The Danger of Adding to God’s Word - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
Proverbs 30:5–6

The Danger of Adding to God’s Word
How vitally imperative it is that we give unqualified honor to the Word of God for its absolute truth. On the one hand, there are thousands who profess to be Christians yet dare to refuse the truth of what God plainly declares. On the other hand, there are great numbers who think it necessary to add to God’s Word, as though God had not sufficiently explained Himself. Is God so ignorant that He requires a sinful man to supplement what He says? How dreadful a supposition! He will indeed reprove such arrogant pride and expose the perpetrator as a liar!

For instance, the Book of Mormon is claimed by dishonest people to be a genuine addition to Scripture, and in fact they give more honor to that spurious book than to the Word of God. Thousands have been deceived by it. God calls the originator of this “a liar.” And all who continue to advocate it are just as guilty, and deserving of the same dreadful designation. Yet there are others who would not go that far. They tell us that while the Word of God says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16), it is necessary to qualify this by adding that the recipient must deserve this gift of eternal life by doing good works. This too is an ungodly addition to the Word of God.

All such additions are the action of human pride that wants to take the credit that belongs only to God. John 3:16 gives all the glory to God for having done as He has done. Man’s blessing depends altogether on the value of what God has accomplished through the sacrifice of His beloved Son. He has revealed this wonderfully in His precious Word. May we value that Word as He has given it!

L. M. Grant