But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, - Galatians 1:15
Some say we are saved when we are chosen to salvation by God's eternal grace. Some say a person is saved when sprinkled as an infant, or when he makes a profession of faith, or when he is baptized, or when he learns the doctrine of grace. Some say we are not saved at all until we actually get to heaven. But what does the Scripture say?
1. A man is saved when it pleases the Lord (Gal. 1:15). Salvation is of the Lord. It pleased God to make you his people, it pleased God to make Christ your surety, it pleased God to bruise him, and it pleased God to reveal his Son in you! It is God who quickens, regenerates, calls, and justifies. We are born of God.
2. A man is saved when he comes under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:9-10). The Bible knows nothing of a doormat named Jesus or a fire escape called Christ. But it does teach the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The Bible knows nothing of a salvation which allows a man to have Christ as his savior and yet refuse to bow to him as Lord.
3. A man is saved when he sees the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (II Cor. 4:6). Job asked "How can a man be just with God?" "How can God be just and justify the ungodly?" Where can righteousness and peace meet? Where can mercy and truth kiss one another? Only at the cross. We see in the death of Christ both the wisdom and the power of God and his redemptive glory!
4. A man is saved when walking in the light of Divine revelation, he receives and confesses Jesus Christ to be his Lord and savior (John 1:2; Matt. 10:32-33). The Lord has no secret disciples. He that believeth shall neither be ashamed nor be put to shame.
"I'm not ashamed to own my Lord
Or to defend His cause.
Maintain the honor of His Word
The glory of His cross."
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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