Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. - Hebrews 13:13
The key words in this verse are unto him. It is possible to go without the camp and be no better off than we were before. We can leave organized religion, we can shun the ceremonies, we can separate ourselves from the world, we can becomes sanctimonious hermits and still be in the gall of bitterness unless we go unto him. Christ is our sin-offering, our sanctification, and our hope of redemption. Where he is, there we must be. Whether in the camp or without the camp, let us go forth therefore unto him.
In his shame and reproach, he suffered without the camp. In order to sanctify us with his blood and to fulfill the type of himself in Leviticus 16:15-17, Christ was crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem. So, being one with him, we leave the camp of ceremonialism, legalism, human works, worldliness, or whatever to walk with our Lord. Whatever shame or reproach we incur from the natural or the religious world is welcomed if it is because of our union with Christ. We find our joy and happiness in him.
The world and everything in it are unstable and temporary. The riches, honor, pleasures, and people of this world and the fashion of it pass away. Though we are in this world, we are not of it. When the will of God is done, we shall be taken out of this world to heaven where all is peace and perfect love!
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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