About the Author

Thomas Ray Floyd was born in 1953 in Simpson County, Mississippi, the son of Roy Thomas Floyd and Lina Sue Shows Floyd. Thomas Ray's mother was a member of a Primitive Baptist church, and he cut his teeth on the doctrines of distinguishing grace.

When he was a small boy, his father was converted to Christ and became a member of a Missionary Baptist Church. Thomas Ray joined the church of his father when he was 13 years old, and thought of himself as a Christian. The doctrines of grace that he had heard as a child continued to be precious to him and when he became an adult, he joined a Primitive Baptist Church. When he was 27, Thomas Ray made his first effort to preach the gospel in public and was ordained to the full functions of the ministry in 1985. In 1986 he was convinced under the preaching of Rolfe Barnard (by tapes from Mt. Olive Tape Library), the written sermons of Spurgeon, and the ministry of Elder Zack Guess that he had been a false professor and cried out in agony of soul to the Lord Jesus Christ to have mercy and truly save him. And He did! Floyd then began to preach the gospel as he had been taught of the Lord.

Floyd has pastored churches in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee and until recently was pastor of a church plant known as "Particular Baptist Fellowship." He and his wife Brenda presently attend Zion Baptist Church at Polkville, Mississippi, pastored by Elder Glen Hopkins. The pulpit ministry of Zion Baptist Church can be heard at Sermonaudio.com.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

The Being of God

(Article for publication week of 4-21-2010 AD)

"And God said unto Moses, "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14).

Last week we showed from the scriptures how that all men know there is a God by His creation and the conscience He has given every person. We do not have to use any fancy philosophical arguments to try to prove the existence of God. We simply declare Him and His perfections as revealed in His word. All men know there is a God, but we want men to believe what His word says about Himself.

When God said that His name is I AM, He was telling us that He is perfect of Himself. He is eternal and Self-existent, and in no need of anything outside Himself. Before he created the material universe, He had everything in Himself. Before He created any people or angels, the great Triune God was perfectly happy with Himself. God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost could have continued forever in happy bliss in Himself. It was not for any need on His part that God created a universe and angels and men, but simply to manifest His great glory. And this is the reason God does all things- for His Own glory.

Dear Reader, are you aware that you were created not for your glory, but for God's glory? "The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever”, the old catechism says, and that is the truth. God made you for His Own glory. The only way you will ever enjoy Him forever is to recognise that fact and start giving Him the glory and praise He so rightly deserves.

The Great I AM is without beginning. There never was a time when He was not. He is uncreated. He will never have an end, for He is the great I AM. He is eternally the same. God can never change for the better, for He is perfect. He cannot change for the worse, for then He would cease to be God, and that cannot be.

The great I AM is perfect in His holiness, goodness, righteousness and all that He is. The great I AM will always do right and according to His Own Holy nature. Everything He has ever done and ever will do is right because He is the One Who does it. There is no darkness at all in Him.

The great I AM sits on the throne if glory. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being. The great I AM is the sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth and He is doing according to His Own Purpose everything that will bring eternal glory to Himself. The great I AM does not consult with His creatures, but consults only with Himself. He speaks and it is brought to pass. He purposes and also does it.

Surely we can sing with the hymn writer, "How Great Thou art"! Dear reader do you see how great the I AM is? Do you see how small you are? OH! that men would worship and praise the great I AM, our First Great Cause, and our last great end! Amen.
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