Let’s hop right in to a new topic — and it’s as hopeful as it is convicting. Here is reason #13 I adore the KJV: It bears much fruit.

Throughout the King James Bible, the words of God are continually referred to as seed. What do seeds do? They grow!

And eventually they bear fruit — always after their own kind. Good trees bring forth good fruit, and corrupt trees bring forth evil fruit.

“Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”

Matthew 7:17-18

The KJV bears much good fruit

Ever since the KJV was published in 1611, it has been bearing fruit — good fruit.

Here are a few things you may or may not know about the KJV:

• The King James Bible set the standard for the English language and literacy throughout the world.

• Its wisdom, morality, and unwavering truth is the high standard that brings salvation and true freedom to everyone who believes.

• The United States was founded upon its principals. And the memorable language of the KJV is woven into the very fabric of society — into our language, literature, music, and documents that define our history as a nation. Even into our everyday colloquialisms and the nuanced way we speak. We owe it all to the King James Bible!

• The King James Bible was also the spark that ignited the first and second Great Awakenings.

• The world’s great preachers preached from it.

• And it is the seed that was scattered by missionaries throughout the world.

Fruit of the KJV in the United States

I don’t know about you, but history was never my strong suit. In high school, my history classes were filled with names and dates and boring facts to memorize. But when I started homeschooling my own children, history started to come alive!

And ever since I started reading the King James Bible, I can’t get enough of history. Particularly American history, and how it ties into the Bible.

I’ve recently been reading some really fascinating commentary about to how the King James Bible ushered in the fruitful Philadelphia church period referenced in Revelation. And many great pastors and historians attribute the success and freedom America has enjoyed over the years to the King James Bible, which replaced the Geneva Bible and became the only Bible used in our country until about 1901.

“God had the KJV translated for the purpose of bringing forth fruit, and it has been very obedient to the call. The greatest preachers of the past four centuries have been King James Bible believers…. Spurgeon, Moody, Whitefield, and Wesley were all KJV men, and the list goes on. God has richly blessed the ministries of such men as these because they stayed busy OBEYING his word rather than questioning its authority.”

—James Melton

“In the fullness of time, America would become the final ‘enlargement of Japheth,’ providing mankind with the greatest exhibition of God’s nation-building power in all of history (Genesis 9:27)….

“Check out a simple fifth-grade textbook on American history, for the widest ‘open door’ in the annals of man’s struggle for freedom of conscience was opened by the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution — and the paperwork was finalized in the place called PHILADELPHIA.

“George Whitefield had seen the glorious day approaching, recording in his diary for November 28, 1739: ‘Blessed be God, for the great work begun in these parts. Oh, that what God says of the church of Philadelphia in the Revelation, may be now fulfilled in the city called after her name! ‘I know thy works: behold I have sent before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.’”

—William Grady, Given by Inspiration

In fact, I might go so far as to say that whether a country flourishes or falls can be attributed solely to whether or not its people fear God’s true word.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.”

Psalm 33:12

“God’s formula for freedom has always been simple: To whatever degree the local New Testament church would keep the word, the Lord would keep the door.

“Obviously Laodicea has a problem, as Jesus is depicted standing on the wrong side of a closed door. In the Philadelphia age, he sends the Christians out; in Laodicea, they keep him out!”

—William Grady, Given by Inspiration

We might say the church, at least in America, transitioned from being a Philadelphia church to being a Laodicean church beginning in 1901, when the first Bible variation (the ASV) appeared on the scene. And as the modern Bible versions have proliferated, so has the corruption, immorality, and wickedness we see throughout our once-great nation.

Just as God warned his people under King Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:19-21, those who turn away from his word will be made a proverb and a byword among all nations. I don’t know if you see it too, but it certainly appears to me that is exactly what is happening in our country.

Fruit of the KJV in missions

The KJV is well known for bringing forth much fruit over the last 400+ years in missions.

One thing many people don’t know is that the different verb endings in the King James Bible actually make it easier for non-native English speakers to learn. The -eth and -est endings, for example, are similar to the second- and third-person verb endings in many languages. Which makes the King James Bible the one that is most useful for missionaries!

Let me share with you a story I had never heard until recently:

“In 1833, Charles Darwin visited the south sea island of Tiera Del Fuego in search of his elusive ‘missing link.’ Upon observing the island’s benighted inhabitats, Darwin concluded that he had indeed happened upon a lower stratum of humanity that would support his theory of evolution. Confident in his discovery, he wrote, ‘The Fuegians are in a more miserable state of barbarism than I ever expected to have seen any human being. The expression of their faces is inconceivably wild, and their tones and gesticulations are far less intelligible than those of domestic animals.’

“However, after 36 years of gloating, Darwin made the mistake of returning to his island of darkness. To his amazement, he found an entirely different community, consisting of churches, schools, homes, and every semblance of tranquility!

