Adding And Taking Away

“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues describes in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.” (Revelation 22:18-19)

When God speaks, we must listen. Of course we know this to be true. Two days ago, we talked about everything the Lord says is trustworthy and true. Every word of the Bible is truth, as God is truth. And because of this, there is a clear warning in Revelation 22 that we must consider.

Yesterday, we talked about keeping a scroll, whether that be a journal or a notebook, or even notes in your phone, of the things you learn from God. This could be from the book of Revelation or any other book in the Bible. God wants you to write down what He has said, so you can remember it and refer to it later. But He also warns us against “adding” or “taking away” words from the scroll.

You might say, I’m not going to type more words or delete words from the Bible that I read. But this does not just mean physically, it means in how you live your life. When the Bible tells you not to get drunk but your friends say “it’s okay, everyone is doing it,” that is adding. The Bible does not say “if everyone is doing it, then it is okay,” It also says do not take away. The Bible says to give ten percent of your earnings to God. That is not something we can just neglect.

We can do this all day, with every command God has ever given. But the instructions in Revelation are clear. God not only says to keep a scroll, but not to change the scroll. As you take notes, as you continue to follow the will of God, remember not to add or take away. His Word is filled with trustworthiness and truth. It is all you need.