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When you hear the word danger, do you know what it means? It means something bad, something terrible, something alarming. So, when we talk about danger, it’s not something good, it’s something that is bad. And danger talks about a sign or a warning of something bad being imminent. So, there is a danger of assumptions. What are assumptions? Assumptions are beliefs or ideas that are not founded. That means those ideas or beliefs are not something that has a foundation. They are just ideas and beliefs that overtime, people have chose to accept; that is not necessarily correct. So, assumptions are not correct. Assumptions are not founded, assumptions are beliefs and ideas that people have accepted but they are not founded or correct. And this morning, we want to look at The Danger of Assumptions.
We are going to start by looking at Revelations 22:18-19. If you check your Bible, if you are using a new King James translation like me, you will see ahead of verse 18 there is a warning, and the only two verses that are here under that warning is what we want to read. So, a warning of danger indicates to people because something bad is about to happen. You warn people against danger. See what Revelation 2:18 says:
“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
This is not the first time God is going to mention this. I want us to see Deuteronomy 4, we would be coming back to our Revelations. But I want us to see that these words have been repeated. Deuteronomy 4, let me start from verse one so that we can have a proper idea.
“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you. You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”
Do we see a similarity between Revelations 22 and Deuteronomy 4? I want us to also see Deuteronomy 12 as we build a background this morning. Deuteronomy 12:32, the Bible says: “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.” So, God is particularly interested and God is so serious about the fact that whatever commandment He is giving to His children, number one; there should be no addition. Number two, there should be no subtraction. That tells us that there is a danger from where we read in Revelations 22. There is a danger in adding to the word of God, or subtracting from it.
And sometimes we get into the error. Many people don’t deliberately add to the word of God. We are going to look at three ways in which you remove or add to the word. Now what we are saying here is a background of what God is not pleased with. God said “I have given you a rule of life, I have given you a rule of engagement, I have given you my commandments, I have given you my word. This word that I have given to you, is sacred.” What does that mean? This word is Holy. When you add to this word, you make it unholy; when you remove from this word, you make it unholy. And nothing that is not Holy can approach God. God is not concerned, and God will not react to things that are not holy.
So, if you want to use the word of God, you have to use it in the holy form that it is. When you add to the word of God you make it unholy. When you remove from the word of God you make it unholy and God cannot attend to what is unholy. So if God will attend to his word, in your life, you must use it the way it is.
The form in which the word of God is presented to you is the same form He will use it. Any abuse of it makes it null and void. So, for many believers, the word of God has become irrelevant in their lives simply because they have added to that word or subtracted from it. Some people would say “heaven help those who help themselves” and they will tell you it’s in the Bible. There is no where it is written in the Scriptures. What they have simply done is to assume and do you know some believers quote it? It is unfounded that’s why we began by saying assumptions are unfounded beliefs and ideas that people choose to follow. They are unfounded, they are not true.
And there is a danger walking with God based on assumption. You can’t assume when you are walking with God. God does not work based on assumption, He worked based on the truth. That’s why Jesus was saying to that woman at the well, He said to her “those that worship God, those that come near God are those that worship Him, attend to Him, serve Him in Spirit and in truth.” He could have said serve him in Spirit and stop there but it would have been incomplete. He said in Spirit and in truth. And the truth of the word is wholesome, God said you cannot add to it, or remove from it. You cannot subtract or add to it. I want us to look at Proverbs 30 from verse 5 to verse 6. The reason why the word of God cannot be tampered with. Proverbs 30:5-6, the Bible says:
Every word of God is pure; (This is the reason, every word of God is pure) He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. (The word of God defends those that trust in Him in that pure state). Then verse 6 said: Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” You know when I read the portion in Revelations, I felt that was the only place that God has spoken about. And when I was been shown further, that this thing is so important to God, He spoke about it in the New Testament, and in the Old Testament, even in proverbs called the book of wisdom it is also stated there. So it’s so critical and strong in the heart of God. It said do not add to His words.
This is not a suggestion, this is an instruction. Do not add to His words lest He rebuke you and find you to be a liar. So when you add to the word of God or remove from it, the danger is that you become a liar. And you will not have a part in the kingdom of God. I want you to go back to Revelations 22 because at that point in Revelations 22:18-19, it is spelt out the danger in assuming that you add or remove from the word of God. It says: “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;” Every tree that the Lord has not planted in me, let it be rooted out. Because there are certain things that God does not want to be added into your life. If something has been added to your life, you need to ask yourself: do you fall in this category?
Listen to Podcast: The Danger of Assumptions: Truth Vs Falsehood
Have you added to the word of God? Have you said something that God did not say? As ministers of the gospel, have you said to someone what God has not said. Have you misrepresented the word of God? Because when you misrepresent the word of God, you are also adding or removing from it. And it says if anyone takes away, now it’s not adding alone that is the problem. If you choose to take away God said something, and you decide to remove it, and say no that’s not how it is, that’s not what God was trying to say. There are some people that put the word in such a way that, they go to verses of the Scripture that pleases them. They read and preach verses of the Scripture that appeals to them. And those category of people God says if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part.
