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, November 30, 2014

The Wonderful Name of Jesus

(Article for publication week of 12-4-2014 AD)
 
"For unto is a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder:  and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Seven centuries before His Incarnation, the prophet Isaiah declared the coming of Christ. In this verse we have an amazing prophecy that God would be manifest in the flesh.
Our text declares that the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ would be "Wonderful." This is a most appropriate name, for the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed the most wonderful Person in the universe. Dear reader, would you agree with that statement? Would you agree that the Lord Jesus Christ is the most wonderful Person in the universe? If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, then I am sure you will agree with that. And if you don't know Him, I pray He might have mercy upon you and that you would come to know Him in experimental salvation.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the most wonderful and unique Person in the universe. There is none other who can compare. He is wonderful because He is the Second Person in the Holy Trinity. Our text declares the Deity of Christ, for Isaiah wrote He is the "mighty God." He is eternally begotten of the Father and is one with Him. Thus the text declares His eternal generation for the Father must needs have a Son to give a Son. And Christ is wonderful because He became incarnate. As dear Joseph Hart wrote, "How it was done we can't discuss, But this we know 'twas done for us." That is the "Word was made flesh" (John 1:14). We see this in the expression, "a child is born." Though He is eternally God, Christ was made a Man. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost in a virgin's womb by the agency and power of the Holy Ghost. Christ is wonderful because He has two natures. He is very God of very God, and very Man of very Man. As the God-Man He executes three offices. He is a Prophet to teach us; He is a Priest to intercede for us; and He is a King to rule over us.
And His name shall be "wonderful" for He has done the most wonderful work that has ever been done, that is the redemption of poor sinners. He created the universe and He governs the universe, but these are small works compared with the salvation of poor sinners. This was a work that could only be performed by the God-Man. Hebrews 1:3 declares that Christ purged our sins "by Himself." No angel could have been our Redeemer. No saint could have been our Redeemer. God the Father did not die for us, nor did God the Holy Spirit. It was God the Son Who died for us and put away our sins as far as the East is from the West. The Blessed Eternal Son of God left His Throne and glory, set aside His crown and came into a sin-cursed world to die for poor sinners such as you and me. As my dear brother in the ministry, Elder Jeff Pollard preached among us on one occasion, "the Son of God became the Son of Man that sons of men might become sons of God"! Now that is wonderful!
This is a name of which believers never get tired of hearing. A believer in Christ will never complain that he has heard all he wants to hear of Jesus. A true believer longs to hear more and more of that wonderful name. As another old hymn says, "more about Jesus would I know"! Yes indeed! His Name is Wonderful!
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