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, January 29, 2012

The Whole Duty of Man

(Article for publication week of 2-1-2012 AD)

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

For well nigh two years now, we have been writing in the Narrow Way on the Attributes of God. We have shown that God is eternal, unchangeable, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign, thrice holy, just, wrathful, gracious, merciful, longsuffering, and jealous. He is Triune. He is pure Spirit, without body, parts or passions. He is perfect and His ways are past finding out. This is the God Who created you and Who will judge you in the final and great day.

Now we shall consider what is our duty to Jehovah. All men (and that includes you dear reader) are duty bound to fear God and keep His commandments. Such a glorious and good God as we have seen revealed in nature and in the scriptures deserves obedience from His rational creatures. “It is He that hath made us and not we ourselves” (Psalm 100). Dear reader you are the property of Jehovah God by virtue of creation. You owe your existence to Him, and you depend upon Him for your very next heartbeat and your very next breath. You are obligated to obey God perfectly. This is you whole duty.

It is your duty to not only obey God, but it is your duty to fear God. God knows everything you have ever done and thought. He knows every sin you have committed. He has sworn that He will get vengeance on sinners. He has promised that He will pour out His just wrath on evildoers. He has appointed a Day in which He will judge the world. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” we read in the Book of Proverbs.

And all men are obligated to love God. His first Great Command to all His rational creatures is to love Him with all our being (Deuteronomy 6:5). There is no reason why you should not love God. He is absolutely perfect. There is no darkness in Him at all. He has always treated you right, and will treat you right for eternity. Everything He has ever done is right and good. You are duty bound to love such a perfectly good Being as God is.

And all men are obligated to worship God. It is your duty to worship Him because He is your rightful King. He has done all things for His Own eternal glory. He sits on a throne of glory and governs the universe for righteous ends. It is your duty to fall down before this great God and adore Him.

And, it goes without saying (or ought to), that all men are obligated to believe in God. Non but fools would try to deny His existence. The light of nature and the works of creation plainly declare that there is a God. And His word reveals to us all His perfections.

Dear reader, it is you duty to fear, obey, love, worship and believe in God, perfectly, and with your whole being. Now, if you are not doing so, and again I stress, with perfection, you have failed in your duty to God, and stand before Him as a condemned criminal. Now, what do you have to say for yourself?

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