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Henry Mahan

From Nothing to Everything

Ezekiel 16:1-14
Henry Mahan • March, 16 1994 • Audio
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Message: 1142b
Henry Mahan Tape Ministry
6088 Zebulon Highway
Pikeville, KY 41501
What does the Bible say about God's grace in salvation?

The Bible teaches that salvation is entirely by God's grace, not based on human merit, as seen in passages like Ephesians 2:8-9.

God's grace in salvation is a profound theme throughout Scripture, emphasizing that it is not by our works but solely through His grace that we are saved. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, 'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.' This reinforces the idea that our salvation is grounded in God's mercy and divine purpose, not in our own efforts or abilities. Throughout the Bible, we see examples of God's sovereign grace, like His choice of Israel not because of their greatness but solely because of His love (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). This understanding of grace provides comfort and assurance that our standing before God is secured not by our performance but by His faithful promises.

Ephesians 2:8-9, Deuteronomy 7:7-8

How do we know God's sovereignty is true?

God's sovereignty is affirmed throughout Scripture, particularly in passages like Jeremiah 18:1-6 that illustrate His control over creation.

The sovereignty of God is a core doctrine in Reformed theology, signifying that God has absolute authority over all creation. In Jeremiah 18:1-6, we see a powerful illustration of this sovereignty through the metaphor of the potter and the clay. The potter shapes the clay according to his will, demonstrating that God also has the right and ability to govern the lives of people and nations. This doctrine is foundational, as it assures believers that nothing occurs outside of God's knowledge and purpose. Romans 8:28 further supports this, declaring that 'all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.' These Scriptures and the consistent witness of the Bible articulate a sovereign God who is intricately involved in the world and lovingly orchestrates all events for His glory and the good of His people.

Jeremiah 18:1-6, Romans 8:28

Why is understanding total depravity important for Christians?

Understanding total depravity underscores the need for God's grace, as it shows humanity's inability to save itself apart from God.

The doctrine of total depravity is significant in Reformed theology because it articulates the fallen state of humanity due to sin. According to Scripture, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), meaning no one can achieve righteousness or merit favor before God through their own efforts. This understanding reveals our complete dependence on God's grace for salvation, affirming that we are not able to make ourselves right with Him. It also highlights the radical nature of God's love and mercy, as demonstrated in Ezekiel 16, where God finds His people in a pitiful state and chooses to rescue them according to His grace. Recognizing our total depravity fuels humility and gratitude in believers, encouraging us to depend wholly upon God's mercy rather than our own works.

Romans 3:23, Ezekiel 16

What does the Bible teach about God's covenant with His people?

The Bible teaches that God's covenant is a binding agreement that demonstrates His faithfulness and love toward His people.

God's covenantal relationship with His people is a central theme in Scripture, exemplifying His unwavering commitment and love. In Ezekiel 16, the covenant is portrayed as God entering into a relationship with Israel, making them His own despite their unworthiness. This mirrors the New Testament understanding where believers are included in the covenant of grace through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 8:6 highlights that Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant, established on better promises. The covenant signifies that God is not only sovereign but also relational, desiring to dwell among His people and provide for their spiritual needs. This understanding of covenant emphasizes God's grace, loyalty, and the assurance that His promises will be fulfilled, fulfilling the role of protector and sustainer for those He calls.

