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Henry Mahan

Three Important Persons

1 Corinthians 15:45-49
Henry Mahan • October, 26 1975 • Audio
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Message 0155b
Henry Mahan Tape Ministry
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Sermon Transcript

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Now will you open your Bibles
again with me to 1 Corinthians 15. I'm going to speak tonight
on the subject, Three Important Persons. And I'm going to deal
in this message with what I believe are the vital issues of this
day. Now Martin Luther once said,
And I want you to listen carefully to this. Martin Luther once said,
the true servant of Christ will be engaged in battle where the
honor of the Lord is attacked and where the word of God is
being attacked in his day. It's not enough just to deal
with religious matters. The true servant of God will
be found in battle where the honor of his Lord is at stake
in his day, and where the word of God is being attacked in his
day. Now, I don't believe that There
are many preachers or theologians today who are preaching on the
real issues. I really don't. The existence of God is not really
the issue, is it? Whether God, as the sign said,
is alive, is that really the issue? I didn't get too excited
over that issue because I don't feel that it is the issue. I
think most people are willing for God to be, don't you? I think
if we were to take a vote today that about 99% of the people
in this country would be willing for God to go on being God. Even
those who crucified the Lord of glory believed in God. They did it in the name of God.
What was their charge against Christ? They said he blaspheme
it. You know what they said? He is
a blasphemer. The existence of God, I don't
think that's really the issue today. I'll tell you something
else that I don't think is the issue. I don't think the moral
law is the issue. I think we ought to contend for
the law of God. I think we ought to preach the
law of God. I really don't think you can preach the gospel unless
you also are a minister of the law, because the law slaves and
the gospel gives life. The law strips and the gospel
clothes. The law humbles and the gospel
lifts or restores. But the moral law is not the
issue. I believe if that were put to
a vote, that most people would vote to keep the Ten Commandments.
I really do. I think if we could somehow put
it to a vote, about 90% of the people that in this country would
vote to keep the Ten Commandments. The people who picked up stones
to stone the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, many good works have
I done. For which of these do you stone
me? And they said, we're not stoning you for doing good works.
We're stoning you because you're a man and you claim to be God.
The issue was not good work. And I don't think the law is
really the issue today. And I tell you, I don't think
heaven and hell, I don't believe the fact of hell or the existence
of heaven, I don't think that's the issue either. I think most
people who don't even consider themselves religious believe
in a form of life after death. What are the issues? We could
spend our... I don't think the return of Christ
is the issue. I really don't. I receive some
criticism because I don't preach enough on the second coming.
I believe in the second coming of Christ with all my heart.
I know he's coming again. I don't know when. I just know
he is. I know the scripture says that
trump of God shall sound the voice of the archangel, and Christ
is coming back. This same Jesus which is taken
up from you shall so come in like manner as you have seen
him go. But I don't know when he's coming.
I don't know what to tell you about that. I know he is coming.
I know the dead shall be raised when he comes. I know that there's
something else for the Jew. I don't know what it is, do you?
I don't know when he's coming. I just know he is. And actually,
I don't know a great deal to preach on the second coming.
I really don't. I know Christ is coming. But
I don't think that's the issue. I really don't. You know what
I believe the real issues are, and I think we can get sidetracked
on some of these other things, and that's exactly what preachers
and theologians and evangelists have done. I think that's what's
one of our great problems is our people don't know anything
about the real issues. I think we can get off on these
other things and just really go to town, making a lot of fuss
and stirring up a lot of smoke and stirring up a lot of dust,
and we still haven't done any damage to the powers of Satan
and the reign over men's hearts, which Satan has. The real issues
involve three persons. the real issue. Who was Adam, what did Adam do,
and how did it affect me? I guarantee you, that's one of
the issues of this day, right there. If preachers would get
in their pulpit and clearly pronounce, without covering it over with
a lot of theological terms so folks can't understand it, but
really state who Adam was, what Adam did, and how we were involved
in what he did and what happened as a result of what he did, there
would be some tight lines drawn. The second person is Jesus Christ,
who he was and what he did and how it affected or involved
me. and what relationship I have
to him. And the third person is the Holy
Spirit, who he is and what he does and how it affects me. Let me read you something that's
written in 1755. It sounds like it was written
this morning. It's as new as tomorrow. This was written in 1755 by William
Romaine. Now, in 1755, let's see, that's
210, 15, 20 years ago, 220 years ago, William Romaine said this. Every minister of the gospel.
