God Promised to Preserve His Word
When someone asks me if I use the King James Bible, I always say, “What
other version is there?” As far as
I’m concerned, the King James Bible is the Book for me. There are no other
Bibles. I don’t like to call the King
James Bible a Version; I call it the “King James Bible.” God
only authored ONE Book and promised in Psalm 12:6,7 to preserve it
forever... “The
WORDS OF THE LORD
are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou
shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt
PRESERVE
them from this generation
FOREVER.” As
silver “purified seven times,” that’s how pure God’s Word is. Don’t
tell me that God, Who has the power to speak the world into existence, isn’t
powerful enough to preserve His Word.
All Modern Bible Versions are Corrupted
The Scriptures are clear that God is NOT a God of confusion...“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1st Corinthians 14:33). All the different Bibles on the market today are confusing, they all say different things.
For example, many new Bibles remove the Word “begotten” from John 3:16. The King James Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only BEGOTTEN SON, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Why would anyone want to remove this truth from God’s Word? It's a malicious attack on the Deity of Christ. All Believers are adopted Sons of God; but only Jesus is the begotten Son of God. To remove the word “begotten” from John 3:16 is a direct attack of the Deity of Christ. If this doesn’t make you upset, something is wrong!
We must be on guard as Christians to the counterfeit attempts of the Devil. The Bible warns us that Satan masquerades as an angel of light... “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2nd Corinthians 11:13,14). Scriptures are clear that our enemy, the Devil, wears the mask of a decent and good guy. Satan comes to us as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The highway to Hell is paved with good intentions and Satan is ready and willing to corrupt our thinking any way possible.
Destroying our faith in God’s Word is Satan’s number one goal and tactic. The serpent in the Garden of Eden asked Eve, “Hath God said?” Eve’s faith was shaken in the Word’s which God had spoken. The next step was for Eve to disobey God. If Satan can only keep us from accepting the Bible as God’s Word, then he has won the battle over our soul. If Satan transforms himself into an angel of light, then why would it be difficult to suspect that Satan has gone into the publishing business as well. It doesn’t surprise me one bit that many of the new perversions of the bible contain thousands of errors.
So it is vitally important that each believer be aware of Satan’s methods. One of the best ways for a sports team to prepare for future games is to study their opponent's past games on video. They are studying the enemy. We must do the same. The Bible gives us much information concerning the methods by which Satan corrupts and destroys. The only way we can recognize Satan, his disciples or his works is by comparing them to the truths of God’s Word. Apart from this test, they may be very wonderful people to know and be around, but still lost and on their way to Hell. Don’t let them take you with them!
God has
promised to preserve His Word as we learned in Psalm 12:6,7. This
means that God’s Word DOES exist somewhere in the world today. I
believe the 1611 Authorized King James Bible to be that Book. Many people have used the excuse that the archaic English of the
King James Bible is too hard to understand. Should
we rewrite Shakespeare because it is too hard to understand? Of
course not. So why can’t we study the
King James Bible in the beauty of the King’s English? The
honest truth is that the King James Bible is not difficult to understand
with a little study. It is written at
a fifth grade reading level.
Unbelievers Cannot Understand Biblical Truth
If you're not a believer, then you won’t be able to understand the Bible properly until you accept Christ as your Savior. This is the real problem. Most cults are started by people who attempt to study the Bible without the presence of the Author. The Holy Spirit is the Author. The Bible is NOT supposed to make sense to unbelievers... “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are FOOLISHNESS UNTO HIM: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1st Corinthians 2:14). The doctrine of the “Godhead” is foolishness to the unbeliever. The idea of God coming in the flesh is foolishness to the unsaved person. The concept of being “born-again” doesn’t make sense to the unconverted soul.
I once had a man say to me, “That born-again stuff just doesn’t make any sense to me, I’m sorry.” His sinful heart of pride and unbelief blinded his eyes from acknowledging the truth. He chooses to believe a lie rather than seek after the truth. The Bible is clear that the natural man (the unsaved man) CANNOT comprehend the Word of God and it is utter foolishness unto him.
