"We have an advocate" I John 2:1
John says, "I write unto you that you sin not" He does not hold out the possibility that any of us can be totally free from sin. This would be contrary to his own words in I John 1:8-10. But he is saying, "I write this epistle to you that you might not indulge the flesh, walk in disobedience, and behave like unregenerate men." The will of God is our sanctification and holiness in spirit, word, and deed. The true grace of God in a man's heart does not condone nor excuse sin, but condemns it and gives him a continuous desire to be like Christ and glorify His Lord. "And if any man sin..., " as every man does, even those who believe and love Christ will. As much as a believer hates sin and seeks to avoid it, he is still in the flesh and in the world. When a believer sins, he has an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, Who makes intercession for him. HE is the mercy-seat, the substitute, the sin-offering, and the mediator for all His people. Because of Him, the Father forgives all our sins past, present, and future. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.
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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