Inquirers are often counseled to give their hearts to Christ, or to consecrate themselves to the Lord, or to accept Jesus as their personal Saviour. I would not be over-critical with what is sometimes meant well, but this is not the gospel!
The good news of God’s grace is that God hath given to us eternal life and redemption through the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is totally and completely of the Lord. It is not something we do for God or even something we cooperate with God in doing for ourselves; but, from beginning to end, the work of redemption, sanctification, and glorification is God’s gift to us in Christ. We receive him, we believe him, we look to him; and, in so doing, all the blessings of life flow to us in him.
Having received Christ, having become a partaker of his converting grace, and having received a new nature, we delight in his law and his fellowship. We long to be like him in conduct, conversation, and attitude. We long to adorn the gospel of his free grace by being gracious and grateful.
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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