Focus: Two-way Addition (Pt.2)

Text: Prov.3:2

"For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee."

Two-way addition. We have seen that God adds and what He adds. Now let's see the human side of this arithmetic of addition. We begin with what man cannot add. The Lord Jesus Christ says, "Which of you by taking thought can ADD one cubit unto his stature?" (Mt.6:27). Man cannot add to his height. The tall man cannot do anything to become short, and the short man cannot do anything to grow taller. We should accept with gratitude the gift of nature.

Another addition you cannot make is related to the word of God. Moses says, "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" (Dt.4:2). In Proverbs we read, "ADD thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar" (Prov.30:6). Also, in the book of Revelation we read, "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall ADD unto these things, God shall ADD unto him the plagues that are written in this book" (Rev.22:18). No one has a right to add to God's word by any means. 

God's word doesn't need to be improved upon or changed to suit any one's fancy or opinion. Whatever God says is final. God will add trouble to anyone who dares to add a syllable to God's word, whether spoken or written.

Now we turn to what man is required to add to. In Act.2:47 we are told that "the LORD ADDED to the church daily such as should be saved." The Lord added to the church. In Act.5:14 Luke says, "And believers were the more ADDED to the LORD, multitudes both of men and women.)." Also, in Act.11:24 Luke records, "For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was ADDED unto the LORD." Can you see the truth here? The Lord added to the church. Now believers were added to the Lord. Also, much people were added to the Lord. What that means is that the Lord adds to His church and the church adds to the Lord by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. 

The Lord and His church are a great team, collaborating with each other in the conversion of the world - those who believe in Christ through the Spirit's empowered preaching of the church.

David says to Solomon his son in the presence of the people, "Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest ADD thereto" (1Chron.22:14). David made adequate preparations for the Lord's house and provided building materials in abundance, but he tells his son that he could add to it. The lesson from this is that God has given us the privilege and opportunity to add to the effort of others in the furtherance of the Lord's work on earth. The Lord calls on us to add to the labor of others in doing the will of God - the labor of those who came before us and the labor of those of our contemporaries. God is calling on us to get involved in what He is doing. He demands that we contribute our part in advancing the kingdom of Jesus Christ here in this world. 

We can't sit by the sidelines and just watch and wonder. We have roles to play and work to do. Every generation of believers in Christ has got work to do and contributions to make - our time, talents and treasures.

Finally, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Peter says, "And beside this, giving all diligence, ADD to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge…" (2Pet.1:5). This is spiritual addition. The word 'add' is also translated as 'again,' 'laid,' 'increase,' and 'proceeded further.' Our spirituality is rooted in faith, and to that faith we must add other spiritual qualities, values, or virtues. These qualities include virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. God wants us to be spiritually rich, to be men and women of character and moral excellence, and to live wholesomely and worthily.

God adds, and we too. It's a two-way addition. Let us do our part, and I'm sure that God will do His own part, too. We make supplications to God, and He makes the supplies available to us.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter