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, June 16, 2013

True Conversion - A Very Rare Thing

(Article for publication week of 6-20- AD 2013)

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14).

In our text, our Lord Jesus Christ illustrates true conversion, that is salvation, by a strait, or difficult gate. In previous articles we have shown that conversion is urgent, necessary, and difficult. This week we will show that true conversion is a very rare thing. Our Lord plainly declares that there are “few” who find and enter into the strait gate. It is a very rare thing to find a person who is truly saved.

Contrary to what is popularly believed here in Simpson County, there are but a few who are genuinely converted. Now there are many who have a profession, and maybe belong to a church, but there are a very few who are truly converted. Many will discover too late that they were never really saved, and hear those awful words of our Lord, “depart from me, I never knew you”!

There are few saved! And this is the truth of the Bible throughout its sacred pages. Our Lord plainly said in Luke 12:32 that His flock is a little one. In Romans 11:5 we read that there is a ‘remnant” according to the election of grace.” Contrary to popular opinion, not everyone is saved. It is only a small minority of the human race who will be saved. The vast majority will spend eternity in the flames of hell.

Now, I can hear some universalist out there caviling, “what about the places in scripture that speak of “many” being saved. After all does it not say in Revelation 7:8 that the saved in heaven will be “a great multitude, which no man could number”? Yes! The scriptures declare that there will be many finally saved. The final number of the saved will be a vast host that no man can number. But this is true of all the saved from righteous Abel until the last heir of promise is called by effectual grace. However the saved in any particular generation, and any particular locality are generally as our Lord says in our text a “few.”

Dear reader, are you one of the few? Do you know for sure that you are truly saved? Have you entered into the narrow way by the strait gate of conversion? Are you ready to die and face God in judgment? These are serious questions friends. You are going to die. You are going to face God. You are going to spend eternity I either heaven or hell! Unless you are truly converted you will spend eternity where the “worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched”. Oh! What an awful day it will be for most of you when the Judge of all the earth declares “I never knew you”! Trust not for your salvation in an empty profession. Flee to the dear Saviour at once Who is willing and able to save your poor soul. May the blessed Holy Spirit draw you to Christ this very day.
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