Bootstrap
Henry Mahan

My Spiritual Biography

Romans 8:28-30
Henry Mahan • March, 28 1976 • Audio
0 Comments
Message 0186b
Henry Mahan Tape Ministry
6088 Zebulon Highway
Pikeville, KY 41501

Sermon Transcript

Auto-generated transcript • May contain errors

100%
I'd like to read my text again.
It is Romans 8 verse 29 and verse 30. Romans 8, 29 and 30. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called,
them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
Now in the eighth chapter of Romans The Apostle Paul has been
expounding our deep, inward spiritual experience. He says in verse
1 that we have a new life. He says, There is therefore now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk
not after the Spirit or after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
We have been born of the Spirit of God. We now walk and live
and move and have our being in Christ Jesus. And then in verse
5 he says this, he says, the natural man is only interested
in the things of the flesh. We have our minds on the things
of the Spirit, the things of God. We're interested in his
words. We're interested in his son, we're interested in his
glory, we're interested in his kingdom. Look at verse 5. They
that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. That's
their interest. They're interested in the flesh.
They're not interested in God, they're not interested in his
word, they're not interested in his son, in his gospel, they're
interested in the flesh. But we're interested, we do mind
the things of the spirit. Then he says in verse 15 that
as children of God we are not living in a spirit of bondage,
of slavish fear. You have not received the spirit
of bondage again to fear, but you receive the spirit of adoption,
whereby we cry, Abba, Father. We are the children of God. We're
living in the light of his love. We're living in fellowship with
him. We're living in communion with the living God. We're his
children and we know that. Then in verse 18, though, he
says, but we are subject to infirmities. We are subject to the sufferings
of this life, of this world. He says, I reckon, verse 18,
that the sufferings of this present time, he recognizes them, are
not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
in us. We are subject to infirmities.
We're subject to suffering for the glory of Christ, but not
only are we subject to these things, but all of creation is
subject to frailty and corruption and decay. For look at verse
19. For the earnest expectation of
the creature, and that word is creation, waited for the manifestation
of the sons of God, for the whole creation. was made subject to
vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected
the same in hope." Then in verse 23 he says, we groan on the inside,
we groan inwardly over our sins, we groan over the flesh, we groan
waiting for the redemption of our bodies, waiting for the day
when we shall be perfectly conformed to his divine image. Look at
verse 23. Not only they, talking about
the whole creation, but ourselves, which have the first fruits of
the Spirit. Even we ourselves, grown within ourselves, waiting
for the adoption, that is, the redemption of our bodies. That's
what we're waiting on. And then he says in verse 26,
that the Holy Spirit comes to our aid, and He bears us up in
our weakness. We don't even know what we're
to pray for, except the Holy Spirit should teach us. Look
at verse 26. Likewise, the Spirit also helping our infirmities.
We know not what we should pray for as we are, but the Spirit
himself make his intercession for us with groanings, with groanings
which cannot be uttered. And then in verse 28, he says,
and we know, and we know. We have a new life. We've been
born of God's Spirit. We're interested in the things
of God, in the Word of God, in the Gospel of God, in the Kingdom
of God. We're children of God. We've
been born of the Spirit. We're not living in a bondage
of fear, but we walk in fellowship with the living God. We're subject
to infirmity. We're subject to frailty and
decay and corruption. We've grown over it. We mourn
in our spirit. We're waiting for the day when
we shall be just like the Lord Jesus Christ. We are so frail
that we don't even know what to pray for. We've got to have
the Holy Spirit to reveal unto us the things for which we should
pray to be in the will of God. He must make intercession for
us, but we know this. We know that all things, we know
that all things, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we know that
all things, past, present, and future, we know that all things,
great and small, we know that all things, good and bad. We know that all things, material
or spiritual, we know that all things work together, not shall
work, not have work, do work, are working together. There's
no conflict. It's a well-ordered plan. It's
a well-devised plan. It's a divine plan, ordered in
all things and sure, and all things, past, present and future,
good and bad, great and small, present and future, all things
work together for our good, our good, our eternal good. All that God brings to pass in
my life has been ordered and purposed to bring me to the Savior's
