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, December 18, 2011

Christ, the Truth

(Article for publication week of 12-14-2011 AD)

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me” (John 14:6).

Much could be said concerning Christ being the only way to God. It is only through the suretyship and mediation of Christ that any can be saved. Much could also be said regarding Christ being the life, for it is only by salvation through Him that we have everlasting life. However, the focus of our attention this week is in this statement, Christ proclaims He is “The Truth.” Now, we know that Christ proclaimed the truth, but what does it mean that Christ is “The Truth”?

First of all, this is a plain statement of Christ’s Deity. He is God Who cannot lie (Titus 1:2). It is Divine Impossibility for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18). When our Lord says, “I am the Truth”, He is declaring that “in Him is light“, and there is no darkness at all in Him (I John 1:5). One of the many proofs of the Deity of Christ is that He has all the attributes of God. The veracity of Christ is indisputable proof that he is God. Christ is infinitely more than a truthful man, He is the Truth.

Secondly, this is a declaration of the salvation that is in Christ and nowhere else. The Lord Jesus Christ is the gospel, which is the truth. John 1:17 tells us “the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” Our Lord is eternal God, but He became a Man. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father,) full of grace and truth.” It is the Person of Christ Who saves poor sinners. He became flesh that he might work out a perfect righteousness for His people. He actively obeyed the law of God, so that God counts the believer in Christ as being obedient to His law. He suffered as a sin bearer to satisfy the justice of God and turn away His holy wrath from all who believe in Christ, Who is the Truth. In the Lord Jesus Christ “mercy and truth are met together” (Psalm 85:10). This is the truth of the gospel.

Salvation is in Christ Alone, who is truth Personified. Salvation is not in the schemes and efforts of man, it is in a glorious Person. Christ is the Person of the Gospel. Without Christ, we have no gospel. But because of Christ, we have a glad announcement to make. “We preach Christ” (I Corinthians 1:23). We preach the One Who is the Truth. Christ, Who is the way, the truth and the life has finished the work of salvation. Salvation is in Him, and Him alone. May the Holy Spirit bless you to receive the Truth.

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