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, May 30, 2010

The Spirituality of God

(Article for publication week of 6-2-2010 AD)

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). “The Lord our God is but one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of Himself, infinite in being, and perfection, whose Essence cannot be comprehended by any but Himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts or passions…” (London Confession II:1).

The God of the Bible is pure spirit. Since he is uncreated, He cannot be composed of created matter. Since He is omnipresent, He cannot be confined to any particular place. The God of the Bible is everywhere present and nowhere absent. Since God has not a material body He is able to inhabit eternity. There is nowhere in the universe that you may go to escape Him.

Since God is pure spirit He is also invisible (I Timothy 1:17). He dwells in the light that no man can approach unto. Many children have asked the question, “Why can’t I see God?” (And many of us adults have also pondered the question.) Well, here is the answer- God is a spirit. He is invisible and he cannot be seen by men’s created eyes.

It is true that the scriptures often speak of God as having eyes, ears, hands, and so forth. These are manners of speaking whereby God accommodates Himself to our finiteness that we may learn of His greatness. But such expressions in no way contradict the truth that God is pure spirit.

This Great and Almighty God Who is pure Spirit and invisible to us created mortals, has condescended to us by becoming a Man. The Second person of the Holy Trinity, according to Covenant promise, came down from heaven and joined His blessed Deity to sinless humanity that He would be the Redeemer of His people. The fullness of the infinite God Who is pure Spirit dwells bodily in the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:9). The Eternal Son of God, Who is co-equal with the Father, and is verily God, was made Flesh so that he could die for the sins of His people and rise bodily from the grave and ascend back to heaven in that same body. One day we shall see Him Who died for us with our very eyes (I John 3:2). Our Lord Jesus Christ is both God and Man. In His Deity He is pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts or passions. In His humanity, He is a Real Man. He is the most wonderful person in the universe!

Such a God can only be worshipped by those who are given a spiritual nature like His. “They that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.” The only way we can be the true worshippers of God is to be given a spiritual nature through regeneration. (John 3:3-6). “That which is born of the flesh is flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.” May God bless you all and give you spiritual capacity to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

2 comments:

elderchild said...

There is Only ONE True Living G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL, and HE has no g-d for HE IS The Only True G-D, and HE has no father for HE IS Father(Creator) of ALL.......

The Messiah testified that "He had a G-D and Father", and that "His G-D and Father was also the G-D and Father" of His Brethren.......

The Messiah testified, "That they would know YOU, The Only True G-D".......

"Only" = without others or anything further; alone; solely; exclusively.......

And Truth IS, as Paul testified, "G-D was in The Messiah", Paul did not testify that 'g-d was the messiah'.......

And Paul testified of "ONE G-D, Father of ALL".......

The Messiah testified of "The Only True G-D", and The Messiah testified that He had a "G-D and Father", and The Messiah's G-D and Father was, is and always will be The ONE and Only True Living G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL.......

Paul testified, "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in G-D, WHO CREATED ALL things by The Messiah".......(Eph3:9)

And The Father(Creator) spoke The Word "Let there be Light" and "there was Light".......

LIGHT begot Light.......

The Messiah, "The Light which enlightens every man", was "The Beginning of The Creation of The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL.......(Rev 3:14)

There is Only ONE True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL, and HE IS The G-D and Father(Creator) of The Messiah and His brethren.......

John 17:3 "And this is Eternal Life, that they might know YOU The Only True G-D, and The Messiah, Whom YOU have sent".......

Mark 12:32-33 "And the scribe said unto The Messiah, Well, Master, You have said The Truth: for there is ONE G-D; and there is NONE OTHER but HE. And to love HIM with all your heart, and with all your understanding, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and to love his neighbor as yourself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices".......

Rom 3:30 "Seeing it is ONE G-D, WHO shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith".......

1 Cor 8:6 "But to us there is but ONE G-D, The Father, of WHOM are all things, and we in HIM; and one Master, The Messiah, by Whom are all things, and we by Him".......

Rev 3:14 The Messiah was "The Beginning of The Creation of The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL".......

Eph 4:6 "ONE G-D, Father of ALL, WHO is above all, and through all, and in you all".......

John 4:24 "G-D is A SPIRIT: and they that worship HIM must worship HIM in Spirit and in Truth".......

Luke 24:39 The Messiah testified after He was "raised from among the dead", "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself, handle Me and see, for A SPIRIT DOES NOT HAVE FLESH AND BONES, AS you see I HAVE".......

The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL can not die.......period.......

The Messiah died and "The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL raised Him from among the dead"....... And The Messiah's incorruptible body ascended into the clouds.......

James 1:13 "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of G-D, for G-D CAN NOT BE TEMPTED with evil, neither tempts HE any man".......

Heb 4:15 "For we do not have a High Priest(The Messiah) Who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, for He WAS in all points TEMPTED like we are, yet without sin".......

The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL, HE CAN NOT BE TEMPTED with sin AS THE MESSIAH WAS.......period.......(continued)is

elderchild said...

1 Tim 2:5 "There is ONE G-D, and one mediator between G-D and men, the man-The Messiah".......

James 2:19 "You believe that there is ONE G-D, you do well, yet the devils also believe, and tremble".......

John 20:17 "The Messiah said unto her, Touch Me not; for I have not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My G-D, and your G-D."

Mark 3:33-35 "The Messiah answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brethren"? And He looked round about on them which sat about Him, and said, "Behold my mother and my brethren! For whoever shall do The Will of G-D, the same is My brother, and My sister, and mother"".......

Rom 8:29 "Whom G-D did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of HIS Son, that The Messiah might be the firstborn among many brethren".......

Hope is you are one of the brethren of The Messiah.......

The brethren of The Messiah know there is Only ONE True Living G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL.......

And Truth is as The Messiah tesified, " My(Our) Father is greater than I".......(John14:28)

And Truth is as Paul testifed, "The HEAD of The Messiah is The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL, and The Head of the man is The Messiah, and the head of the woman is the man".......(1Cor11:3)

Those who would pervert The Order of The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL will have to answer to HIM.......

For The ONE and Only True Living G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL, "HE Created all things by The Messiah" and The Messiah was "The Beginning of The Creation of The ONE and Only True Living G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL.......

Truth is "The Messiah is The Son of The ONE and Only True Living G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL".......

The Messiah testified that He had a "G-D and Father" and that His "G-D and Father" was also the "G-D and Father" of His Brethren.......

And The ONE and Only True Living G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL, HE has no god, for HE IS G-D, and HE has no father, for HE IS Father(Creator) of ALL, and HE has no brethren, for HE IS Father(Creator) of ALL.......

Hope is there would be those who experience The Miracle that is receiving "the love of The Truth" for they will "experience The Messiah and The Power(Our Father) that raised Him from among the dead".......

The Faith of those who have received "a love of The Truth" is grounded in Miracles, not mere colored marks(words) written on a dead tree(page) and bound in a book.......

Thankfully The ONE and Only True G-D, Father of ALL, HE yet communes with HIS Children, HE yet reveals all things.......

Father Help! and HE does.......

Peace, in spite of the dis-ease(no-peace) that is of this world and it's systems of religion, for "the WHOLE(not just a portion) world is under the control of the evil one" indeed and Truth.......

Truth IS, a lie is not.......

Abide in The Truth....... franc