When we read the story of these two men, it is evident that they had much in common. They had the same parents. They were both born and raised outside the garden. Both had received the same religious instructions. Both came to worship and brought offerings to God. But they differed in their understanding of God’s character, the nature of sin, and the way to approach God.
All men and women are much the same. The natural differences are superficial. We may differ in our acts of sin, but there is no difference as to the fact of sin!
This difference in understanding led these men to bring different sacrifices to God. Abel, evidently aware of God’s instructions, in faith and godly fear, brought a slain lamb, typical of the blood of Christ. In this sacrifice, Abel confessed he was worthy of death and that without the shedding of blood there was no forgiveness of sin nor approach to God. Cain’s offering of his own works, the fruit of the ground (that which God had cursed), denied his guilt and professed that he was righteous. Abel trusted the Lord; Cain trusted in his works. O, what a difference!
Abel is a type of the believer in salvation by grace through faith in Christ. Cain is a type of the religious of all generations and persuasions who seek God’s favor by their own doings.
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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