feet and to the Savior's glory. And all things work together
for my spiritual good, to mature me in Christ. to teach me love,
to teach me patience, to teach me mercy, to teach me meekness,
to teach me humility, to teach me faith. And we know, these
things being true, I'm a child of God. I have a new life. I have a new heart. I have a
new nature. I am redeemed. I have the Spirit of God. Therefore,
all things work together for my good to them who, what? Watch that next line, to them
who love God. Now my friends, natural men do
not love God. They may love a God. They may
love a God of their imagination. They may love a God of nature.
They may love a God of their religion. But the God of revelation
no man loves unless grace is worked in his heart. Natural
men do not love God. But all things work together
for good to them who do love God and who are the called according
to his purpose. The scriptures teach us that
all who love God, all who come to Christ, all who receive the
gospel, do so because they are effectually called by his Holy
Spirit. They are the called of God. I
have a new life because I am the called of God. I do mind
the things of God because I am the called of God. I have a spirit
of sonship because I am the called of God. I groan within myself
over my sins, over my flesh, and long to be like Christ because
I am the called of God. I have the Holy Spirit to teach
me the will of God, to pray for me, to intercede for me because
I am the called of God. And I know that all things, whatever
transpires in my life, whatever takes place in my life, is for
my eternal good and for my spiritual good because I am the called
of God. That's what it says. All things
work together for good to them who love God, who are the called
according to His purpose. It was the same love that spread
the feast that gently forced me in. else I would have refused
to taste and perish in my sins." Now, I find this. I find that
those who have learned, as Paul learned, the strength of sin,
I have found that those who have learned, as Paul learned, the
power of inward corruption, I have found that those who have learned,
as Paul learned, the true nature of men, I have found that those
who have learned, as Paul learned, the miracle of grace, they rejoice
in the doctrines of grace. I find that those who know their
unworthiness, as Paul knew his, I'm the chief of sinners. I'm
less than the least of all the saints, O wretched man that I
am. I have learned that those who have much conflict of soul,
as Paul had, the things I would do, I do them not. The things
I would not do, I do them. I have found that those who do
business in deep waters, who know something about David's
waterspouts and billows of deep waters, can cry with Jonah, salvation
of the Lord. I find that those who are most
concerned for the glory of God, and not their own glory. I find
that those who are concerned for the righteousness of Christ
and not their own righteousness, I find that those who are most
concerned about the honor of God and the justice of God and
the attributes of God, glory in sovereign grace. And they
rejoice in sovereign grace. And after Paul has gone through
all of this, talking about his new life in Christ Jesus, talking
about his interest in divine things, talking about the spirit
of sonship whereby he cries, Father, Father, talking about
the sufferings and conflicts and trials of this present life,
being not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us, talking about groaning inwardly, inward conflicts
and inward chaos and inward corruption, He talks about, I don't even
know how to pray and for what to pray except the Holy Spirit
should teach me. Talking about how that everything
in his life, every great thing and small thing, insignificant
thing and minute thing is working together in the program of God,
in the plan of God, in the purpose of God for my spiritual good
and spiritual growth and eternal grace and eternal glory and eternal
good because I'm called according to God's purpose. He then gives
us his life stolen. He says this is what it's all
about, par. Now when you see a verse of scripture
beginning with the word F-O-R, you find out what it's there
for. It talks about that which he's already talked about. You
don't begin a word of verse of scripture with par. unless you're
going to describe what you've just said. He said all these
things. He said, I'm a child of God,
I'm a son of God, I'm redeemed of Christ, I have all this. Why? This is the reason because Whom
he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. And whom he did
predestinate, them he called. And whom he called, them he justified. And whom he justified, them he
glorified. Now let's take those five words.
One old preacher called it the five golden links in the chain
of redemption. But Paul says, whom he did foreknow. Now some people have said this,
the word foreknow here simply means that God Almighty knows
the history of all men, God Almighty knows the lives of all men, God
Almighty knows the hearts of all men as He knows all things. God is simply saying that He
knows all men. Well now that's strange. It's
