“Take away the dross from silver, and it will go to the silversmith for jewelry. Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness” (Proverbs 25:4-5).
As Solomon illustrates in these proverbs, there are times when more is not better. A precious metal is not better in its raw state; it improves when the dross is removed. A king and his kingdom are not better when wickedness is found in his court and country. There is improvement by subtraction.
When dealing with powerful temptations, Jesus states that more is not better. “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Mat. 5:28-30). There is improvement by subtraction.
When dealing with the leaven of sin in a congregation, the inspired apostle declares that more is not better. “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore, purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:4-7). There is improvement by subtraction.
The precious metal of your faith (1 Pet. 1:6-7) and Christ’s kingdom of righteousness (Rom. 14:7) are two examples of where there can be improvement by subtraction.
