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, February 20, 2011

The Holiness of God Displayed by His Law

(Article for publication week of 2-23-2011 AD)

"Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, and just, and good" (Romans 7:12).

A holy God must, of absolute necessity have a holy law. It would be impossible for a holy God, like the God of the Bible not to maintain a rule of law in His universe. God’s law, like Himself is perfectly holy. The law of God is a reflection of the Thrice holy God of the Bible. Thus we read in Psalm 19:7, “the Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”

The basic requirement of God’s law is a command to love. In Romans 13:10b we read, “love is the fulfilling of the law.” The law of God is basically comprehended under two general heads- first to love God with all our being, and second to love our neighbour as ourselves. The first and greatest law, to love God with all of our being is briefly comprehended in the first four commandments. The love of God requires that we worship none but Him, that we worship Him only in the way He has prescribed, that we reverence His name, and that we honour him with all our time.

The love of our neighbour is comprehended in the last six commandments. The love of neighbour requires that you honour his rank, and stay in your place. The love of neighbour requires that you endeavour to preserve his life, to promote his chastity, to respect his property and his good name and refrain from coveting anything that is his.

This holy law was written in man’s heart in creation (Romans 2:15), and was written on two tables of stone by the finger of God (Exodus 20). If everyone obeyed this law, it would be a perfect world in which to live. But the sad fact is none of Adam and Eve’s natural children have ever kept this law. We are all pronounced as lawbreakers by a thrice-holy God, for sin is the transgression of the law (I John 3:4). None of us are able to love God with all our soul, mind and strength. None of us have truly and perfectly loved our neighbour as ourselves.

But there was One Who did keep the holy Law of God perfectly. That was the Holy Son of God. He was made of a woman (but not of a man), and under the law (Galatians 4:4), and He kept the law on behalf of His people. His keeping of the law is imputed to everyone who believes in Him. By His righteousness the believer stands just before a thrice holy God (Jeremiah 23:6). And this Holy Son of God Who is coequal with the Holy Father laid down His life on Calvary’s cross to satisfy the penalty of the law. Therefore the saints of God are in right relation with the law of a holy God through the merits of the God Man, the Lord Jesus Christ. Look to Him for your whole and sole righteousness. May the Lord bless all of you, my dear readers.

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