strange that he should at the judgment say to some people standing
before him, I never knew you, I never knew you. If this word
here means that God knows all men, why did he say to those
lost people, those unsaved people, those unbelievers, those workers
of iniquity, those religious but lost, Why did he say, I never
knew you? I never foreknew you, and I never
knew you, and I don't know you now. It's got to mean something
else. Others have said this. Others
have said that this word simply means that the Lord knew who
would repent, and He knew who would believe, and He knew who
would persevere. Well, I don't find these words
in the Scripture at all, but rather I find the contrary. I
find from the Word of God that none would repent, and none would
believe, and none would persevere. The Scripture says this, you
will not come to me that you might have life. That's what
it says. The Scripture says you have not chosen me, I chose you. The Scripture says there's none
that seek God. No, not one. There's none that
understand it. There's none that do it good.
The Scripture says, all we like sheep have gone astray. We have
turned everyone, not to God's way, but to our own way. Our
Lord said, I am come in my Father's name, and you receive me not.
Let another come in his own name, and him you will receive. The
Word of God says this is condemnation, this is it. Light has come into
this world, but men love darkness rather than light because their
deeds are evil. The Word of God plainly declares
it's not of him that willeth, it's not of him that runneth,
it is of God that showeth mercy. So this word foreknow, whom he
did foreknow. It's got to mean something other
than God knowing the history and the lives and the hearts
of all men, because He says to some, I don't know you. And it's
got to mean more than the fact that God knew who would repent,
for the Scripture says none, there's none that seek God. None
will repent, none will believe, none will come to God. We find
in the Scripture that the word know is used not only for knowledge,
The word know in the scripture is used for a special relationship. Adam knew his wife and she conceived
and there was son. The word in the word of God means
not only a special relationship, but it means a special relationship
of favor, a special relationship of love. Now let's turn to some
scripture. Turn first of all to John 10.
In the 10th chapter of John, verse 14, John 10, 14, Christ
said there, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep, and am known
of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even
so know I the Father. And I lay down my life for the
sheep. Look at verse 24. Then the Jews
came round about him, and they said, How long do you make us
doubt? If you be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus said,
I told you, and you didn't believe me. The works that I do in my
Father's name, they bear witness of me, but you don't believe
me because you're not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep
hear my voice, and I know them. I have a special relationship
with them. A relationship of love, of affection,
of faith. I know them. I never knew you. I know them. You're not of my
sheep. I said unto you, my sheep hear
my voice. I know them. I've always known
them. I knew them at Calvary. I knew
them in the garden when I prayed for them. I pray not for the
world, Father. I pray for those whom thou hast
given me, that they may be with me where I am, that they may
behold my glory which I had with thee before the world was. I
know them, and I'll always know them." Whom he foreknew. Turn to 2 Timothy 2. 2 Timothy
chapter 2. Listen to this verse. 2 Timothy
2, verse 19. Watch it carefully. Nevertheless,
the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal. The foundation
of God, standeth sure having this seal, the Lord knoweth them
that are His. Now you can substitute the word
love, the Lord loveth them that are His. The Lord shows favor
to them that are His. The Lord has entered into a covenant
with them that are His. It's a special relationship.
You see, God knows all men like He knows Satan. He knows his
history, He knows his beginning, He knows his end. He knows his
conflict, he knows his warfare, he knows his strategy, he knows
him, but he doesn't know him in the sense that we're using
the word here. I never knew you. Turn to Romans 11. Romans 11,
verse 2. Here's talking about Israel.
Romans 11, verse 2. God hath not cast away his people
whom he foreknew, God has not cast away His people whom He
foreknew. Look at 1 Peter 1 verse 2. Here's
another script, 1 Peter 1 verse 2 says this, "...elect according
to the foreknowledge, the forefavor, the forelove of God Almighty,
whom He foreknew. I have drawn thee, He said, with
an everlasting love, Having loved his own, having loved them, he
loved them to the end. Paul said, I'm a child of God.
I'm interested in the things of God. I have a spirit of sonship. I walk with the Father. I've
grown in my soul waiting for the day when I'll be like Christ.
I know that everything's working together for my good because
God loves me, and He always has. He foreknew me. He foreknew me. For whom He did foreknow, whom