Ezekiel 16, Hebrews 8:6

Sermon Transcript

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Tonight, I'm going to be speaking
from Ezekiel, chapter 16 of Ezekiel, chapter 16. I will be reading the first 14
verses, so let's read them now and come back and look at them. A little more carefully, Ezekiel
16, verse 1, again, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, and say,
Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem, Thy birth and thy
nativity is of the land of Canaan. Cursed be Canaan, you remember
that statement? Thy father was an Amorite, and
thy mother a Hittite. And as for thy nativity, in the
day that thou wast born, thy navel was not cut, neither wast
thou washed in water, to supple thee Thou wast not salted at
all, nor swaddled at all, and none I pitied thee to do any
of these things unto thee, to have compassion upon thee. But
thou wast cast out into the open field to the loathing of thy
person in the day that thou wast born. And when I passed by thee
and saw thee, polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee,
when thou wast in thy blood, live. Yea, I said unto thee, when thou
wast in thy blood, live. And I have caused thee to multiply
as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen
great. And thou art come to excellent
ornaments, thy breasts are fashioned, thy hair is grown, whereas thou
wast naked and barren. Now when I passed by thee, and
looked upon thee, behold, thy time was a time of love. And
I spread my skirt over thee, and I covered thy nakedness. Yea, I swear unto thee, I entered
into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, thou becamest mine. Then washed I thee with water,
yea, I thruly washed away thy blood from thee, I anointed thee
with oil. I clothed thee also with bordered
work, and shoved thee with badger skin. I girded thee about with
fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. And I decked, I adorned,
is the word, I adorned thee also with ornaments. I put bracelets
upon your hands, and a chain on your neck, and I put a jewel
on your forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful
crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou adorned with gold
and silver, and thy raiment was of fine linen and silk and brodered
work. And thou didst eat fine flour
and honey and oil, and thou wast exceeding beautiful. And thou didst prosper into a
kingdom, and thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy
beauty. For it was perfect through my
comeliness which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God." Now
the great and powerful and glorious nation of Israel that rose to
such splendor about which our Lord is speaking here, such splendor
and beauty. John Chapman read a verse over
here a while ago that says, ìO Jacob, how goodly are thy tents! O Israel, and thy No one can
even imagine in our day the splendor and the beauty and the glory
that was, that belonged to Israel in the days of David and Solomon. And all the nations of the earth
stood still and wondered, as he said here, your renown went
forth among the heathen for your beauty. For it was perfect through
my comeliness. And all the nations of the earth
were amazed and wondered at how such a poor, humble beginning
could come to so exceeding rich and powerful people. For Israel
started with one man, one lone man. That great and splendid kingdom
of Solomon, about which the Queen said the half has never been
told, started with one man. Think of
it. One man, Abram, an idolater in
a heathen country. One man, who was over sixty years
of age, One man with no children, no heirs. One man with an old
wife, past barren children. And here it is, he's talking
about it here with all of its splendor and glory and beauty,
and half has never been told. Well, I'll tell you, I know three
things about this nation. If you'd like to turn first to
Deuteronomy chapter 7, I know this, everything that happened
to Israel, bringing them from nothing to so much, from the
most humble beginning to the greatest nation on earth was
all by God's grace, God's sovereign grace and favor. It wasn't because
of anything in them, of them, or by them, but by His grace. Look at Deuteronomy 7, verse
6. For thou art a holy people unto
the Lord thy God. The Lord thy God hath chosen
thee to be a special people unto himself above all people that
are upon the face of the But the Lord did not set his love
upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than
any people. You were the fewest of all, only
one, only one. But because the Lord loved you,
and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto
your fathers, hath the Lord brought thee out with a mighty hand,
and redeemed thee from the house of bondmen, from the hand of
Pharaoh king of Egypt. So what Israel had become was
by his grace, and secondly, it was by his sovereign grace and
purpose. He purposed this. This was not
evolution. This was God Almighty's providence
and purpose. Turn to Jeremiah chapter 18 and
see how he describes it here, what took place. as far as Israel
is concerned. In Jeremiah 18, verse 1, listen,
the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. The word came to Jeremiah
from the Lord, saying, Jeremiah 18, 2, Arise and go down to the
