And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. - Mark 16:15-16
For whatever reason men deny, discount, or make light of the immersion of believers as the public profession of salvation, I challenge them to do so using the Scriptures rather than their denominational fathers and their own human logic. The Scriptures require that every person who claims Christ as Lord and Savior should be immersed (Mark 16:16; Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Acts 9:18). Read the accounts of conversion in the New Testament and you'll find that all of them publicly professed their faith in Christ by following the Lord Jesus in baptism. You may sprinkle your infants and say that this ritual takes the place of circumcision. Paul was circumcised as an infant but when he became a believer in Christ he was baptized! Why be immersed when, like some of you, he had fulfilled the covenant ceremony? He was immersed to fulfill all righteousness, to be identified with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection, and to publicly confess his faith in the Lord Jesus! And, I might add, to obey the command of his Lord!
We will never hear the gospel of God until we are blessed with some preachers who "care not!" —preachers who care not what men say, who care not what men pay, who care not for tradition, who care not for position, but who only care for the glory of Christ.
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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