He did love. What's the next word now? He
also did predestinate. to be conformed to the image
of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Let me read you something. A
great old preacher of the past said this, man was originally
made in the image of God, but by sin he has marred and corrupted
that image. And we who are born into this
world are not born in the heavenly image at all, but we bear the
image of Adam, a fallen creature. We have his fallen image, we
have his fallen nature. That which is born of the flesh,
our Lord said, is flesh. But God hath, in mercy and grace,
decreed that a multitude which no man can number, out of every
tribe, kindred, nation, and tongue unto heaven, shall be restored
to the image of his Son." And to this end, God Almighty
entered a covenant of mercy with his Son. To this end, God Almighty
decreed that Christ should come into this world and take upon
himself our flesh and bear our image that we through his sacrifice
and through his grace and through his blood and through his obedience
might bear his image. The key thing that God is working
by his providence and by his purpose and by his plan is to
have a people like his Son, and whom he foreknew. He predestinated. He predestinated the means. He predestinated every step along
the way. He predestinated the route. He
predestinated the course. He predestinated from all eternity
that everyone whom He foreknew, whom He loved, that everyone
will be just like Christ. Just like He charted the path
for Joseph to go from his father's home to the throne of Egypt.
My, my, there was some twisting and turning along the way. There
was the conflict with his brothers, and there was the coat of many
colors, and there was the dreams that God sent, and there was
the pit, and there was the sail, and there was the trip to Egypt,
and there was the problem with Potiphar's wife, and there was
the prison, and there was the baker and the butcher, There
was the dream of the king, and then there was the revelation
of that dream, and then there was the death of the butler,
and then there was the ascension to the throne. All of it. Joseph said later to his brothers,
you meant it for evil, God meant it for good. Every step of the
way. You meant it for evil. You did
this to hurt me. You did this to discourage me.
You did this to turn me away. You did this to destroy me. But
God Almighty had charted my path and predestinated my end, and
here I am. And I don't hold it against you,
because God meant it for good. We're going to be like Him in
His relationship, a Son of God. We're going to be like Him in
His nature, begotten and not made, begotten of God, born of
God. We're going to be like Him in
His experience. Though He were a son, He learned
obedience by the things He suffered. We're going to be like Him someday
in His character, sinless. Let's look at this one more time.
Verse 29, "...for whom He did foreknow." I know my sheep. Don't let that slip away from
you. I know my sheep. I never knew you. I know my sheep."
Him being delivered by the determinate counsel in what? Foreknowledge
of God. Christ's death was in the foreknowledge
of God, the foreordination of God, if you please. It was all
purposed and planned as the Lamb slain from the foundation of
the world. And in the same manner that he knew Christ, He knows
me. He knows every believer. And
whom He foreknew, He predestinated. He charted the course. He drew
the map. He planned every step. He devised
the means. For it is, watch this now, it
is the will of God that conforms me to the image of Christ, not
my will. Not my will. Now listen carefully
to this. It is my will now It's my will
now, for God made me willing. But it was His will before it
was my will. See what I'm saying? It is not
the will of man that conforms me to the image of Christ. It
is the will of God, whom He foreknew He willed to be like His Son. He predestinated us to be like
His Son. Since the Holy Spirit has convicted
me of sin, revealed Christ to my heart, revealed the beauty
and glory of Christ, I want to be like Christ. David said, I'll
only be satisfied when I awake with His likeness. But it was
my will, it was His will before it was my will. He made me with
Him. Then secondly, it's God's work
and not my work that conforms me to Christ's image, for we
are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. And it is for God's
glory that I am to be conformed to the image of Christ, not for
my glory. Look at the last line, that he
might be the firstborn among many brethren. This is my life
story." Ronnie, pull that air conditioner down a little. This
is my life story. Whom he foreknew. Whom he foreknew. He predetermined to be conformed
to the image of his Son. Now watch the next line. Moreover,
whom he did predestinate, listen, he called. He called. Whom he foreknew. whom he predetermined,
predestinated to be like Christ, he called. Now let me ask you
two or three questions. How can I know that I'm one of
God's own? How can I know if I am predestinated
to be conformed to the image of God's Son? How can I know
if my name is written in the book of life? How can I know?