potter's house, and there I'll cause thee to hear my words.
Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought
a work on the wheel. And the vessel which he made
of clay was marred in the hand of the potter, so he made it
again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Have you learned
something? Listen, O house of Israel, cannot
I do with you as this potter? Behold, saith the Lord, behold,
as the clay is in the potter's So are you in my hand, O house
of Israel. And always let us remember that
the Scripture says, of the same lump, of the same lump to make
one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor, of the same household,
one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor, of the same Father
If Jacob have a lump, he shall have a hazy. In other words,
the lump will produce a vessel of honor, and that same lump
will produce a vessel of dishonor. And the difference is in his
hands. That's right. The difference
is in his hands, of the same lump. That's right. And the third
thing I know is this. First, all of this, Israel from
such a wretched, humble beginning. And a lot of people think that
Abraham was always a man of God. Well, he was always in God's
covenant. But when Abraham, when God called
Abraham, Abraham and his father and their household were idolaters,
worshiping false gods. And God called him out. That's
right. And from such a humble beginning to such great splendor
is by God's grace, according to His sovereign power and purpose.
And thirdly, their beauty and splendor was His beauty and His
glory. Apart from Him, they were still
nothing. That's right. He said over here
in that last verse, did you get it? Thy renown went forth among
the heathen for thy beauty, It was perfect through my comeliness
which I put upon thee." My comeliness. And this is often
proved when they departed from Him. Isn't that right? When they were walking with God
and were blessed with His presence, their power and beauty was known
throughout the earth, and when they were walking contrary to
His laws, their greed and wickedness was known throughout all the
land. So it was all in Him. But you know, our chief business
here is not with Israel, the nation Israel, but with ourselves
and the kingdom of God. Spiritual Israel, that's what
we're talking about here tonight. All that our Lord did As far
as this nation here is concerned, is a picture and a type of His
grace and mercy to you and me. So let's look at it that way.
I want us to know, he says over here in verse 2, cause, son of
man, preacher, cause Jerusalem to know her abomination, and
I want us to know our beginning. I want us to know what we were,
and who made the difference. What we were and what our God
has done. What we were, oh, humble beginning. Talk about a humble beginning.
What we are now by His grace. Let's look at verse 3. And say
to them, Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem, Thy birth
and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan. I told you the Scripture
says, Cursed be Canaan. We came into this world under
the curse of Adam. That's right. I'm told that among
heathen nations there was a terrible custom when a woman would have
a baby and it was deformed or unwanted, they'd just leave it
out in the field to perish, leave it out for the beast and the
birds to devour and destroy it. And you'll find no better picture
than our beginning. We were born under the curse. Born under... We didn't come
into this world as those who might stand or fall. We came
into this world already fallen. In sin my mother conceived me. I was shapen and iniquity and
brought forth speaking lies. All that an infant... Listen,
he says, and you, your birth was under the curse. Your father
was a heathen and your mother was a heathen. Hittite and Amorite. And as for your beginning, your
nativity, and the day that you were born, your navel wasn't
cut, they're total inability, total depravity, total ruin.
All that an infant can do is cry. He's helpless, he's hopeless,
he's without power to do one thing for himself. All he can
do is cry. No one took care of you. You weren't washed, you
weren't suppled, you weren't salted, you weren't swaddled,
and nobody pitied you. Well, nobody could help you anyway. No outside help, because we're
all in the same condition. We can't help each other. The
law condemns us. Holiness is offended. Justice
bears its sword. Truth is sworn to testify against
us. So nobody can pity you to do
anything for you, to have compassion on you. You're just cast out
into the field to the loathing of your person. I don't know how to describe us as we appear in the eyes of
God. But I know it's a loathsome sight. This infant lying out there having
been born and just cast out there. Now nothing done. His navel wasn't cut. It wasn't
tied. It wasn't washed. It wasn't taken
care of. He was just born and thrown out
there in the bushes in the weeds. It's an ugly sight. Ugly. We take our little babies when
they're born and wash them and clean them up and put oil on
them, you know, and put a ribbon in their hair put them in pink
and blue and ruffles and oh, everybody comes in and they're
so cute, you know, you want to pinch them. But not this. This is loathsome. Loathsome. Loathsome. And that's what we
