We should be able to do that quickly enough and then get on with the “practical things” men really need to live holy lives and find happiness in the Christian walk, right? It shouldn’t take a lifetime to preach Christ and him crucified, should it? No! But if a man ever begins to see all that is taught, purchased, revealed, exemplified, and included in Christ crucified, ten thousand lifetimes would not be sufficient to exhaust the subject.
The apostle said, “And now abideth faith, hope, and love, these three…” But where are these three learned? Where are these three exemplified? At the cross! “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
“A proud look” is listed first among seven things God hates. Where is pride to be reckoned with? Where is humility taught? At the cross! “Let this mind be in you which was in Christ, who humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
“Obedient unto death.” This is our example if we would learn obedience to God’s will and commandments. “Though he were a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered.” This is where you will learn it too—at the cross!
When the apostle Paul would teach the grace of giving in 2 Corinthians 8, he summed it up in these words, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor.” We learn to give at the cross!
I challenge you to find any grace, fruit, or purpose of God relating to the believer which does not take one directly to the cross for its fulfillment, its example, or its motivation!
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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