that I'm not among those to whom God will say someday, I never
knew you, I never knew you, depart from me. How can I know if I'm
among those to whom He will say on His right hand, enter you
blessed into the kingdom prepared for you by my Father from the
foundation of the world? Eternal Father, who can look
into thy secret will? None but the Lamb can take the
book and open the seal. None but God knows the names
in the book He has written, because He has written it. But I know
this. If I am called, then I am predestinated
to be conformed to Christ's image, because it says, Whom He predestinated,
them He called. Whom He predestinated, them He
called. Turn to 1 Thessalonians 1. Listen
to this. 1 Thessalonians 1. verse 4 and 5. Paul clears this
thing up for us. He says in 1 Thessalonians chapter
1 verse 4, knowing brethren beloved, your election of God. For our
gospel came not to you in word only, but it came to you in power. This gospel which reveals our
sin It didn't come to you as a doctrine. It came to you as
an experience. I know your election, brethren.
I know your election, beloved, because when I preach to you
the gospel, the gospel which reveals sin, it came to you in
power, it came to you in the Holy Ghost, it came to you in
experience. And then this gospel which reveals
your inability and makes us cry, Lord save me or I perish. Could my tears forever flow? Could my zeal no longer know?
These for sin could never atone. Thou must save and thou alone.
This gospel which reveals the Savior hanging on the cross in
my stead, bearing my sin, my reproach, my grief, my sorrow. By His stripes I am healed. This
gospel which finds my heart ready to receive Him and ready to acknowledge
His Lordship, ready to submit to Him, this gospel has come
to me in power. That's how I can know if I'm
one of God's own. He has done the great transactions
done. I am my Lord's and He is mine. He called me and I followed. Can you say that? He called me,
and I followed. Charmed to confess His voice
divine. Whom He predestinated, He called. He called them effectually. Now
there is a call. The Bible talks about a call
of conscience. God writes the law on the hearts
of all men, their conscience bearing them witness, excusing
or accusing them. There's the call of nature. God
is understood and known in his power by the things that are
made. There's the call of providence
in the book of Amos where God has said, I've sent you famine,
I've sent you wars, I've sent you droughts, I've sent you disease,
but you haven't returned to me, therefore prepare me, God. There's
the call of the law. The scripture says that the law,
even the heathen, knows it's wrong to kill. Even the heathen
knows it's wrong to steal. Even the heathen knows these
things are wrong, which show that the law has been written
on their heart, but they do not obey this call. There is an effectual
call. There's the irresistible call
of the Holy Spirit, which the elect of God receive and hear. My sheep, hear my voice. I don't know who they are, I
don't know where they are, but I do know this is the distinguishing
characteristic of the sheep, they hear his gospel. And to them it's not just words,
it's power, it's experience, it's assurance. They know who
they are, they know what they've done, they know what they can't
do, they know who can do it, and they trust him, and they
believe on him. What's the next word now in our
spiritual biography, in our life story? Whom he foreknew, whom
he set his affections upon, whom he set his love upon. He says,
they're all going to be like my son. Every one of them is
going to be like Christ. And whom he determined to be
like Christ in time, like Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus.
He said, Saul, that's far enough, you're mine. Like Zacchaeus up
in the tree, Zacchaeus, come down. Like Matthew sitting at
the receipt of customs, Matthew, follow me. Like James and John
fishing with their father, the sons of Zebedee, follow me, I'll
make you fishers of men. Our Lord binds His sheep and
He calls them. He has pleased Him by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. And those who hear the
preaching, not just with these ears, but with the heart, those
who hear the preaching, not in word only, but in experience,
who go out saying, I believe in depravity, no, who go out
saying, what a great sinner I am. Who go out saying, what a beautiful
sermon, no, who go out saying, what a wonderful Savior. Them
he also justified." Now, what is it to be justified? Well,
first of all, it's an act of God. It's as whom he foreknew,
he predestinated, whom he predestinated, he called, and whom he called,
he justified. It's an act of God. It's an act
of God's free grace. Justification is an act of God's
free grace whereby a guilty sinner is pardoned of all his sins and
accepted in God's sight as holy and completely righteous through
the obedience and death of his beloved son. Justification is
an act of God. He justifies. Justification is
an act of God's grace. It's not earned, it's not deserved. God might justly damn us, but
He in mercy and grace is pleased to save us. And it's an act of
God's free grace whereby a guilty sinner, the guiltiest sinner,