You can’t rewrite the Bible to simplify It for the unbeliever. The unbeliever won’t understand the truths of God until the Holy Spirit indwells him at salvation. You can rewrite the Bible all you want and it won’t do any good. The only thing that the unsaved man can understand is that he is a dirty sinner, who is guilty and needs to come to Jesus Christ for cleansing and salvation.
All the
modern perversions of the Bible are copyrighted. It's
all about making more money... “For the love of money is the root of
ALL evil...” (1st
Timothy 6:10). One Bible versions
after another keeps flooding the market. It’s
just about to the place where you can join the “Bible of the month club.”
We are Born Again By the Incorruptible Word of God
Perhaps you are wondering what a chapter about the King James Bible is doing in a book called “Salvation.” Let me explain. The Bible teaches that we are born-again by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. Why? Because He is the One Who paid for our sins. We learn Who Christ is and what He did to take away our sins in the Word of God. So basically, we are saved by putting our faith in the Word of God... “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the WORD OF GOD, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1st Peter 1:23).
We read in Hebrews 4:2, “For unto us was the GOSPEL PREACHED, as well as unto them: but the WORD PREACHED did not profit them, not being mixed with FAITH in them that heard it. Many of the Israelites in the Wilderness died and went to Hell because they heard the Gospel preached, but didn’t believe the things they heard. You see my friend, you CANNOT be saved apart from God’s Word. If you don’t accept the Bible as God’s Word, then where will you find Jesus? It is the Word of God that brings the Light of Jesus Christ into our darkened heart.
Jesus Christ is called the Word of God in Revelation 19:13, “...and his NAME is called The Word of God.” Do you know why? It's because every single thing we know about Jesus Christ comes directly from His Written Word. The Word of God presents a picture of Jesus Christ and Who He is. We read in John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which SEETH THE SON, and BELIEVETH ON HIM, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” It doesn’t get much simpler than that. What must a man do to be saved? You must do God’s will? What is God’s will according to John 6:40?... To simply believe on Jesus Christ as He is portrayed in the Word of God.
This is why it is vital that you have the Word
of God. Notice the Words of 1st Peter
1:23 again, “Being born again, NOT of corruptible seed, but of
INCORRUPTIBLE, by the WORD OF
GOD, which liveth and
abideth for ever.” Again, God is
clear that He wrote ONE, INCORRUPTIBLE Word. There
are many corrupted bibles on the market and in our churches. You can only be born-again of the INCORRUPTIBLE Word of God. So
if your version of the Bible is corrupted, then you're in serious trouble.
You're likely to believe a false gospel. You must have a proper view
of Christ and of God's plan of salvation if you are to be saved. Believing that Jesus was merely a good man or a prophet is NOT
acceptable to God. You must receive Him as
the Son of God, the Christ.
Corrupt Bibles are leading People Astray from the Truth
All modern Bible versions present a watered-down image of Christ. By straying away from the message of Christ's redeeming blood, many people have foolishly fallen into the heresy of Lordship Salvation. Thus, fewer and fewer people are getting saved nowadays because of perverted bibles. The King James Bible is by far the most accurate and reliable Bible we have in the English language today. The problem with modern corrupt versions is that people are being led astray.
For example: we read in Philippians 2:5,6 of the King James Bible, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be EQUAL WITH GOD” (Philippians 2:5,6). The Bible couldn’t be more clear that Jesus came to this earth as God in the flesh. Jesus forgave sin that only God has power to. Jesus accepted Worship that only God is entitled to. Jesus is equal with God the Father in every way. Now read the same Scripture from one of the most popular bible perversions on the market today, the New International Version (NIV)... “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” Whoa! Stop the press! Can you see the horrible contradiction and why I make a fuss over the Bible? I love the King James Bible.
I actually had a man write to me, claiming that Jesus was not God, and he quoted Philippians 2:6 from the NIV to support his claim. I kindly informed him that he had been deceived and was using the Devil's bible. The new English Standard Version (ESV) is evil, whose authors claim it is true to the scholarship of the King James translators. What they don't tell you, and it is a malicious deception, is that the ESV comes from an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT Greek manuscript than the King James Bible does. It's like comparing apples with oranges. Or in the case of the ESV, a real lemon.