Now, this was written because of a split. that was carried
on among the churches of England at this time and the ministers
of England. And William Romain was one of the most respected,
highly regarded ministers of his day. And of that split and
that conflict among the churches and preachers, he wrote this
article. He said, Every minister of the
gospel who has any love for his master's honor, who has any love
for the souls of men, ought to exhort, exert himself, exert
himself in these days of reproach and blasphemy. Our churches have
departed from the doctrines of the Reformation, and yet we keep
up our subscription to the articles of faith and to the creeds of
our forefathers. We don't preach these articles,
we don't preach these creeds, we just give lip service to them,
for these creeds and articles of faith are founded on three
things. The fall of man in Adam, the
recovery of the elect in Jesus Christ, the necessity of the
Holy Spirit's regenerating work. There's the three issues. He
went on, he said, "...in my ministry I have insisted on three things,
the total corruption of mankind by the fall of our father Adam,
the freeness and fulness of redemption in Jesus Christ alone, the necessity
of the Holy Spirit to regenerate us and renew us and bring us
to saving faith." There are those three persons. When William Romaine spoke of
the departure of the churches and ministers from the gospel
in 1755, when he spoke of the compromise
which was taking place, they were still meeting, they were
preaching, they were singing, they were reading the scriptures,
they were reading the Apostles' Creed, they were reciting their
doctrine, but he said they quit preaching three things. And he said, the creeds of our
forefathers are founded on these three things. And he went on
to say, all scripture is built around these three persons. At whom, who he was, what he
did, and how it affected me. You find that all the way through
this book. Christ Jesus, who he is, what he did, and how it
affected me, all the way through this book. The Holy Spirit, who
he is, he is regenerating, renewing, quickening work of bringing the
elect of God to saving faith. Now listen, he goes on. In our
day, 1755, these great doctrines are denied. Those who preach them are ridiculed. They're held up for contempt. But he said, my friends, I honor
the reproach, for I find myself in the best company by believing
and preaching these truths. For the whole Church of God in
the Old Testament and in the New Testament believed these
doctrines. The martyrs died and sealed their
faith in these doctrines with their blood. Our primitive fathers
with one voice preached, ruined by the fall, redeemed by the
blood, and regenerated by the Holy Spirit. And I must preach
these three persons and our relationship to them, and I dare not risk
my eternal salvation for any present honor or comfort to this
flesh. Charles Spurgeon said, and this
is along the same, this is what I'm saying to you tonight, I'm
saying that the whole issues, the issue of this day and of
every day revolves around these three persons. Charles Spurgeon
said, a message that does not contain in clear language, ruined
by the fall, Adam, redeemed by the blood of Christ, regenerated
by the Holy Spirit, ought not even be preached." Now there's no question about
it, the note is not being sounded clearly. Everybody talks about
heaven, everybody talks about Jesus, everybody talks about,
as they say, getting saved. Can you, as you listen to me
tonight, most of you can I believe, can you, can you clearly state
what you believe about those three persons? Who they were
and what they did and how it affected you and how it involved
you. Those are the issues. Let's look
at them briefly. First one, let's look at Adam.
The Word of God teaches two simple, basic things about the fall.