So it looks as if adding to it, or removing from it is the same danger. But removing from it is even greater. It says He shall take away his part from this book of life. From the Holy City and from the things which are written in this book. He shall not partake of the blessings. His name will be removed from the book of life. His name will be removed from the Holy City of God, he will have no portion in God at all. And the questions we want to ask ourselves is: it’s not just about leaders or ministers preaching the word. It also boils to us as believers of the gospel. Which part of the word of God is applying to our lives? And which of the part of the word of God are we taking away deliberately? We don’t want to apply it, we don’t want to look at it. You fall into this category. Are you adding to the word or You are removing from it. We are going to look at three ways, three how’s of adding or removing from the word of God.
Mark 7:11- 13 “But you say, If a man says to his father or mother, Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban – (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” Do we see it? It says you have made the word of no effect through your traditions. So, you can add or remove from the word of God through your traditions. What are the things that you practice that are not in tandem with the will of God? In your family, in your life, in your home, what are the traditions that you practice. When you talk about tradition, see what Jesus was saying here from verse 10. He was talking about the children of Israel. And the law that Moses gave.
Now, there was something they did and He said if you say, it is not the truth, this is not founded in the word of God. The word of God said honour your father and your mother. So that your life may be long on the earth. That’s the word. And He now said they now said; Jesus was trying to explain to us the kind of tradition they were practicing. He said in verse 11 “But you say, God said, but you say”, so there is a difference between what God said and what you are saying. What God said is His word pure, what you are saying is your tradition your practice. So your tradition here is your practice, you add or remove from the word of God by your practice. What are you practicing? So, it’s not enough to say “I denounce Jesus as my Lord and Saviour” it’s not that that makes you denounce Him.
If you practice otherwise, in your practice if Jesus is not Lord you have as well denounced Him. If God says love your neighbour as yourself, and you do wicked things to your neighbour, you don’t have to say I am adding or removing the word of God your practice has shown that you have added or removed from the word of God. So, our practice is the number one area or how that shows how we add or remove from the word of God. How do you live your life? It’s not enough for you to read your Bible, and catch a revelation. When you go out, is that revelation reflective? Is the word reflective in your life? Do you exhibit the word of God? This is how we add or remove from the word. Because the question is: if you say you are a believer it is not in words alone, we must see that you are a believer. How did the unbelievers in Antioch knew that the disciples had been with Jesus. By their conducts.
When the saw the way they behaved and carried themselves, they recognized that these ones had been with Christ. These ones are living the life. They are living the word. So, in Proverbs 30, the Bible says every word of God is pure. So, if you carry out the word of God in its purity, you are working under the confines of the word. You are not adding to it, you are not removing from it. God does not want you to go into any extremism. He wants you to be in the word, because we have seen so many people, so many denominations, that have chosen to go to the extremes by traditions. What they practice you know these people have added to the word. So we have to be careful of our practice and our traditions. Ask yourself this thing I am doing, is it in line with the word of God? That’s why there must be a difference when you were not born again and when you have become born again. You can’t continue to do what you used to do when you when you are not born again when you are already born again.
Because the law that was operating in your members when you are not born again, is different from the law at work in you now that you are born again. And we must see that law at work. How will we see that law at work? By your practice! What are you practicing? Are you making the word of God of no effect through your tradition? That sister!! sister!! says she is born again me I can’t see it . then there is something wrong. You have made the word of God of no effect. You have tampered with the purity of the word. Our lives should show the purity of the word of God. All the time. We must not add to it, we must not remove from it. People should not look at you and become confused whether you have received Jesus or it’s something else you have received. They should not become confused, I don’t understand this sisters born again o, she is just different, she is just extreme. It should not be like that, everything you are doing must be in the context of the word. So your practice will show whether you add or remove from it.
The second thing that shows whether you add to the word of God or remove from it, is your understanding. I want us to start by looking at Genesis chapter 3. I want to read an account in Genesis 3 we are familiar with it but I want pick out how they made the word of God of no effect. Genesis 3, I will read from verse 1-4.
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, look at the choice of his words, has God indeed said. When the word indeed is used, it connotes: “did He truly say? Is that the whole word of God?” You shall not eat of every tree of the garden. And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die.
What happened there? Let’s look at the conversation, the serpent came and said, to the woman indeed has God said you should not eat of every tree in the garden. And the woman said you know what? We may eat, but the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God has said you shall not eat it nor shall you touch it. Did she add to the word? I want us to see when God gave the instruction.
