I have never read the King James Version before, actually. For the last 14 years I have had the NIV and the NASB versions. I have read the whole Bible out of these two translations but have decided I will read through the Bible again in the KJV. It can't hurt to read the Bible again, obviously, and I'm interested to see the differences. It will be like reading it anew I think and that's exciting. :)
One funny difference I have noticed so far is the NIV says God gave the fruit of the trees in the garden of Eden for "food" but the KJV says for "meat." The difference here is that the KJV shows that mankind did not eat actual meat yet. They just ate fruit and green plants only. That did not happen until after the flood when it says "God put the fear of man in the animals" because after the flood we started to kill them for food. Before that they did not fear us really.
I will now compare and contrast Genesis 1 with John 1 and relate it to how the Spirit regenerates our soul and mind when we are saved.
When reading this keep in mind Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." We are "transformed."
Also, 2 Cor. 5:17 says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." We are a "new creation."
Genesis 1 says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."
Before the Holy Spirit comes in to regenerate our minds we are "without form" in that we are completely lost. We are slaves to sin. We are cut off from relationship with God. We are sunken at the bottom of the ocean, spiritually. We are completely lost.
We are also without form in that God has not begun to do a work on us yet. Picture a lump of clay on a potters wheel where nothing has been done to it yet. That is us before the Holy Spirit regenerates our mind and hearts. We are formless. We are a blob essentially. Phil. 1:6 says, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." God is forming us on his potter's wheel into a gorgeous creation, just as he formed the earth from being formless to being the beautiful creation that we now see.
We are void in that we are devoid of true wisdom. We can have worldly knowledge, but it is impossible to be truly wise apart from God.
Genensis 1 keeps saying, "And God said." He spoke the words and they came to pass. What does John 1 say?
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
The anaology of "The Word" in John 1 IS Jesus. Jesus is referred to as the word. Now how is it that men are saved? " Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
We hear the word, the gospel, Scripture, and we are saved. Because the word of God "is living and active." In that the Word IS Jesus. The word IS the gospel that Jesus is sufficient to pay for ALL our sins.
What does it mean to be saved? It means that God's glorious light, Jesus, comes flooding into our hearts. Like the creation account, God speaks light over our life. We were in darkness before Christ, and when He saves us, light comes flooding in and overpowers the darkness. Jesus breaks the bondages of sin in our lives.
This is why I don't think actual Christians can have addictions, because Jesus breaks the chains of sin. He makes the darkness flee. He shines a bright light into the houses of our hearts.
John 1 says, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness."
Jesus brings life. Paul says, "You were dead in your trespasses and sins." Before Christ we are completely dead. We are "formless and void." We are in complete and total darkness. Then the light of Christ shines in our hearts and we are no longer in darkness. Paul says that we are "children of the day."
2 Cor. 6 says, "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
17 Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord."
And be separate, says the Lord."
What did God do in Genesis 1? "God divided the light from the darkness."
Granted it is impossible to be completely divided as we have to work with non-Christians. The point though is that even though we are living in a world among un-regenerated people we are to be wholly different from them. Often times you cannot tell a difference between the saved and unsaved. This should not be. We should be set apart. There should be a visible difference.
I love this part in Genesis 1 also, "Darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." To me this says that before people are saved, the Holy Spirit is moving over them. He is working on them. John 6:44 says, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day."
This is why we pray for those we know that are not saved. God has to give them spiritual eyes.
2 Cor. 2:14 says, "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." This is why one classic Christian writer said, "You cannot argue anyone to the faith." It is fun sometimes to debate non-Christians, but debating most likely will not save them.
I believe there is a point in everyone's life when God opens their eyes and they either choose to follow Him at that moment or they choose to reject Him. I believe it is both God draws us and we choose. I do not believe in election, that God only picks certain people and not others. How then could God be just in saying that some deserve Hell? There has to be an opportunity for every man to make his own choice regarding God, if he will serve God or live for himself.
What will you choose when given the choice? I hope you will choose life, choose to submit to the God of the Universe, because He deserves it. He loves you and sent His son for you. Believe.
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