Now, I'm not saying the Word of God is simple. It's not. It's
profound. And I'm not saying this matter
of the fall is simple. I'm simply saying that there
are two things the Bible teaches about the fall of Adam. It teaches
it in profound thought, and with infinite wisdom, the Word of
God is written, and it's written by the Holy Spirit, and no man
apart from the Holy Spirit can understand it. But I'm simply
saying that in regard to Adam's fall, two things are true, and
we need to state them positively and plainly so that men can't
misunderstand what we're saying about the number one, his fall
was my fall. That's what the Bible teaches
about Adam's fall. His fall was your fall. And the
second thing the Bible teaches about Adam's fall is this. As
a result of that transgression, as a result of that fall in the
Garden of Eden, we have passed on to us from Adam a corrupt
nature, a fleshly nature, a sinful nature that knows no good, desires
no good, and can do no good. Now that's what the Bible teaches
about Adam's fall, and that is the issue, and that'll start
you a fuss most anyway. And denial of original sin, that's
what we're talking about, Adam's fall was my fall. And as a result
of Adam's fall, I have imputed unto me guilt, and reckoned unto
me guilt, and imparted unto me guilt. And denial of that has
led to three horrible, horrible doctrines. Number one, free willism
came out of a denial of the fall. The second thing that came out
of the denial of the fall is a universal atonement. And the
third thing that came out of denial of original sin is sinless
perfection. The denial of what I'm about
to preach in this first point tonight has given birth to three
monsters. Free willism, universalism, and
sinless perfection. Now first of all, turn to 1 Corinthians
15. Adam's fall was my fall. That's
what God's word teaches. Adam's fall was my fall. 1 Corinthians
15, verse 21 and 22. Listen. by man came death." Verse 22,
"...for as in Adam all die." That's when it happened. When
Adam stood, I stood. When Adam fell, I fell. When Adam died, I died. That's what God's Word teaches.
Adam was the head of the whole human race. The whole human race
was in the loins of Adam. Adam was the representative of
the whole human race. Turn to Romans chapter 5. Let's
look at this. This is what God's Word is teaching.
Now, here's where you have to start. This is where the battle
is. This is where the true servant of God is going to be found.
He's going to be found out there stating what God's Word says
about the fall. And he's going to be stating
it in such a way that nobody's going to misunderstand what he's
saying. They may not believe it, but they'll understand it.
They may not enter into it, but they'll understand it. In Romans
5 verse 12, now listen to it, "...wherefore, as by one man
sin entered into this world, and death by sin, so death passed
upon all men, in whom all sin. Check your Bibles and see if
that's not the way that's translated. In whom all sin. Now turn to Romans 5 verse 18. Therefore, as by the offense
of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation. Verse 19,
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners. Now hold on just a minute, let
me use a word here. The old-timers, if we had one
of the old Puritans up here preaching tonight, he'd be talking about
imputed guilt. That's what we're talking about.
And that's the word he'd use. But here's what he'd mean if
he used that word. The word imputed means this.
To give to a person the credit or the blame for something. To
hold a person responsible for an act. So when I receive by
imputation the guilt of Adam before God, I am held responsible
for what happened in the Garden of Eden. I know that's not popular
and I know people don't like it, but it's so. I am responsible,
I have been given the blame, and so has the whole human race.
That's what the Bible teaches, and there's no way to deny it.
Adam's fall was my fall. That's what Scripture says. In
Adam, we died. In Adam, death passed upon all
men. In Adam, judgment, condemnation
passed upon all men. By one man's disobedience, we
were made sinners. All right, the second thing now
about Adam's fall is this. This is the second thing the
Bible teaches. Number one, it teaches Adam's fall was your
fall. The shape you're in right now is because of what happened
in the Garden of Eden. And that brings us to the second thing.
As a result of that fall, we have, when we are born of our
mothers and fathers, we are born with a corrupt nature. That's the nature of flesh. That
which is born of the flesh is flesh. In the flesh no man can
please God. We're born with a body of sin. We're born with a law of evil
reigning and ruling in our hearts. We're born dead in trespasses
and sin. We come forth from the womb speaking
lies. In sin my mother conceived me,
I was shapen in iniquity." And that human nature, that carnal
nature, that natural man knows no good, he wills no good. From the sole of his feet to
the top of his head, Isaiah said, there's no goodness in him. The
whole head is sick, the whole heart is faint. The root is corrupt,
therefore the fruit is bad. The fountain is corrupt, therefore
the water is impure. This is condemnation. Light has
come into this world, and men love darkness. Turn with me to Ecclesiastes
7, the book of Ecclesiastes. Now this is not a pretty picture.
