Paul declared in Galatians 5:11 that the offense of the gospel of the cross—of substitution—has never ceased nor will it ever cease. To suppose it has ceased is folly. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the gospel of grace, mercy, and peace; yet its history shows it to have been assailed with bitter hatred, rejection, and persecution through all ages. It is clearly offensive to the unregenerate mind whether in the pulpit, the pew, or the world. And there is no reason to believe that the gospel is one jot more palatable today than it used to be. The world and the gospel are both unchanged!
1. Its doctrine of an effectual atonement offends man’s pride.
2. By addressing all men as guilty sinners offends man’s dignity.
3. Declaring that heart knowledge can only be by the revelation of God offends man’s wisdom.
4. Proclaiming the Lordship of Christ and obedience as a bond slave to him offend man’s love of self and sin.
How do men show their contempt for the gospel of God’s free grace in Christ?
1. By persecution of believers.
2. By refusing to preach the message of grace.
3. By mixing the grace of God with the works of men.
4. By accusing those who preach grace of being hyper-Calvinists, while they themselves cloud the issues and take the edge off the sword.
There are thousands of ways of showing that the gospel of free grace still offends us in one respect or the other.
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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