Any man can read the Bible and understand the gifts of God in regard to forgiveness, heaven, eternal life, and happiness. These things are communicated to the mind by words which we read. But a knowledge of the facts is not sufficient, “for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness.”
We do not savingly know the great things which God has prepared for them that love him simply by reading about them. It is true the head learns by nature, but the heart learns by grace and regeneration. And the way to life is to have these things written on the heart by the Holy Spirit.
I heard about sin, but I never knew sin until the Holy Spirit convinced my heart of sin. I heard about repentance, but I never repented until the Holy Spirit revealed the guilt of my sin against God. I heard about faith, but I never believed until Christ was revealed to my heart as my righteousness and sin-offering. I heard about justification, but I was not justified until I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.
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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