I know it's not. That's the reason folks don't
preach it, because it makes enemies and it upsets folks, and it's
not a pretty picture, but it's a true picture. It's a true picture. Ecclesiastes 7, verse 20. For there is not a just man upon
earth that doeth good and sinneth not. Turn to Romans 8. Romans 8, verse 5 through 7. Listen to God's Word. Romans
8, 5 through 7. They that are after the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh. That's what they're interested
in. They that are after the Spirit, born of the Spirit, regenerated
of the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. To be carnally minded
is death, to be spiritually minded is life and because the carnal
mind is enmity against God. The carnal mind is not subject
to the law of God, neither indeed can be, so that they that are
in the flesh cannot please God. The fleshly nature with which
we are born is without God, without Christ, without strength, without
hope. That's right. And it can do no good. That's
the reason we must be born again. That's the reason we need a spiritual
birth. The first birth, we're born under
the Adamic sin, curse, corruption, defilement, and depravity. Can
the Ethiopian change his skin? He who is born black, can he
make himself white? No. Can the leper change his
spots? The leper born With a spotted
fur, can he change it? Nope. And neither can you, Jeremiah
said, do good that are born in sin. No way. No way. Now that's where the
fighting is going on. I guarantee you that's where
it is. I guarantee you that's where
it is. And I'll guarantee you something else. You won't hear
that on television. By the high-toned, high-priced
Hollywood evangelists of this day, they're not preaching that.
Because that's an issue. And that's where the fight's
going on. Oh, they'll preach on something else. You're not
going to hear it on the radio, and you're not going to hear
it from the pulpit. Because you get a group of Methodists, Baptists,
Presbyterians, Catholics, and everything else together, start
preaching, they're not going to take that. They're just not
going to take it. They believe that in every human
heart there's a little spark of goodness. And we must, by
our efforts and our influence, we must fan the flame until it
becomes a bright, glowing, burning fire for God's glory. They don't
believe man dead. They don't believe the cemetery
of dry bones out there. They don't believe that. That's
the way it is, that's what scripture says. Old Bishop Beveridge, these
old timers believed that they weren't afraid of anything, they
weren't trying to make a bigger salary or get a bigger church,
and they were servants of God. Old Bishop Beveridge said this,
because of the evil root in my heart, there is bitter fruit
in my life. this root of sin poisons even
my so-called righteousness. Wouldn't this make a testimony?
I cannot pray without sinning. I cannot preach a sermon without
sinning. I cannot give to the poor, but
I sin. I cannot confess my sin, but
my confession is an aggravation of my sin. My repentance needs
to be repented of. My cares need to be washed in
the blood. Not only the worst behavior,
but the best duties of my life prove me to be a son of a fallen
father. I look upon my whole life from
the time of my conception to this very moment as one continual
act of S.I.N. sin." And that was one of the greatest
preachers of his day, one of the greatest writers. Somebody
fooled around and got an honest man in the pulpit. All right,
here's the second person. I want you, as Brother Shelton
used to say, grab hold of your pew and hang on, because it might
jump a creek long about right now. But turn to 1 Peter 1. If
you don't have a good grip, we'll lose you, he used to say. But
here's the second person that we preach. This is the issue
right here. Who he is. We know who he is. He's God Almighty. He's the God-man.
What he did and what effect It has on me. Now, 1 Peter 1, 18.
