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, March 4, 2012

The Fear of God

(Article for publication week of 3-7-2012 AD)

“But rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28b). The God of the Bible is a God to be feared. When we consider that He is a sin hating and sin punishing God, we had better fear him. We had better fear the One that knows everything we have ever done and thought. When we see just a little bit of the glory of God revealed in His word, we will fear Him if we have a lick of sense.

Jehovah is to be feared because He is able to destroy you, soul and body in hell. The implication of the text is that He is not only able, but He certainly will send sinners to hell. God has the power to destroy you in hell, and it is His holy will to send His enemies to hell.

Dear reader, do you realise you have a never dying soul that will live in eternity somewhere? Do you realise that your body will be raised at the last day for everlasting joy or pain? You are comprised of body and soul. When you die, your soul will immediately be in either heaven or hell. If you are a Christian, you will go to be with Christ as soon as the soul is separated from the body, for to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (II Corinthians 5:8). But if you are not a Christian, the moment you die you will lift up your eyes in hell (Luke 16:23). If you die without Christ, you will begin to suffer indescribable torments when the cord is broken and the soul is separated from the body. Your cold, lifeless body will be buried in the earth, but you will immediately be burning in hell. While your friends are standing around your casket vainly imagining you are ‘better off “, you will be weeping and wailing and gnashing your teeth in the fire that is never quenched and where the worm dies not. But at the last day when Christ shall raise the just and the unjust, your body will be raised and reunited with your damned soul to stand before the final and general judgment to hear the final sentence, “depart from me ye workers of iniquity into everlasting contempt!” You will be cast body and soul into hell to be punished consciously forever and ever. FOREVER AND EVER! Oh! What a horrible future you face without Christ! Lost sinner, you had better fear God Who is able and willing to send you to hell soul and body!

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If you have been struck with fear by the truth you have read today, do not despair, but rather turn to Christ the Saviour of sinners. He is able and willing to send the impenitent to hell, but He is also able and willing to save the chief of sinners that will repent and believe in him. There is no sin so small that it does not deserve eternal damnation, but there is no sin so great that it will not be forgiven those who truly repent and believe in Christ for their whole and sole righteousness.

Fear God, for He is a consuming fire.

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