Introduction

1. God, our Father in heaven, loves us (John 3:16), does not want a single one of us to be lost in hell (2 Pet.3:9), deals with us as His dear children (Heb.12:7-10), commands us for our benefit (Deut.10:12,13), expects us to understand His will (Eph.5:17) and to obey His teaching (Heb.5:9).

2. In order for us to understand God's Will, He has given us commands, examples, and expects us to draw conclusions from facts he has given us. He expects us to use good judgment (expedients) in carrying out His teaching.

 3. This lesson will distinguish between  that which aids or assists us in doing the will of God and that which is an addition to what God wants us to  do.  This lesson is highly significant because God does not want us to go beyond His Word, as we shall see.

I. GOD'S WORD IS COMPLETE JUST AS WE HAVE IT.

A. We are furnished completely by the Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16,17). We are to abide in the Word of Christ, the New Testament (John 8:31,32) if God and Christ are to approve of us (2 John 9).

B. One thing is sure; God does not want us to add to nor to take from His Word. To Israel God said, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you" (Deut.4:2). The same principle is stated in the New Testament for all of us (Rev.22:18,19).

C. God wants man to follow His Word as He gave it.

1. If Noah had built some rafts or lifeboats to go with the ark, he would have added to God's Word.

2. If Moses had added a third compartment to the tent of meeting he would have sinned by adding to the pattern God had given to him on the mount.

3. David did add to the Word by permitting the Ark of Covenant to be carried another way than on the shoulders of the Levites (1 Chr.15:2,13; 13:7).

4. Zacharias and Elizabeth "were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless" (Luke 1:6).

D. While we must neither add to nor take from the Word of God, we are permitted to use aids in carrying out His Will. As we seek to "understand what the will of the Lord is" (Eph.5:17), we must learn how to distinguish between aids and additions. The question is, "How do we know when we are using an aid or help in accomplishing the Will of God or, whether we are, in fact, adding to God's instructions?" The following chart will help us.

Illustration: A father may say to his son, "Get on your bicycle, go to the store and purchase a quart of milk and a loaf of bread." The son goes to get on the bicycle but the tire is flat. He gets a pump and puts air in the tire. Pumping up the tire was not an addition to what the father said but it was an aid or expediency to carrying out the command to go on the bicycle. At the store the son gets a quart of milk, a loaf of bread, and some ice cream. The ice cream was another item, an addition, and hence, disobedience to the command of the father.  Indeed, there is a difference in an aid  and an addition. God expects us to learn the difference as we seek to understand His Will.