For as much as you know, you were not redeemed with corruptible
things such as silver and gold from your vain conversation received
by tradition from your fathers, but you were redeemed with the
precious blood of Christ. Now, I may be falsely called
the enemy of good works. I may be accused of preaching
a doctrine that will lead to sin. I may unknowingly and unintentionally
make converts who use the liberty of Christ to walk in darkness. Our daily conflicts may weigh
so heavily upon us that we do not feel saved, but I boldly
declare these three things. All who are redeemed are totally,
effectually redeemed from the curse, from the condemnation,
from the penalty and from the power of all sin by Jesus Christ
and by him only. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law being made a curse for us. Second thing, I boldly declare,
we are completely, totally justified from all sin, past, present and
future by Christ only. The third thing, we are in the
presence of the Holy Heavenly Father in Christ without blame,
sanctified and unreprovable and holy because of Christ only. Turn to Colossians 1.22. Colossians 1.22, and I want to
be fully understood in what I'm saying here. And I'm willingly, intelligently,
and purposely staking my everlasting, eternal destiny on this right
here. I am redeemed by Christ, in Christ,
and through Christ, apart from anything I've ever done, am doing,
or ever will do. Colossians 1.22 says, "...in
the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy, unblameable,
and unreprovable in God Almighty's sight. Now you can say that leads to
sin, you can say that leads to lasciviousness, you can say that's
a doctrine that will bring forth unholy living, you say anything
you want to about it. But Christ Jesus, being God,
became a man, my representative, designated by the Father from
all eternity to be my surety and redeemer, and as a man and
as my redeemer, he kept the law. I didn't. He died for my sins. I didn't. He defeated death,
the grave, and hell. I didn't. And he ever lives to
make intercession for me. Next time somebody comes into
my study and says, I don't feel like I'm saved, I'm going to
ask them this, well, who saved you? And they're going to say,
Christ did. I say, well, he'd go out of business. Has he gone
out of business? I believe 95 percent of the church
members today are not trusting Christ for salvation, they're
trusting Christ plus themselves. plus their repentance, or plus
their faith, or plus their decision, or plus their baptism, or plus
their Sunday school teaching, or plus their preaching, or plus
their giving, or plus something else. I don't believe a man that
the average person can stand back and say, I don't care what
I have done, am doing, or ever will do, Christ is my only hope. But that's what this Word teaches. Romans 5, verse 1 says, "...therefore,
being justified by faith, we have peace with God." How? Through our Lord Jesus Christ. That's where she is. In Romans
8, verse 33, the Scripture says, "...who shall lay anything to
the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies." Romans
8, verse 34 says, "...who is he that condemneth?" It is Christ
that dies. It's a free gift! It's a complete
gift! It's an eternal gift! It's a
divine gift! And that gift is a person. That gift is a person. He's the giver and he's the gift. The Virgin used to say, if I
go to hell, I'll go to hell depending on Christ. I know, and we just have to bring
this in because people are so uneducated in the things of God. In the Word of God, we have to
say, well, now, faith leads to holiness, faith leads to good
works, faith leads to obedience. Of course it does. Of course
it does. But none of those things lead
to life. Christ is our life. Christ is our life. And Christ
alone, and Christ has effectually redeemed us. When he died on
that cross, he said, Finish! He said it's finished to the
Jewish sacrifices. He said it's finished to the
everlasting covenant of grace. He said it's finished to the
Heavenly Father who gave him that work to perform. He said,
it's finished! Redemption is complete. And I can go to the lowest, sin-stained
harlot in the deepest, darkest alley of Marseilles, France,
and I can say to her, Christ is able to make you spotless,
wholly unblamable in God's sight. Look to Him. I can also go to that Ecclesiastical
father and archbishop sitting up there in his monastery of
misery, and I can say to him who's trusted all these years
in his righteousness, if the Holy Ghost ever shows you your
sin, look to Christ and he'll make you whole. But she'll enter heaven before
you." That's what Christ said. Christ turned to those Pharisees
and Sadducees and rulers of the law, teachers of the law, and
he said, The publican and the harlot enter heaven before you! Now you go on trying to work
out your salvation and go to hell, because that's where folks
are going that are working for heaven. But those folks that
are just looking to Christ, Just look into Christ. Cease from
their labors and enter into his rest. They're going to rejoice
with the Lamb of God. Because they let him have all
the glory, they're not going to try to share it with him.
You won't hear that on TV either. Because that's no decision to
be made there, you see. You can't tell a fellow, now
just come on down here and God will save you. He said, I thought
Christ saved me. I thought you said there wasn't
any works for me to do. And there's not. That takes place
in here. That takes place when a man's enabled by the Spirit,
as I come to my next part, to see him as our substitute. You don't have decisional regeneration
then. You don't have somebody trying
to get you to raise your hand, raise both your hands and walk
on your feet and do all these different things to go to heaven.
