The disciples asked, "Who then can be saved?" Our Lord replied, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:25-26).
The first real difficulty in conversion is for a person to realize that he is a LOST SINNER. There are plenty of weak people, even sinful people; but only the Holy Spirit can produce a LOST SINNER who will cry, "O God, be merciful to me, THE SINNER."
The second difficulty in conversion is to teach that sinner THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. He must be taught of God (Jn. 6:44-45) that Christ's blood and righteousness enable God to be just and justify those who BELIEVE. The gospel of free grace and mercy comes to the helpless sinner without any return on his part. Salvation, eternal life, is THE GIFT OF GOD. Even our repentance, faith, works of faith, and labors of love are produced by His presence in us, not by any merit on our part.
The third difficulty in conversion is to bring a believing sinner TO REST all his days in the same love and grace that begat him. "As we have received Christ, we walk and rest in Him." We are chosen, called, and KEPT by His free grace.
"A sweet resting place is Jesus Christ to me,
The fulness of grace, sovereign, rich, and free."
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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