are. Loathsome. From the sole of your feet, God
said, to the top of your heads. From the very wrinkles of your
feet to the matted, bloody hair. You're nothing but wounds and
bruises and putrefying sores. Hadn't been taken care of. Hadn't
been taken care of. I think we might say with the
Apostle Paul, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver
me from this body of death? Well, that's where we came from. That's where he found us. And
then, thank God, look at verse 6. That's what we were. Now look at what God did. I passed
by thee. My friends, I don't know where
these preachers today and churches and soul winners and folks that are going out here
trying to get people to do something for themselves and do something
for God, like that lawyer I mean, a banker
down there in Louisiana, another man, a banker, that old fellow
that Brother McKinney visited. His granddaughter wanted him
to go see this banker, and he did. An old man hardened in his
self-righteousness and sin, but his granddaughter wanted him
to talk to him about the Lord. And Brother McKinney said, I
couldn't get a word in edgewise. That old man was sitting there
bragging about what he had done for God, and how good he had
been, how many people he had helped, and how much money he
had given to the church. And it went on and on, and how
healthy he was, and strong he was, and powerful he was, and
how many people were under him. Finally, Brother McKinney said
he wanted to say something, you know, to get the conversation
to God in some way. So he said to the old man, he
said, well, boy, the Lord has been good to you, hasn't He?
He said, Huh! Huh! Lord's been good to me,
I've been good to the Lord. Well, that's the general opinion,
you know. But I'll tell you, verse 1 through 5 tells us what
we were. And you needn't to stand there
and tell that baby, boy, you need to straighten up. You need
to do something. You need to do something for
God. You need to come to Jesus. You need to accept Jesus. That
baby can't do one blessed thing. for God himself or anybody else.
He's a hopeless, helpless, without God, without hope, without help
in this world. None I pitied thee, nothing.
But God said, I pass by. That's where mercy starts. That's where grace begins. That's
where salvation starts, when he passes by. Bartimaeus would
still be sitting there, blind as a bat, if Christ had to pass
by. Zacchaeus would still be sitting up there. He would have
had him a house up there by now, probably a church with a sepal
on it, but if Christ hadn't have passed by. The thief would have
still been hanging on that cross if Christ hadn't have passed
by. Lydia would still be down by the river if God hadn't have
passed by. I passed by you and I saw you. You didn't see me.
I saw you. You couldn't see through the
blood in your eyes. And your swollen eyes were swollen
shut, the sun had baked your eyes shut, there matted blood
on your face. I saw you, and I saw you like
you were. I saw you like you were, polluted
in your own blood. But God, who is rich in mercy
for His great love wherewith He loved us even when we were
dead in trespasses and sins. that quickened us with Christ.
But God commended His love toward us in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. I saw you. I passed by you. I passed by you back there in
covenant mercies in eternity when I chose you and gave you
to Christ. Tis not that I did choose thee, Lord, that could
not be. This heart would still refuse
thee, but thou hast chosen me. And in the fullness of time,
He passed by, that is, He came where we are. Our Lord Jesus
became a man. He took our nature. He passed
by us in the flesh, numbered with the transgressors, became
what we are, that we might become what He is. I passed by you and
I saw you, polluted in your blood. I saw you. Watch it. Well, was the baby hollering,
help me? No. Well, the baby didn't know what
kind of shape he was in. He didn't know what kind of shape
he was in. He had no physical ability to
understand or realize the condition he was in. I passed by you when
I saw you in your blood. I said to you, live! Live. You happy quickened who were
dead in trespasses and sin. As the Father hath life in himself,
even so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. And the Son quickeneth whom he
will. And as our Sovereign Lord stood
that day before the tomb of that man, Lazarus, who had been dead
and corrupted and rotten for four days, and said to him, Lazarus,
come forth, even so he passed by you and me, polluted in our
blood. And he said, He found you back
there. You weren't looking for Him.
And He said, live. And I said, live. When you win
your blood, I'm telling you, when you win your corruption,
when you win your pollution, when you win your sins, well,
I'm going to straighten up my life and come to Jesus. You got
it backwards. When you start trying to straighten
up your life without Christ, you'll make a self-righteous
mess out of it. You'll be worse off. You're two-fold
more the child of hell than you were before you ever heard the
message. Christ comes by where you are, as you are, polluted
in your blood, and He, on His own determination and will, not
yours, He says live. Nobody's going to live if He
