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, August 28, 2011

The Goodness of God

(Article for publication week of 8-31-2011 AD)

“For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations” (Psalm 100:5).

Jehovah, the only true God is essentially good. “In Him is no darkness at all” (I John 1:5). Jehovah, the God of the Bible is good in and of Himself, His goodness being un-derived. Whatever goodness may be found in any of His creatures, is all the gifting and gracing of God, but God Himself is essentially good.

Secondly, God is nothing but good. There are no variations whatever in Him. God is perfect in all His glorious being. The best of men are but men at best, as someone has said. The best of men still have their many faults. But not so with Jehovah. He is all good. His character is without any blemish or flaw. All His actions are good, because they proceed from the One Who is essentially and exclusively good.

Thirdly, the goodness of God is displayed by all His wonderful works to the children of men (Psalm 107:8,etc.). It was good of God to create man to begin with. It is in Him that “we live and move and have our being “ (Acts 17:28). God had no need of any of His creatures, for He was perfect and content in and of Himself. It was a glorious work proceeding from His goodness when God created us. Dear reader do you ever thank God for the very gift of your life, for letting you live in His world?

God’s goodness is directed toward all men, not just His people. “He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). God is good to those who do not even love Him. He gives the rain to unsaved people just like He does to the saved. He blesses unsaved men with families, and good jobs, and businesses, and good health, and material prosperity, because He is good. Sadly, many people presume upon the goodness of God, and vainly imagine that all is well with their souls because God has blessed them with temporal blessings. But note well, dear reader, God gives these things to the unjust as well as the just. Temporal blessings and prosperity are no proofs of a person being saved. The rich man in Luke 16 had his good things in this life, but now he is in hell and can’t ever get out. Lazarus must needs wait until after this life for his good things , which are eternally better.

But the greatest act of God’s goodness is seen in the salvation of sinners. Oh! How good of God to adopt us into His family from all eternity! Oh! How good of God to provide the imputed righteousness of His Son for the believer’s justification! Oh! How good of God to send His Holy Spirit into His people’s hearts to regenerate and sanctify us! Oh! How good of God to deliver us from the power of darkness and translate us into the kingdom of His dear Son! Oh! How good of God to call us out of the darkness of this world into the marvelous light of His Son! Oh! How good of God to prepare an eternal home for us to live with Him forever and ever!

No wonder the Psalmist would exclaim in Psalm 107:8 “Oh! That men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” Let us do so.

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