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, May 11, 2014

Him That Cometh to Christ

(Article for publication week of 5-15- AD 2014)

 
 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).
We declared last week that coming to Christ is the same as believing in Christ (see verse 35). Coming to Christ is a principle act of saving faith, if not exactly synonymous with such faith. Now our Lord gives us a glorious promise from His Own Precious lips- He will never cast out one who believes in Him for salvation.
We see in this text two amazing truths concerning the poor sinner who comes to Christ in faith. First of all we see that the coming sinner comes because he is being drawn by efficacious grace. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me." Sinners are unable to come to Christ by their own "free" will, for we read in John 6:44, "no man can come to me except the Father which sent me draw him." The word "draw" in John 6:44 literally means "to drag." This is the only way a sinner dead in sin can ever get to the Saviour is by the irresistible grace of God. No man can come to Christ unless and until the Holy Spirit quickens that sinner into spiritual life. But all those   that God  the Father gave to His Eternal and Coequal Son shall certainly be drawn by that invincible grace. It is impossible for one of God's elect who was chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world  to miss saving faith. This is the reason that believers are saved, because they were predestinated to be saved. Dear reader if you are this moment believing in Christ for salvation you were chosen to salvation in the council hall of eternity. And the awful truth of God's Holy and Inspired Word is  that if you were not chosen to salvation, you will never be saved and you must spend eternity in the lake of fire. Dear readers, that awful truth ought to move you to fear God and cry out for mercy, for He has power to save and power to damn. He has mercy upon whom He will have mercy.
But then the second truth we see in our text is that Christ will not turn away one who comes to Him. It would be absurd for the Father to give you to Christ, and send the Holy Spirit into your heart with His quickening powers and draw you to Christ, and then for Christ to reject you! Salvation is the work of the Triune God Who is in perfect agreement with Himself as Father , Son, and Spirit. If you are coming to Christ, you are being drawn by the Holy Spirit and you are one of God's elect. So poor sinner, come to Christ and believe in Him, and you shall surely be accepted at the throne of grace, for you were accepted in Christ from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).
The Lord Jesus Christ is able and willing to save all that come to Him, and He will in no wise cast you out though you are vile and sinful. There is no sinner too sinful for Christ to save him. There is no sinner so stubborn that the Holy Spirit cannot make him willing in the day of God's power and draw him to Christ. So poor sinner, come to Christ to and be saved today. Joseph Hart expressed the truth of my text this way: "Come ye sinners, poor and needy, weak and wounded, sick and sore. Jesus ready stands to save you, full of pity, joined with power." Come to Christ and welcome!
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)