Some of you may carry a feeling of guilt because you have not put more pressure on your neighbors, friends, and family to attend church, believe the gospel of God’s grace, and receive Christ. I would not, for a second, excuse indifference nor justify those who are ashamed of the gospel, for the true believer has no greater joy than the joy of glorifying God and telling a sinner the good news of God’s mercy in Christ.
But, in our day, it is most difficult to find a sinner! Almost everyone I know wants to discuss or argue religion, find answers to foolish question, or tell us how good they are and how certain it is that they shall be in heaven. I refuse to carry the blame for their condemnation; it rests upon them. They have a Bible they refuse to read, they have a conscience they refuse to heed, they have faithful preachers they refuse to hear, and they have a God they refuse to worship and glorify! Their condemnation is just (Ps. 51:4).
I stand ready and eager to preach the gospel to all who will hear, to give a taped sermon to all who will listen, to share my experience with all who are interested, and to witness about Christ, the bread and water of life, to all who are hungry and thirsty. But I also stand ready to praise and glorify the righteous justice of God in the condemnation of rebels and self-righteous men.
Natural men “will not be persuaded, though one rose from the dead;” however, they will be persuaded if God, by his Spirit and Word, raises them from the dead! So preach the word and leave the pressure and persuasion to him who said, “It is not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.”
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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