says live. He's got life in himself. Oh boy, death gave way to life. Inability gave way to strength.
Darkness became light. Mourning gave way to joy. Enemies fled away. And that which was polluted became
precious. That which was wretched became
Holy. One word from Him, live. Just one word, live. Alright, let's see what we are
now, verse 8. Now then, verse 8, when I passed
by you and looked upon you, I looked upon you. You know, did you ever
read those Psalms when David begs the Lord to pay attention
to him. That's what he says several times
in Psalm, Harken unto me, will you hear me? Turn your ear my
way, will you? It doesn't matter what you say
if he's not listening. So the main thing about prayer
or any kind of communion or relationship with God is not what you say.
how long you say it, or how often you say it, the key is, is he
listening? Hear me, O God! It's all over if he ever hears
you. See, it can't matter what you say if he hears me. Boy, it does not matter what
you say. how you say it. The important thing is if He
hears us. So He said, When I passed by,
I looked upon you, and behold, thy time was a time of love.
I loved you. Herein is love, not that we loved
God. That baby, oh, she'll learn to
love She'll call him my beloved. She'll talk about the sweetness
of his kisses and his embrace and the beauty of him and all,
but not now. Not now. I learned to love him.
I love him because he loved me. My love is a response to his.
I hear people say, I love Jesus with all my heart. Oh, baloney.
I tell you who you love with all your heart, and I do too,
is me. I wish I did love him with all my heart. I think next
time somebody says that to me, I'm going to say, Belonging.
Or something stronger. You know, I loved you. I loved
you. I loved you. And I spread my
skull over you. I covered your nakedness. I did
it. I did it. I covered your nakedness. I took away your shame. That's
the first thing he did. He saw us polluted and he covered
it. hid it from his eyes and everybody
else's. And we became righteous, covered
your nakedness. And then listen, I swear unto
you, I entered a covenant with you. This is what David is talking
about when he's a dying man. He said, the Lord has made with
me a covenant. You take all of your professions
and your rededications and you're coming down the aisle and your
re-consecrations and resolutions and bind them up and just throw
them somewhere. The only thing that matters is if He made a
covenant with you. It's not the promises you made
to Him or the vows you made to Him, it's the vow He made to
Christ on your behalf. They're mine. That's what He
said, isn't it? He said, I spread my skirt over
you and covered your nakedness, and I swore unto you, entered
a covenant with you, and you became mine. I didn't become
yours. You became mine. Later I became
yours. My beloved is mine and I am his.
But I was his before he was mine. Isn't that right, Bob? Long time
before. Before he was mine. I was his. You became mine. And
then what's this? I washed you. I washed you and
cleansed you with water. I washed away your blood. What
is this washing? It's twofold. Twofold. By His blood He cleanses us.
The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. And by His Word He cleanses us. By His Word, wherewithal shall
a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed to the Word of
God. And that's what's wrong with
most preaching today. They're not preaching the Word.
They're not doing what I'm doing tonight, going verse by verse
through the Scriptures. Most people don't even have a
Bible with them in church. The preacher's just entertaining.
He's just walking around with a Bible in his hand, hollering
about something way off somewhere, you know. But we're cleansed. Let the water and the blood from
thy riven side which flowed be of sin a double cure, save from
wrath and make me what? Pure. Justify me and sanctify
me. If he doesn't sanctify me, he's
not going to justify me. If he doesn't justify me, he's
not going to sanctify me. That's right. Both. The blood and the Word. There
are three that bear record on earth, the blood and the Word
and the Spirit. That's right. I cleansed you. That's right.
And then he said, I anointed you with oil. Verse 9, I anointed you with
oil. That looks like what John's family is always quoting about
the brethren dwelling together in unity, how blessed it is,
like the oil that flowed down Aaron's beard. God anointed His
high priest with oil, didn't He? The Holy Spirit, Spirit of
God, the Spirit of God. And I covered your nakedness
and I made you righteous and I washed you and cleansed you
and I anointed you with the Holy Spirit. I made you a priest unto
myself, a priest that comes into my presence with a sacrifice
of faith and prayer and praise and thanksgiving. Priest of God,
I anointed you with oil. And listen, and I clothed you
with broadered work. I looked that up. What's broadered
work? When they were building the tabernacle,
and all of those special hangings, all of the draperies and the
veils, and these Jewish women, by their skilled needles, They
sat for days and days and days and did that hand brodered work. It was purple and blue and red
and just hung in veils and hangings about the tabernacle. And that's
