I Am Not The Andrew

“Are you guilty or not? The lawyer asked, looking intently into the young man’s eyes. He was very sure the young man would be convicted for his heinous crime at the end. But the young man answered, “I am not guilty.’’ Beginning to lose his patience, the lawyer asked again, “Are you Mr. Andrew?‘’ He got the surprise of his life when the man answered, “Yes, but I am not the same Andrew you used to know; I am now a changed
Man.’’

“Is there anything to prove that you are not the Andrew we used to know?” the lawyer asked, becoming more interested in the case. “Yes, there is’’ he answered calmly. Then a gentleman dressed in navy blue suit rose from the crowd: he did not need any formal introduction as he was a respected pastor in one of the Pentecostal churches in town. “I can testify that Mr. Andrew is truly a changed man: the Andrew you declared wanted was a robber, murderer and liar, but the one you have in the dock right now is a righteous man who has been washed and purified in the blood of Jesus Christ.’’

The young man was involved in a bank robbery in company of five of his gang members. It turned out to be a bloody incidence in which all five of his group members and two policemen were killed. He managed to escape and eventually found his way to the church where he confessed his sins before God, and surrendered his gun and ammunition to the pastor. After leading him to Jesus Christ, the pastor persuaded him to turn himself in to the police, because he was already a wanted man. He agreed, and the pastor escorted him to the station where he was arrested and later charged to court for robbery and murder.

Having his listened to the pastor’s testimony, the jury conferred with themselves and agreed to set him free based on the pastor’s testimony. The reputation of the pastor was not in doubt; coming out to stake his reputation on behalf of this young man meant that the man was truly a changed man,’’ they had reasoned. The judge them declared him guilty, but pardoned based on the pastor’s testimony.

In the same vein, so many of us were guilty of one offense or the other; we were at a time thieves, murderers, prostitutes, liars, swindlers, assassins, gun runners, drug barons, political thugs, treasury rooters, involved in ritual murder, occultists, idolaters, adulterers, etc, but when Jesus came into our lives, he waved the guilty verdict passed on us and gave us pardon. He changed us from guilty to innocent, testifying before the father that we were no longer worthy to die as sinners because he has changed us and made us righteous.

If you still find yourself in sin, why not call upon the name of Jesus Christ and ask him to set you free? He would change you the same way he changed Mr. Andrew, and remove the eternal death sentence hanging over your head.