No, sir, Christ did it all. He did it all. And all I do And
two letters are just alike. The learned theologians and divines
of our day take a whole paragraph to tell the sinner how to be
saved, and the Holy Spirit took one word. He said, Look, just
look. The third person is the Holy
Spirit. Turn to Ephesians 2. Here is
where the battle is being fought, always has been. This is where
the conflict is raging, Ephesians 2, you who were dead. We talked about that a while
ago, you who were dead in sins, in Adam. You, Ephesians 2, 1,
have he quickened or made alive. In times past, we walked according
to the course of this world, prince of the fire and Verse
4, But God, who is rich in mercy, mercy in Christ, for his great
love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sin, hath
quickened, regenerated, made us alive with Christ, and raised
us up together. Who does that? The Holy Spirit.
We are born of the Spirit, the Scripture says, not of the will
of the flesh, not of the will of man. We are born of God. The
Holy Spirit must give us life. Turn to 1 Corinthians 2. Here's
something else. The Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians
2, verse 4. The Holy Spirit must make our
preaching effectual. Oh, it's just dead words. 1 Corinthians
2.4, my speech and my preaching was not with enticing, the word
is persuasible, persuasible. My speech was not with persuasible
words, enticing, persuasible words of man's wisdom. My preaching
was in the demonstration of what? The Holy Ghost. Turn to 1 Thessalonians 1. We're
as powerless as a plucked flower without the Holy Spirit, withered
and faded. 1 Thessalonians 1, knowing, brethren,
beloved, your election of God, for our gospel came not unto
you in word only, but in power in the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit
reveals the gospel. The Holy Spirit convicts his
men of sin. Turn to 1 Corinthians 2. Listen to this, 1 Corinthians
2 verse 9. It is written, I have not seen nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man the things which
God hath prepared for them that love him, but God hath revealed
them unto us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God." Verse 14, "...the natural
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, but foolishness
to him." Holy Spirit even prays for us.
Did you know that? Without the Holy Spirit we can't
pray. I think Jeff quoted this while
ago in his prayer. It said in Romans 8, 26, the
Spirit, likewise the Spirit, also helpeth our infirmities. We know not what we should pray
for as we ought, but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for
us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Our fruit is nothing
in the world but the produce of the Holy Spirit. For the scripture
says the fruit of the Spirit is faith, love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
meekness, gentleness, kindness. That's the fruit of the Spirit. Now, when you believe this, you're
suspected of being just a little off. you're accused of being
fatalistic, you'll be called a whole lot of names. But I still
contend, and I'm in good company, that those are the issues of
this day. And if you want to be where the fight's going on,
if you want to be not where the coffee's being served, but where
the steel is resounding against steel, And where the kingdom
of this world is doing battle with the kingdom of God Almighty,
you get out there in those three spots right there. Who is Adam,
and what effect did his fall have on us? Who is Jesus Christ,
and what did he do, and why did he do it? And who is the Holy
Spirit? This thing of regeneration, is
it by persuasible words or is it by a supernatural act of God? When that old sinner suddenly
realizes, I'm lost, I need a Savior. Christ is my Savior. I'll trust
Him. Who did that? Huh? The Holy Spirit
did it. God's going to get the glory
for it. You don't even want to be saved without the Holy Spirit.
You have no desire for righteousness without the Holy Spirit. And
if you have a desire for Him tonight, for Him, for salvation,
thank God His Spirit gave it to you. Our Father, we're grateful
for the word that does not leave us to natural wisdom. By nature
we rebel against these things. By nature we justify ourselves,
we defend ourselves. Oh, we talk about Father forgive
our sins, but we really don't believe we're the chief of sinners.
We justify ourselves, we have an alibi, we have an excuse for
what we think and what we say and what we do. We pray that thou would humble
and strip us by thy Holy Spirit, lay us bare in the dust, that
we'll be able from our hearts to truly say, I'm less than the
least of all the saints. I'm the chief of sinners. And
we say we trust Christ and we believe on him, but so much of
our dependence is upon our experience, upon our feeling, upon our efforts,
upon our merits, not upon Christ. Because our assurance comes and
goes with these trials and these tests, these failures or successes. But Christ is our foundation
who never changes. Send our Holy Spirit to do a
regenerating work in somebody's heart tonight. Send thy Holy
Spirit to make thy word effectual, to convict, to reveal Christ,
to bring the sinner to faith, not by power nor by might, but
by my Spirit, saith the Lord. Through Christ our Savior 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.

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