the way God Almighty has adorned us with that needlework, that
brodered work, that beauty of the draperies of His righteousness. That's right. The graces of His
Spirit, love and joy, peace and long-suffering and patience,
the beauty of His presence. Clothes you were brought at work.
Listen, I shod you with badger skin. What's badger skin? That
was that skin that was used for the tabernacle. And the leather
of badger skin was the best, the most durable, and the softest. And He shod us I've shod you
with badger skin because your journey is long and through the
wilderness and there'll be stones and thorns and rocks and tough
places to walk. But I got you the best badger
skin, toughest, best, softest as you walk through this valley."
And then he said, I girded you with fine linen. You know who
wore fine linen, don't you? That was the clothing worn by
the high priest when he went into the temple. He was arrayed
in that fine linen, showing forth holiness to the Lord. Holiness
to the Lord. Took off all his clothes and
put on fine linen. And the hymn writer said, In
my surety I am free. His dear side was pierced for
me. With his spotless garments on,
I am as holy as his own son. Clothed you with fine linen.
And listen, I covered you with silk. Who wears silk? Royalty. Royalty. The king wears silk. That's what
he said about John the Baptist. Did you find him clothed in silk
and sitting in king's houses? Yeah. In a way. In a way. He's the king's son. Not actually,
but spiritually. I clothed you with silk. The
king wore silk. And we're kings and priests.
And now, let me wind it up. Listen. Verse 11. I decked you,
adorned you with ornaments. I put on you some things that
others could see. This beautiful girl, he put bracelets
on her. on her hands. I've seen some
of you girls wear them from the elbow to your wrist. Bracelets on her hands and put
a beautiful gold chain around her neck. Put a jewel right here
on her forehead. And put a crown on her head. And he did that to everybody
here who knows him. Everyone whom he found and saw,
and made alive, and covered their nakedness, and washed them, and
adorned them. He puts bracelets on your hands.
What's that? They're hands that serve. They're
hands that reach out. They're hands that help. They're
hands that are engaged in works of faith and labor of love. He
decked your hands. me and see your good works and
glorify your Father." That's right. They sell those bracelets
all over her hand. They say, her father gave her
those. And they see you and your labors
of love and your works of faith. His father did that. That's right. Made him different. And then
he said, put that chain on your neck. You know, God's people have a
meek and a quiet spirit, and when He saves them, those proud
necks bow. I tell you, when you put a chain
around somebody's neck, you have the chain here in your hand,
they're standing in front, you know what they do? They bow, and you
put it on. Isn't that right? And we take His yoke upon us.
yoke right around there. He takes it, but it's a beautiful,
it's not, see my yoke's easy. My yoke's not made out of wood
that chafes your neck. My yoke is easy, it's a gold
chain. But you take the gold chain just
like you do the yoke, you bow your head, put it on. Stays down
too. And then I put a jewel on your
forehead. That's an open confession. If
one of you girls walked in here tonight with a jewel right here,
that's the first thing we'd see. I guarantee you, don't try it
sometime, but if you walk in here with something right here,
you see those Indian ladies in airports and all, you look around
and that's the first thing you see, that jewel right there. Isn't that right, Bob? You've
traveled, you all have, and seen in these airports, there'd be
a woman from India, real India, And she'll have that thing right
here. And I'll tell you, this is a
confession of Christ. This is ownership. You became
mine. And I marked you. Got a mark
on it. All his children got a mark on
them. That's right. And then, what's this? He says
it's a beautiful crown. It's a beautiful crown. And that
beautiful crown glorifies Him who gave it. That's the chief
thing it does. It glorifies our Father. We're sons of God. We're princes
and kings unto our God. But it also glorifies you. Glorify
me with the glory which I had with thee before the world was,
and the glory which thou hast given me I have given them. Isn't that something? a king,
son. And your beauty, verse 13, you
were decked, you were adorned with gold and silver, your arraignments
fine linen and silk, and brought at work. You did eat fine flour
and honey and oil, and you were exceeding beautiful, and you
did prosper into a kingdom. And your renown went forth among
the heathen for your beauty. But it was perfect through my
comeliness which I put upon thee, saith the Lord." Isn't that a
beautiful Scripture? That's what we call the Scriptures.
The Scriptures testify of me. He said, search the Scriptures,
in them you think you have life, there they which testify of me.
All right, Mike, let's see. How about singing that song,
it is well, number 256. 256.
Henry Mahan
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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