And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. - Zechariah 12:10
There is no doubt that an awareness of our sins and iniquities compels us to flee to Christ for mercy and to believe on him for forgiveness. It was the inability and need that drove the woman with the issue of blood to Christ; that brought the harlot to his feet and the leper to worship him. But I believe that a true mourning for sin and lasting repentance comes from seeing Christ in his holiness, power, and sacrifice, "They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him." (Zech. 12:10).
Was this not the case with Isaiah, Job and even Saul of Tarsus? The more we see his holiness, the more we are made aware of our defilement; the more we behold his love, the more we are conscious of our lack of love; the more time we spend at his Cross of submission, the more we detect our selfishness. It is difficult to say which comes first, repentance or faith.
But I'm sure of this, more genuine repentance is produced by faith than faith produced by repentance. Someone once said, “Christ is worthy of adoration and worship even from those who have never sinned (as the elect angels). When we praise and worship him only because he saves us from sin, we do not properly understand his Lordship. David said, "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy hand; what is man that thou art mindful of him?" (Psa. 8:3-4). This is the sight that really breaks the heart and humbles the proud spirit; to see our Sovereign Lord in his Redemptive Glory. No man can ever be the same after a Spirit-led trip to Calvary.
About Henry Mahan
Henry T. Mahan was born in Birmingham, Alabama in August 1926. He joined the United States Navy in 1944 and served as a signalman on an L.S.T. in the Pacific during World War II. In 1946, he married his wife Doris, and the Lord blessed them with four children.
At the age of 21, he entered the pastoral ministry and gained broad experience as a pastor, teacher, conference speaker, and evangelist. In 1950, through the preaching of evangelist Rolfe Barnard, God was pleased to establish Henry in sovereign free grace teaching. At that time, he was serving as an assistant pastor at Pollard Baptist Church (off of Blackburn ave.) in Ashland, Kentucky.
In 1955, Thirteenth Street Baptist Church was formed in Ashland, Kentucky, and Henry was called to be its pastor. He faithfully served that congregation for more than 50 years, continuing in the same message throughout his ministry. His preaching was centered on the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified, in full accord with the Scriptures. He consistently proclaimed God’s sovereign purpose in salvation and the glory of Christ in redeeming sinners through His blood and righteousness.
Henry T. Mahan also traveled widely, preaching in conferences and churches across the United States and beyond. His ministry was marked by a clear and unwavering emphasis on Christ, not the preacher, but the One preached. Those who heard him recognized that his sermons honored the Savior and exalted the name of the Lord Jesus Christ above all.
Henry T. Mahan served as pastor and teacher of Thirteenth Street Baptist Church in Ashland, Kentucky for over half a century. His life and ministry were devoted to proclaiming the sovereign grace of God and directing sinners to the finished work of Christ. He entered into the presence of the Lord in 2019, leaving behind a lasting testimony to the gospel he faithfully preached.
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