Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. - 1 Peter 2:1-3
Peter exhorts us to lay aside all malice. Usually when we think of malice we confine it to hatred or a deliberate desire to do harm to another as with malice aforethought. But malice in a believer can take other directions:
It might be a continual unfriendly feeling or attitude toward another person or another race.
It might be an unforgiving spirit that may not wish actual harm but still holds a long-time grudge over past mistakes.
It might be a secret desire to see another fail or to get what’s coming to him.
It might be an unwillingness to speak to another or to show common courtesy.
It might be a spirit of pride, which enjoys cutting another or humbling another to show our superior intelligence, courage, or strength.
It might be a gossip’s tongue, which enjoys relating the weaknesses, infirmities, and failures of others.
Call this what you will, but it all boils down to malice and ill-will, which is unbecoming to those who are themselves the objects of mercy. How can I have anything but pity and compassion for a fellow-worm?
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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