“The mystery was soon unraveled. Missionary John G. Patton had invaded the hellhole with the word of God. Showing more integrity than twentieth century Nicolaitans, Darwin was willing to give credit where credit was due, writing, ‘I certainly would not have predicted that all the missionaries in the world could have done what has been done.’

“The naturalist was so dumbfounded by what he witnessed that he made a generous contribution to the London missionary society. He also renounced his own theory later in life.” 

—William Grady, Final Authority

This story so beautifully illustrates the impact the King James Bible can have on a nation — even a nation that is entirely barbaric.

And I’m just going to ask this one question out loud: What would be the impact of introducing the King James Bible back into our nation that is in the process of becoming more vile, more immoral, and more barbaric every day?

While we may think of missions as taking the gospel into areas where men, women, and children have never heard it, is it possible our nation has strayed so far from God’s true words in the KJV that we need to practice missions work here as well, or even first?

The KJV bears much fruit in preaching

I think it bears repeating that the great preachers of the past 400 years were all preachers of the King James Bible.

“When did you last see figures like 50,000 souls out of the total New England population of only 300,000 coming to Christ during the Great Awakening of 1740 to 1770?

“D.L. Moody preached to 100,000,000 people over a century ago with 1,000,000 professing Christ as Saviour. 

“How do the sermons today even compare with the spiritual ultimatum issued by the fire-breathing Jonathan Edwards and his sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.

“Where are the preachers of Whitefield’s stature who could address 100,000 people without a microphone and remain audible for a phenomenal distance?

“How do today’s scholars compare to men like John Wesley who found time to write 233 books and pamphlets while riding over 250,000 miles on horseback?

“Where is the modern equivalent to the staying power of the preachers of yesteryear? Of all ministerial graduates of Yale from 1702 to 1775, 79% served one parish their entire life. Only 7% had more than two congregations and were reproachfully known as ‘ne’er-do-wells unable to maintain a continuing relationship with their people.’ (Is it any wonder we are a nation of church hoppers today?)

“How many missionaries have you heard of like William Carey who taught himself six languages and stayed on the field for 42 years without a furlough to translate the Scriptures into 44 languages and dialects?

“Do you know of a prayer warrior like George Mueller who, without a single stewardship program, Jesus First pin, Giant Print Bible, or 1-800 number prayed in $7.5 million dollars to feed 2,000 orphans daily, not to mention distributing 111 million gospel tracts and 300,000 Bibles while supporting 163 missionaries as well? He also read the Bible through over 200 times and went on a 19-year, 200,000-mile evangelistic circuit after he was 70 years old.

“Where are the prison ministry workers who would lock themselves in overnight with death row inmates and literally sing them into heaven at the gallows like Charles Wesley did? (The rats in England’s prisons were so big that the guards were allowed to keep their dogs with them for protection.)”

—William Grady, Final Authority

The KJV bears much fruit in revival

We often hear talk of revival today. But, to quote a line from one of my favorite movies, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

If we want to understand true revival, it would be worth our time to compare today’s preaching with the preaching of centuries past, which led to widespread revival that impacted nations. Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and others, through the preaching of the King James Bible, led what became known as the Great Awakening (1730-1755). The second Great Awakening (1790-1840) was also led by preachers of the King James Bible, who went from town to town in America, and even instituted camp meetings on the wide-open frontier. Revivals were primarily evangelical and gospel-focused, which led to invigorated King James Bible-believing churches and a renewed interest in missions.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: There can be no true revival without the King James Bible. The revivals we see in our nation on college campuses today cannot be true revivals, because they are not starting with the true words of God.

“Church history confirms that the greatest period of revivalism and missionary activity prevailed when the Authorized Version reign supreme in the land.

“Conversely, with the revised version of 1881 — and its American counterpart, the American Standard Version of 1901 — signaling a clear repudiation of final authority, a new era of spiritual deterioration was inaugurated….”

—William Grady, Final Authority

Fruit of the modern versions

Up until the 1950s or so, very few questioned which Bible was the Bible. When someone said they read the Bible, they meant one book — the King James Bible. That all changed once the modern Bible versions started being produced en masse.

“Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.”

—Matthew 12:33

We only have to look around us to see that the proliferation of bible versions is not having a particularly fruitful impact on our churches, or on our nation.

“But what has been the effect of all these versions? Is the world, or our own country, any better? Is Christianity any deeper or more extensive? Is reverence for God and acknowledgement of his name any greater? Alas! No! One clear result has been the spreading of confusion among the churches, and in this one detects, underlying everything else, the work of that arch-enemy of God’s people, the devil himself.”