In Genesis chapter 2 and I will read from verse 15 to verse 17. “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Did we hear the word of God there? Was it not clear? It was clear. But what did Eve say to the serpent here. She said we may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden. Number one error; she did not even know the name of the tree. How well do you know the word of God? The first error of Eve she did not know the name of the tree. She said the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden. Adam mentioned, but I can’t remember but I know it’s in the middle of the garden, that’s the one we should not touch but every other one we can eat. So you will see lack of understanding from this woman, first she did not even have knowledge of the name of the tree.
Number two she went further to say that’s not the major issue, that tree we know we should not eat it then she said shall you touch it she now added to the word. What God did not say. So when she was going to fall, she fell based on her lack of understanding. Because the problem was not the touching. It was with eating. So the devil first lured her in the place of ignorance. Touch it first, did you die? No! when it’s not part of the instructions of God, eat it now you will see that nothing will happen. And she ate it. So, how we add or remove from the word is based on our lack of understanding, ignorance can make you add or remove from the word of God and it’s the same punishment; there is no ignorance in law.
You can’t fake ignorance. When all of us will be presented before the judgement throne of God nobody will say God I am sorry I did not know that there would be judgement like this let me go back since now I know that there is judgement, so that I will behave well. There is nothing like that. Ignorance can make you add or remove from the word of God. That’s why we must go for knowledge. Seek knowledge, seek wisdom, for wisdom is the principal thing, in all your getting, get understanding. As a believer you must understand the word of God, you can’t afford to be ignorant. That is a principal way many believers fall into
the error of removing or adding from the word of God. Because you don’t even know the word to start with.
How much of the word of God do you know? When they quote a Scripture will you just be looking? Really that one too is in the Bible. I don’t know, so God said so? I did not know I will start changing from today. What happens if rapture takes place or you are called to be with the Lord you will now come before God and say you know what I didn’t know if I had known I would have done better. You won’t have the opportunity to speak of ignorance before Him. And that’s why you must seek knowledge, seek to know as a child of God. So that you will not fall into the error and the danger of adding or removing from the word of God.
Just assume that Jesus did not know the word, when the devil came to Him in the wilderness, and the devil said turn this stone into bread, what is it, it is not a big deal I can turn this stone into bread. He would have fallen, He would have chickened out His authority to the devil. But because He was armed with knowledge and He had understanding, He was able to stand His ground and maintain His authority. As children of God, our authority is in the knowledge of the purity of the word of God. Why do you think the devil spend so much time to water down the word of God? Because He knows that if he can water down the word of God from us it will be of no effect. It will become powerless, it will not become a sword in our hands anymore.
The Bible makes us to understand that the word is the sword of the Spirit by which we attack the defences of the devil. Jesus was able to attack the defences of the devil because He was armed with the Sword of the Spirit. Not a fake sword, the original one. Many believers have been lied to, so they go around and they are endangered with assumptions. They don’t know the pure word of God. We must receive the pure word of God in the purity of it. We must understand it in the purity of it. When the word of God is tampered with, it is of no effect in our lives anymore. So, we need to be careful. As we live our lives and lead others under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we must use the word of God correctly. And we have to be careful as we use it. We need to be very careful. The word of God is delicate, you can’t add to it or remove from it. You must maintain the integrity of that word.
I want us to see Matthew 22. Eve made such a blunder because of lack of understanding. Let me read verse 23 so that we can understand what happened before 29.
“The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying: Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her. Jesus answered and said to them, You are mistaken, you have made an error, why? not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.”
You are in error, you are mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures, you lack understanding and you also don’t know the power of God, because the power of God is the Scriptures. Jesus the wisdom and the power of God. So you become mistaken when you lack understanding of the Scriptures. You walk into error when you lack the knowledge of the most high God written in the pages of the Bible. You must, seek knowledge and gain understanding of the word. Very critical. And the last one we would be looking at, how to remove or add to the word of God, by Lies and deception. Through lies and deception you can add or remove from the word of God.
Matthew 24:24. Jesus was saying here, was talking about false prophets. Let me begin from 23. “Then if anyone says to you, Look, here is the Christ! or There! do not believe it. For false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, (their goal is to deceive,) if possible, even the elect.” And already in our time, in our generation there are false Christ and prophets all over the place. They are showing signs, they are showing wonders they are going into people’s bedrooms and showing them what they hang on their wall and the colour of their curtain. They are going into people’s minds, manipulating them by telling them the address of their houses and what is in their compound. They are deceiving people and they are now preaching a false gospel which people are taking. Adding and removing from the word of God. And their reward is waiting for them. But they said they would attempt to deceive the elect.