If a person is to be saved, then they must accept Jesus Christ as the Bible portrays Him. Surely, the simplest of faith is all that God requires to be saved; but that faith must be in Lord Jesus Christ; and not in “another Jesus” which many false religions have to offer. Too many folks say that they’re trusting Jesus, but don’t really know Jesus. Anybody can say they're a Christian, and that they’re trusting Christ; but salvation is of the heart (which only God can see).
The word “sanctimonious” refers to someone who does everything right on the outside, but things aren’t right on the inside. They look very sincere and cross every “t” just right. They dot every “i” just right. They look like the genuine McCoy. However, they are hypocrites! They are pretentious and fake. Jesus made reference to such people in Matthew 23:27, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed APPEAR BEAUTIFUL OUTWARD, but are WITHIN FULL OF DEAD MAN’S BONES, and of all uncleanness.” People aren’t always what they seem! We must not be sanctimonious.
The 1611
King James Bible Has Stood the Test of Time
I only use the 1611 Authorized King James Bible and would accept no others. The King James Bible is the soul-winners Bible and has stood the test of time. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “...man shall NOT live by bread alone but by EVERY WORD which proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” If I am to live by EVERY WORD of God, then I need an “Every Word Bible.” Not all Bibles say the same thing. Therefore, they can’t all be God’s Word. There are multitudes of counterfeit Bibles on the market. We are to live by EVERY WORD of God. This means that God’s Word has an exact number of Words in it. Surely a translation will NOT have the same number of words as the original Greek or Hebrew; however, there is an exact meaning which must carefully be conveyed by the translators.
When men translate or
paraphrase the Bible, they are warned by God against ADDING or SUBTRACTING
from God’s Word... “Ye shall
NOT ADD
unto the word which I command you,
NEITHER SHALL YE
DIMINISH ought from it”
(Deuteronomy 4:2). When I find a
bible that is missing certain verses and passages of Scripture, I know it’s
a counterfeit. When I find a bible
that diminishes Jesus Christ and Who He is, I know it’s a counterfeit. When
I find a bible that diminishes the existence of hellfire, I know it’s a
counterfeit. When I find a bible that removes the word “begotten” from John
3:16, I know it’s a counterfeit. When
I find a bible that removes the word “virgin” from Isaiah 7:14, then I know
it’s a counterfeit. In mentioning
these counterfeit bibles, I am using a lowercase “b” on purpose. I
have no respect for counterfeit bibles. There
is NO compromise! Christians are much
too complacent concerning the Bible and false doctrine. We
should stand and contend for the truth...“Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or
who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?” (Psalm 94:16).
Tampering With the Word of God Brings Destruction
Tampering with God’s Word is a woeful iniquity. It is a deadly and wicked sin to change the Bible... “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: And if any man shall TAKE AWAY from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18,19).
God does NOT take it lightly when someone alters His Word. Listen to the warning by the Apostle Peter in 2nd Peter 3:16, “As also in all his (Paul’s) epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest (twist), as they do also the other scriptures, UNTO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION.” Peter admitted that some of Paul’s writings were difficult to understand. They were NOT difficult to read but to comprehend. Some people were attempting to REWRITE Paul’s words into a more understandable paraphrase. Peter said they were doing it unto THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION.
In other words, these people
were changing the Bible into lies. They
didn’t know what they were doing! This
is the same situation today. These so
called “experts” have rewritten and changed the Word of God to allegedly
make it more easily understandable. The
result is a lot of heresies and misinterpretations of the truth. The King James Bible is NOT hard to read, but will be impossible to
comprehend if you are not a Believer. For the Believer, we must “study”...
“STUDY
to shew thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH”
(2nd Timothy 2:15). We must not be
lazy in our Bible studies.
The King James Bible is not “a book,” it is “The Book.” It is not a version; it is the Bible. It is the Hope of our salvation and a Lamp unto our feet. It presents our only hope in Christ crucified. It awakens man to his sinful condition and directs us to our wonderful Saviour. It is as a friend while we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The Word of God has been preserved, Word for Word, in the King James Bible. May we love, cherish and obey the precious Word of God, for to do so is to love the precious Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Amen!
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