First let me give you a warning. Do not try to guess the name of the accused for on a number of occasions we have had the privilege of ministering to the spiritual needs of men who have been accused of taking the life of another. Moreover, this story might never have been told apart from the Senior Study this month on the Death of Saul. Sometimes the Gospel speaker seems to forget that he is the messenger of the Lord, and the message may well be directed at some who are standing on the very brink of Hell. It was our privilege to take a series of Gospel meetings in a certain place.
On this particular Lord’s Day evening the message was taken from Psalm 51. We noted that the first plea of David was for mercy. He did not ask for justice but he simply threw himself on the mercy of God. As we spoke there was an interruption. A man, messy and gaunt, had staggered into the hall. He slumped into the back seat while we continued to speak. We noted that David pleaded with God to cleanse him from his sin, for he confessed his sin. Night and day his sin haunted him, and he realized that it was against the Lord Himself that he had sinned. He knew that his sin must be judged, and no matter how the law might judge him, he still had to stand the judgment of God. We barely mentioned David’s sin of adultery but spent some time on the murder of Uriah. As an adulterer and murderer David came to God with no other plea than mercy.
A few moments before the meeting was closed our visitor slipped out. Immediately we closed the meeting and went outside to see if it were possible to speak to him. He was walking down the road in the shadows so we went to him and asked if he might stop just a moment while we prayed for him. We had a moment of prayer. Then, giving him our visiting card, we mentioned that whatever his need was the Lord had the answer and, like David, he could safely throw himself on the mercy of the Lord. Back at the meeting hall we mentioned to the Lord's people the apparent deep need of the man. One brother mentioned that by the way we spoke one would think that we were addressing a pack of murderers. However, without any other prompting than the Spirit of God Himself, most of the Christians got down to prayer.
Everyone seemed to be burdened with the need of the man, whom we will call Bill. It was very late that night and the last had left the hall. There was little sleep for any because the burden seemed to weigh heavily upon most. Dawn came and many of the saints rang to enquire had we heard anything of Bill. On the Monday evening many of the Lord’s people gathered for prayer, and so it went on through Tuesday and Wednesday. Then on Thursday evening there was a ring on the doorbell. At the door were two men who asked if they could come in and speak in private. One enquired our name. The other asked if we knew….. We had never heard of him. We were handed our own card and asked if we remembered giving this to a man on Sunday evening. Yes, we remembered. So, one of the detectives, for detective’s they were, stated that the man was the one who had been picked up by the police and charged with murder. The murder had been committed the previous week. We were asked to come to the police headquarters and see Bill.
Bill looked a wreck, and he certainly was a wreck. He mentioned that he had gone into the meeting on Lord’s day evening to escape the police, whom he wrongly thought were pursuing him. (Actually, the police did not know until he gave himself up that Bill was the man whom they were looking for.) The police were kind and allowed us to be with Bill when he was formally charged. The governor of the jail was most kind and allowed us to spend hours daily with Bill. Day by day Bill asked if we might pray for his acquittal. This we could not do, for the law must be upheld, and if Bill was guilty, he must pay the price. We were much more concerned by the fact that Bill was a sinner in God’s sight, and that he sinned because he was a sinner. Not as Bill imagined that he was a sinner because he sinned. Day by day for a few months, while Bill awaited trial, we were allowed to be with him. Many nights we returned home to spend the night before the Lord wondering if we were trying to convert Bill rather than introduce him to the Christ of God. Then came the trial.
Bill, in the presence of his barrister, pleaded that we might pray for his acquittal. We opened the word of God to 1 John 5:16 “…There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. " ESV We pointed out to Bill and his barrister that the law of the country said murder was a sin unto death, thus, if Bill was guilty, in the light of this law and the Word of God we could not pray for acquittal. But we could pray that there would be conviction of sin by the Spirit of God in Bill's heart, and that he would repent and turn to God for mercy and forgiveness.
On the opening day of the trial two others were being tried in another court in the same building. They were accused of unmentionable things. The public were aroused and it because impossible that night to return prisoners to the jail. We were privileged to spend the night in the cell with Bill and the other two prisoners. We prayed that the Light of the glorious Gospel might shine in their hearts. Bill asked if we might read Psalm 51. As we read, and commented here and there Bill interrupted, "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight…” ESV The Sword of the Spirit had pierced Bill’s heart. He knelt down with the plea of David and the publican, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” ESV. Bill was completely broken before God. He had a glimpse of the holiness and righteousness of the Lord, and then with the eye of faith he beheld the Lamb of God. He saw Him who paid the price of sin to set him free. Bill was free! He poured his very soul out before God. His prayer could be well summed up in the prayer of one of old, “And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour’s Blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! how can it be that Thou my God, shouldst die for me!"
We did not hear the jailers come in the morning. The joy of the Lord had flooded our hearts. To the jailors it was a strange sight. Three men, the day before cringing with fear, were now changed. They went into court pleading guilty. None of them made any plea for leniency. When each was asked if they had anything to say why sentence should not be passed on them, they testified to the amazing change that Christ had wrought in them. Each told the respective judges that they had no plea to make. Each was given the maximum penalty provided by the law. Yes, they continued steadfast in the faith until the law had taken its course. “There is sin that leads to death”, as recorded at 1 John 5:16. ESV. We could not pray for Bill 's natural life but, by the grace of the Lord and in the power of His Spirit, we prayed for Eternal Life for Bill, and the Lord was more than ready to hear and answer.
This is taken from “THE WAY OF LIFE POSTAL BIBLE SCHOOL” Magazine April 1966