Heather Bellamy heard John Lawson's story.

I went back to the Bible study the following Thursday and I asked the Pastor, "Is this real? I mean is it possible a man can really get a new heart and spirit?" He sat me down and very gently shared with me the gospel message. He began to speak to me in terms that me as a prisoner understood. I understood the law and justice and court.

Johannesburg central prison

He said, "John, you stood before a judge and you were found guilty and you were sent to prison to serve your sentence." I said, "Yeah, that's right." He said, "Do you think that judge would be fair if he was to take a bribe from you? I said, "I wish he did. I certainly would have tried to." He said, "Yes, but if he accepted your bribe he would be an unfair judge right?" I said, "Yeah." He said, "What makes you think God is any different? God can't take bribes from you. You can't try to bribe God with the good things you've done in life to outweigh the bad things. It doesn't work that way. Christians believe that one day when you die you will stand before God on judgement day and on that day, because God is fair and just and holy, He will place a judgement upon you. Do you think you're going to be guilty, or innocent? Do you deserve prison, or freedom?" I just knew that I was guilty, but I didn't want to say it and he said, "Come on, let's just use three of God's Ten Commandments. How many lies have you told in your life? Have you ever stolen anything? Have you ever hated somebody?" I had to admit yes to all three of those and he said, "In God's eyes you're a liar, a thief and a murderer. Guilty or innocent?" I said to him, "I'd be guilty. If I'm going to be judged on those things, then I'll be guilty." He said, "Well, here's the amazing thing John. You don't have to be judged on those things anymore. Those things have passed away. That's why Jesus was sent to the world. God sent Christ into the world to live a perfect life, to die on that cross, to pay your fine for you and to pay the punishment you deserve. After three days He rose from the dead. A legal transaction takes place in heaven." I said, "What do you mean a legal transaction happens in heaven?" He said, "Because of what Christ did on that cross, because He took your punishment, God can legally dismiss the case against you."

This is all language that was just so familiar to me. That Pastor was using the right words at the right time, as he shared the gospel. He said all you have to do, is turn away and ask Jesus to forgive you for your sins and put your faith and your trust in Him. Surrender your life to Christ and I promise you that if you are genuine, that through His Son Jesus Christ and by His grace, He will give you a new heart and a new spirit.

It made perfect sense to me. I totally understood the legality of the situation. I saw myself and that I was a sinner, for the first time in my life. I knew that I needed Christ. I needed forgiveness and to accept Him as my Saviour.

Needless to say that's what I did in that prison. I think it was about a week later that I was on my knees in my cell and I cried out to God and asked Jesus to forgive me every wrong thing that I'd ever done. I asked Him to give me a new heart and new spirit and I said, "Please will you be my Lord? Would you be my Saviour?"

He changed me Heather. In that prison, He began to soften my hard heart of stone and turn it to a heart of flesh. I found myself acting differently. Thoughts of crime began to leave me and bad language seemed to fall away. It wasn't anything that I chose to do. I didn't wake up one morning and say, "I'm a Christian now, I ought not to swear anymore." No, things just began falling away and I guess they're still falling away today. That was the beginning of a process of work that Christ began in me and He's still bringing it to completion today.

He changed me so much that when I got out of prison, I just knew that I needed to share this news with other people. I knew that it would be so selfish of me to keep this amazing news, the best news we have as Christians, to myself.

Heather: When was it that you became a Christian?

John: I got sent to prison in 2004 and in 2005 I became a Christian. The last two years of my sentence I served as a Christian.

It sounds a bit like a cliché, but I really did feel free behind bars, even when I was in prison. My friend who picked me up on the day I was released, it was the 17th March 2007 and he was planning to take me for a big slap up meal. He said, "Let's go find you a girl. You've been in prison all these years, you're going to need a woman. Let's go and party." I was having to report homeless, as I didn't have anywhere to live and I said to him, "Tam, I haven't got anything to celebrate tonight. It's not a big day for me." He said, "What do you mean that it's not a big day?" I said, "I was already set free two and a half years ago in prison. Jesus Christ set me free, so this is not a special day for me. Yes it's nice to be released from the physical prison, but I was in a spiritual prison."

Impromptu street market in Nigeria

I realised at that time that you don't have to be behind bars to be in prison. I realised that many people are in prison. People could be in a prison in church even, where they're doing all the right prayers, singing all the right songs, but they don't really have a relationship with Christ. People can be in a prison to anger, or violence, or things they look at on the internet that they shouldn't. Prison can take so many forms and shapes, but Christ really did set me free in that prison and I've been free ever since.

Heather: You've described what you were like as a little boy and what you were like as a criminal, how would you describe yourself now?

John: That's quite a hard one. I heard a quote recently that I really love and that I think would describe me. It's just that I am a beggar, who has found some bread and I want to pass on that bread to another beggar.

I'm a person who is so grateful for what He's done for me. I am so different today than the man I was. It's like looking at a movie about somebody else. That old guy has died and is buried and is gone. The Bible talks about us becoming a new creation in Christ and I certainly feel like a new creation.