It is noteworthy, this month, to recognize the first publishing of the Authorized King James Version of the Bible on May 2, 1611. I am not sure that any other book in the history of the world has had more of an impact on English speaking people (and literally throughout the world) than the King James Version.
Recently while traveling through Columbus, Ohio, and listening to the radio I heard on the Bob Burney Live show that 55% of all people who read their Bible in the English language use the King James Version. By far, the most out of all the other versions in the English language. Next in line is the NIV with only 19% of those who actually read it. This is interesting since the NIV is the most sold of all the versions of the Bible (at the time of this writing) while the King James or Authorized Version comes in 4th. According to Bob Burney Live, The King James Version is still by far the most read Bible in the English speaking language today even though it is not the most sold.
This made my heart happy because I have read and loved my Bible (KJV) since I was a teenage girl. I can honestly say I have been drawn to my Bible. With a great desire to know God, I read it and study it. I love my Bible and I thank God for His goodness that leads us to repentance and salvation.
But I have found…
It is not enough to own the Bible, one must read it.
It is not enough to read the Bible, one must obey it.
It is not enough to obey the Bible, one must obey it “of the heart, in the spirit.”
Namely, our obedience must come from a desire to please God and God alone.
Unto the Jews were committed the oracles of God, yet they did not obey it inwardly.
They read the Bible yet they did not treasure it in their heart.
They even touted their privilege to have the Word of God making their boast of the law. They taught others to obey the law yet they did not love it enough to sincerely live it out for themselves.
They had the right law, but the wrong attitude towards the law and about the law. Sadly, I see this attitude among so many Christians today and I have seen its ugliness in my own heart. We see the Bible as a sword to pick up and judge others rather than a discerner of the thoughts and intents of our own heart.
The word discerner in Hebrews 4:12 means fit for or skilled in judging. Let us be skilled in using the Word of God to judge our own motives and the desires of our own hearts.
“For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” 1 Corinthians 11:31
2 things I desire to remember from Romans 2:
1. Mankind has no secrets from God. God knows every thought and intent of our heart. He knows every motive, every hateful, angry thought and every useless, idle word we speak.
2. God is not a respecter of persons. We cannot think that because we read the Bible, know the Bible and teach the Bible we will get a pass “in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men.”
If anything, Romans 2 is teaching those of us who have a Bible, read the Bible and teach the Bible to lose the “I’m better than you” attitude. This attitude is an attitude of the judgy lost, uncircumcised of heart.
Verse 12 describes them as those who will perish with or without the law.
For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; Romans 2:12
Let us be reminded that we have been drawn to repentance by the abundant goodness of God. Oh Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart!
Loser Bible Study Series Theme Verse:
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.” Mark 8:35
“Lose” from the Greek word “Apollymi” means “to destroy fully.” It is translated perish in Romans 2:14, our verse for today.
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