I hear men talking about coming to faith in Christ. Without being contentious, wouldn’t it be more accurate to say, “I came to Christ in faith”? Faith comes to us as the gift of God, through the work of God’s Spirit and the Word of God; and by faith, and in faith we come to Christ! Christ is the fountain, Christ is our life, Christ is made unto us all things—wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. We do not find these things in faith but in Christ.
As Bonar said in his great hymn,
“I came to Jesus as I was,
weary, worn, and sad;
I found in him a resting place,
And He has made me glad.”
Also men say, “I came to the doctrines of grace.” One can come to a doctrine or even learn a system of doctrine and never come to Christ. You may weary of hearing me say it, but salvation is not in a decision, profession of faith, mental acceptance of facts, nor the letter of the law. Salvation is in a person!
This is what Christ told Martha, who insisted that she believed in the resurrection. “I AM the resurrection and the life.” We live because he lives and we are in him. We are accepted because he is accepted and we are in him. Paul cried, “That I may win Christ and be found in him” (Phil. 3:8-10).
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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