We preach election because there is not a single blessing that comes to us from the hand of our Redeemer that is not stamped with the hand of God’s electing love. The Scriptures say, “God hath chosen you to salvation.” Again, “He hath chosen us that we should be holy.” Again, “The God of our fathers hath chosen thee that thou shouldest know his will.”
It is not in ourselves that these blessings are constrained. We have them because of our union with Christ, and we are united with Christ because of the Father’s divine and sovereign choice. Let us never imagine that the atoning sacrifice of Christ was intended to make an angry God willing to be merciful. That is not the truth. Jesus Christ died, not to create mercy and love in the heart of God, but to open a just and righteous way for that mercy and love which is there from all eternity.
God’s mercy and love went forth to us before the Saviour came—that’s why he came! Spiritual blessings are heavenly blessings. They come from heaven and are of a heavenly nature. We enjoy these in Christ because he has purchased them for us and has gone there to possess them for us in his own name.
All things are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. It all starts with God’s sovereign choice.
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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