man. Unfortunately, what we have added is the “wisdom” of man which is nothing more than foolishness before God (1 Corinthians 1:25).

The world believes, as do many Christians (like those who remove the Old Testament from the Word fo God), that the Word of God does not apply to them. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Everyone will be face to face with God for judgment when they die. Our eternity is dependent on what we believe and how we live out that faith on earth.

As we continually take away from what the Bible teaches, we add more and more judgment on ourselves and our nation by not standing for the Truth.