What is the first lesson our Lord teaches his disciples? It is this; “If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself;” that is, he will renounce his own wisdom, his own righteousness, his own plans and ambitions! He will be content, not only to lie down at the feet of Christ as a “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked sinner” to receive all mercy through free grace, but he will also count all personal, material, and fleshly ambitions as loss for Christ.
Sometimes the latter is harder to part with than the first! Which is easier to give up, my rags of righteousness for his robe of spiritual holiness or to give up my comfortable home and living and live by the gospel as a missionary or a preacher? Which is easier to part with, my trust in works and law to save or to give up some of my money, lands, and treasures to help send the gospel to others and relieve the needs of God’s people?
To deny myself goes much deeper than just idle doctrine; it reaches to those things which I treasure and trust to make me happy and comfortable in this world.
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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