and our Lord showed that throughout His ministry when He passed by
the Pharisees and chose the publicans. When he said to those religious
Pharisees, the publicans and the harlots enter heaven before
you, when our Lord showed his utter, complete contempt for
man's pride by putting three harlots in his family line. There was Tamar, who bore children
by her own father-in-law. There was Bathsheba, who was
the mother of Solomon. Uriah's wife, whom David stole,
and then there was Rahab, the harlot. She was our Lord's great-great-great-great-grandmother. It's an act of God's free grace
whereby guilty sinners, not famed sinners, but guilty sinners are
pardoned, completely pardoned, completely accepted as holy and
righteous. In God's sight, through the sacrifice
and the obedience of Jesus Christ, our Lord, he justifies us. Now the fifth word, and whom
he justified, he glorified. We start in eternity past, my
life story starts in eternity past, and my life story continues
to eternity future. Back yonder before the morning
stars sang together, back yonder before the sons of God shouted
for joy, back yonder before the foundations of this world were
ever laid in the wisdom and power of God Almighty, He knew me,
and He loved me, and He chose us in Christ. And he predestinated
and predetermined that every one of us whom he foreknew would
be just like his son, that his son might be the firstborn among
many brethren. And down here in time, when I
came forth from my mother's womb, he knew me before he brought
me forth. And in his own good time, he
called me by his gospel. He called me by his Holy Spirit,
and he justified me as if I had never seen. He made me a perfect
person, a wholly unblameable person in his sight. And brother, I'm waiting for
something now. I'm waiting for the fifth chapter
in this book, and it will be the most glorious because that's
when he's going to glorify me. And there is a threefold glory
of the redeemed. Watch it. First of all, there's
the glory that we're going to enjoy immediately following death. Maybe tonight. Maybe God's Spirit
will call right now, and I'll enter into a certain glory. Paul
said, if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved,
we have a building of God not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens. Christ called it paradise. He said to the thief on the cross,
today thou shalt be with me in paradise." It's the place of
perfect peace. It's the place of rest. It's
the place of sinlessness. It's the place of fellowship
with Christ. That's glory. But wait a minute,
there's another glory. Right after that, when our Lord
comes again, He said when He descends from the heaven with
a shout, with the voice of the archangel, our bodies are going
to rise. And our souls are going to join
our bodies, and we shall be raised in incorruption, we shall be
raised in glory, we shall be raised in power, and when we
see Him, we're going to be just like Him. just like the Savior. And then there is, the Apostle
says, the eternal weight of glory. And I don't know anything about
that either, but I do know this. I do know this. It does not yet
appear how great we will be made, but when we see our Savior dear,
we'll be just like our Head. Paul said, there's no way to
describe that glory. He said, I was taken up into
heaven, into the third heaven, whether in the body or out of
the body, I don't know. But he said, what I saw, I can't
even tell you. There's no way. That's the eternal
weight of glory. There's my life story. That's
what it's all about right there. Whom he foreknew. He predestinated
to be like Christ. and whom he predestinated one
day in time, he called, supernaturally, mysteriously, but effectually. He awakened, he quickened, he
made alive, he gave his spirit, he put his spirit within, he
gave a new nature and a new heart, and he justified it. one of these
days when the trumpet sounds, He's going to glorify us. But
I'll tell you this, it's as good as done right now. All these
words in the past tense, what God did when He foreknew me,
He glorified me right then. He glorified me. Our Father,
we're grateful for the Word. how it cheers our hearts, how
it comforts our hearts, thy word which explains to us the mystery
of thy grace, and makes us more humble, oh, how this doctrine
of thy redeeming, eternal, sovereign grace humbles us in the dust.
We may decry with Mephibosheth, why me? Why me? Oh my Lord the King, why is it
that you should show such mercy to a dead dog? We're made to
cry with Apostle Peter, Lord. Depart from me, I'm a sinful
man. Why me? But we're so glad, we
rejoice that you did not pass us by, nor leave us in our sin,
nor through our own thoughts, but you gave us Christ. Teach
us, Lord, Strengthen us in the word. May we grow in grace and
in the knowledge of our dear son. For it's in his blessed
name we pray. Amen.
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.

Comments

0 / 2000 characters
Comments are moderated before appearing.

Be the first to comment!

Joshua

Joshua

Shall we play a game? Ask me about articles, sermons, or theology from our library. I can also help you navigate the site.

0:00 0:00