Because you are born again does it mean that you are immune to false Christ and false prophets, you need to be careful. And that’s where number two is so important, you must gain understanding. You must arm yourself with the true knowledge of God. So that you are not deceived. The Bible says that we should not become like babes that are tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, so we must grow up and mature. If you don’t want to be tossed to and fro, you don’t jerry coil prophets to come and stand with pencil trouser and be telling you; “Hey sister, sister, your elder sister’s name is Benedicta yes come out let me talk to you. This is her, this is what I am seeing” and they deceive many people. Lies and deception is happening.
I remember there was a crusade I went to years back. And at that time, I believed I was spiritual to some level, so I used to desire prophecy and God disappointed me that day. People had been talking about this prophet and the prophet came at last to the crusade. For the 3 days of the crusade I sat in front. I will come early, because I want the man of God to see vision. And the man knowing that he doesn’t have to see vision about these ladies because they don’t have money. He will go to the back and look for one woman, that looks well fed and say woman your husband is a politician, you are having down moments, in fact this is what God is saying to me, you will give 10 thousands to twenty alters when you give it. Everything will rise again and resurrect.
First day, second and the third day the man didn’t see anything about me. To those of us that sat in front we were eager, you could see the hunger, we were hungry for the word, but there was no word. It was only prophecy for rich people. That’s how we spent the three days and we left. And it was when I was maturing that I came to understand that the man came with an agenda. And we are not part of it. And he came to deliver his agenda and he left. So we were looking unto God’s agenda, the man came with his own agenda. So our needs were not met. And that’s it. These people come with their agenda, their agenda is to deceive. Their agenda is to lie. And they look at people that lack understanding and they deceive them. And the elect that is not standing well will be deceived.
And when you follow these kind of people in ignorance, your destination is the same. That’s the amazing thing. And that’s why we keep praying for the church that these kind of men and women will be exposed so that the many men and women following them will not fall into the same destination as they are. Because many people are following them in ignorance, they don’t know. They are deceived, they are blinded. They will say how can you say this man is not a man of God, but he told me the address of our street, he even described our house in the village. They are familiar spirits. Because Jesus said they will say look there is Christ don’t believe them. Anyone that is not operating in the purity and in the integrity of the word of God will endanger your soul. And you can’t place your soul in the danger of assumption. Be sure of the one you are following. That is why I love the Berrean Christians. The mighty man of God Paul will preach to them, they will go back and check. What he said is it true? That’s how we must be. Everything you hear, check it based on the integrity of the word of God.
You can’t miss it in the word. Human vessels can fail. They can become manipulated, but God cannot manipulate you. Make sure everything is in the confines of the integrity of the word of God that is how your soul can be saved. Many people will go to hell on the danger of assumption. You will say I was a deaconess in that church, I was always coming, to this, sweep the floor. So that man was not preaching the entire truth of the word to us. That’s why we must not give up praying for the sheep of God that are lost to these people. That are lost to these hirelings, we must continue to pray for their salvation. And as elect we must arm ourselves with the knowledge of the truth don’t become too tired to seek out what the will of God is. Don’t look for cheap prophecies. In fact at this juncture of my life am just confuse, the Holy Spirit is available to give you direction, don’t be lazy. It is the laziness of believers that have ensnared them. The same God that is available to that man is available to you.
He did not die for the pastor alone, He died for you too. God is available to you, why are you depending on your pastor, you have small dream you call the pastor, what if network fails? What happens, you are doomed for life because you can’t reach the pastor. Don’t be worried God’s line does not have network failure you call straight to heaven. Father this is the issue. And He will speak to you. Don’t be in the danger of assumption. Don’t assume God can only speak through that pastor, He can speak to you too.
Don’t think that man is the one that has the copy right of the word of God. The word of God is available to everyone. You must seek to know God for yourself so that you will not fall in the danger of assumption. The danger of assumption is terrible and God has already given a decree. If you add to this word; of Revelation 22:19; if you add to this word, all the plagues in this book shall be added to you. If you remove from this word, your name will be removed from the book of life from the Holy City. Imagine those grave consequences. It is time for us to walk in the integrity of God’s word by our practice, by making sure we are not ignorant, we arm ourselves with knowledge and understanding and we must not receive the lies and deceptions from evil men and women that have come to manipulate the church.
The devil is investing so much to corrupt the church. And we just sleep and wake up and rub our powder and come to church and say praise the Lord hallelujah, the Lord is good. The devil is working hard to make sure that that word you are hearing is being corrupted. Working hard, so when you hear what is going on in the church, it is not because the church has necessarily failed. Because the Bible says that this church will stand and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
But does it mean some people will not try to creep in? They will. But we must take our stand as believers, and maintain the integrity of God’s word. In your life practice the whole word of God. Don’t pick a portion that makes you feel comfortable. Let the word of God be true. Let God be true and every man a liar. In your life in your practice, daily as you lead other people, let God be true and every man a liar.
I pray the Lord help us in Jesus name.
[Centre for New Dimension Leadership]
