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, July 1, 2012

It Is God that Justifieth


Article for publication week of 7-4-2012 AD)

       “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth” (Romans 8:33). For several weeks now we have been considering Job’s tremendous question in Job 9:2, “how shall man be just with God?” We have considered the eternal importance of the question, and shown clearly from the scriptures that man cannot be just with God by his own works or merits. We are now ready to proceed to the doctrine of justification itself.
   
    Our text for this week tells us that it is God Himself that justifies a person. Justification is an act of God. It is God Himself Who acts in justifying a person. We have already proven that a fallen man can perform no act that will give him a righteous standing before God. All our righteousnesses are but filthy rags; we have all sinned and come short of God’s glory; we are unprofitable servants; there are none righteous among the fallen children of Adam. Salvation is of the Lord, and is not a joint effort between God and man.

      Secondly, we see that justification is a covenantal act of the Triune God. Only the God of the Bible can justify a poor sinner. It is God that justifies. That is, the Triune, eternal, immutable, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign and Thrice Holy God of the Bible justifies His people. Justification is an act of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit Who are One in essence and purpose.

      Thirdly, Justification is a sovereign act of God. God is under no obligation to justify any of us. God will have mercy upon whom He will (Romans 9:15). Our text proclaims the absolute sovereignty of God in justification for it is His elect people that God justifies. Our justification rests on the strong foundation of God’s eternal decree of election.

      Fourthly, justification is an eternal act of God. Since it is God Himself who justifies, justification is something that is completely without a sinner. Indeed, there is no good thing in any sinner (Romans 7:18). Since the grounds for justification resides wholly in the Triune God, and there is no good thing in any of us, we must see that God does not justify us as a response to some act of our own. This is a vital scriptural concept that you need to embrace. Now, if justification is solely an act of God, and nothing is found in the sinner to move God to justify him, then this must be an eternal act of God.

    Finally, justification is a gracious act of God. God justifies us freely by His grace (Romans 3:24). Justification is by grace alone. This is the reason true ministers of the gospel often say “sovereign grace.” Justification is by the unmerited favour of God toward undeserving, ill deserving, hell deserving sinners. It is God that justifies!
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