—Alfred Lovell, The Old Is Better

Surely many if not most churches (so called) have descended into outright apostasy. They are social clubs that exist solely to entertain, psychologize, motivate, and cheer-on a self-focused generation. We’ve gone from true Bible preaching to 20-minute sermonettes that could better be described as motivational pep talks. We’d like that in three catchy bullet points, please. Oh, and can you please wrap those up in time for the big game?

I fear we’ve lost fear of the living God — and his words.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

2 Timothy 4:3-4

“Sanctify them through they truth: thy word is truth.”

John 17:17

I recently heard a statistic that 43% of women seeking abortions actively attend church. There has to be some sort of disconnect happening when those who call themselves Christians also call themselves pro-choice. Coincidentally (or perhaps not?), the NIV was published on January 1, 1973, and four weeks later abortion was legalized in the United States.

When even the church allows abortion, instead of standing against it, why are we surprised to see it become something that is celebrated in our nation? As the church goes, the nation goes.

“With the greater proliferation of English versions in the second half of the century, discerning believers have observed a distinct parallel between these new arrivals and the nation’s growing ills.

“In light of Psalm 33:12 — blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord — don’t you find it rather interesting that the blasphemous Revised Standard Version showed up in 1952, the same year the United Nations occupied its permanent headquarters in New York City?

“[And] following the arrival of the New American Standard Version (1960 and the New English Bible (1961) came the Supreme Court ban on prayer (1962), the Beatles’ appearance on the Ed Sullivan show (1963), and the assassination of President Kennedy (1964).”

—William Grady, Final Authority

Anemic bibles produce anemic Christians

We are anemic Christians because our Bible versions are anemic — having a form of godliness but denying its power. And the fruit is plain for all to see. We are literally starving for God’s word after decades of consuming junk-food bibles.

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

—2 Timothy 3:5

“By contrast, what kind of fruit has the modern Bible movement produced? Oral Roberts’ 900 foot Jesus? Christian heavy metal rock bands? Tammy Baker’s air conditioned dog house? Readers’ Digest condensed Bibles? John MacArthur’s theology on the blood? Theistic evolution offered at Christian colleges? Sister Amy Grant’s smash hit Baby, Baby? Reverend Ike’s prayer rugs and seed offerings? Honk-if-you-love-Jesus bumper stickers? Christian theme parks? Robert Schuler’s possibility thinking?…

“As everything reproduces after its own kind, should we be surprised that Billy Graham recently became the first of his profession to be honored with a star in Hollywood walk of fame? Dr. Graham has also been listed in Gallup’s 10 Most Admired Men in the World poll, 30 times in 30 years, more than any other recipient. ’Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!…’ Luke 6:26.”

—William Grady, Final Authority

A nation full of modern-version fruit

I think this whole section could almost go without being said. I mean, all we have to do is look around this nation to see the results of bible versions gone bad.

Corrupt seed produces bad fruit.

And until we as believers repent of changing the incorruptible word of God — and return to the true words of God in the King James Bible — we will not see any change in the direction our nation is going.

If we compare the preaching, awakenings, revivals, and missions that were taking place between the 17th and 19th centuries, we see good fruit everywhere the word of God was spread.

In the twentieth century, when false versions came on the scene, we can se bad fruit everywhere we look — first in our churches, and now in our culture.

And as Bible per-versions have proliferated, particularly in the last 50 years, we are now living with the end result.

Loss of decency and morality in our nation can only be attributed to one thing: A church that has abandoned the true words of God, preserved for us today in the KJV.

Sadly, this transformation in our society has been chalked up to political ideologies (and that may in fact play a part) … but ultimately the truth comes down to the fact that God’s people have rejected his word. We are no longer salt and light — we can’t even agree among ourselves which Bible version is is God’s true word!

The key to bearing fruit

The key to bearing fruit is the seed. The seed is God’s word — his very words in the King James Bible.

And once we hear them, we must ask: Are they falling on fertile ground? Or have we become so entangled by the cares of this world that there is no good soil for the seed to take root? Are we so mesmerized by the artful and crafty words of Bible publi$hers, textual critics, and Bible college profess-ors as they seduce us with their promises of an easier-to-understand update? Have we let our worldly bible versions, our lavish lexicons, or our prideful pursuit of the Hebrew and Greek choke out the true words of God, that are only and simply received and understood by faith?

“It was no marvel that the people were so corrupt, when the book of the law was so scarce; they that corrupted them, no doubt, used arts to get that book out of their hands. The abundance of Bibles we possess aggravates our national sins; for what greater contempt of God can we show, than to refuse to read his word when put into our hands, or, reading it, not to believe and obey it?”

—Matthew Henry

I fear that, in our pursuit of many Bible versions, we have turned away from the only one that matters.

Won’t you fervently pray with me that God’s true words will reign supreme in our hearts, in our churches, and in our nation again?