Testimony of Andy Cocco

Testimony of Andy Cocco

     In 1974, I graduated High School. I had no problems. I was dating my future wife. I was set for college. Everything in my life was fine, but for some reason, I felt an overwhelming urge to read the Bible and find out what it was all about. It was a strange feeling, like a hot poker in my mind driving me on. I read the whole Bible that summer and kept on studying it throughout my first year of college. I had gotten no real understanding of it, just an overview of facts and history.

In the spring of 1975, a friend of mine was dating a girl, Debbie, who went to a Bible study conducted at the home of a man who had a Polish name so long that they just called him Mr. K. Debbie invited me to go to the Bible study and I did. Mr. K. asked me many hard questions and told me a lot of things that I really didn’t understand. Up until that time, I felt that God was a “Big Accountant” and would measure me on a balance, so to speak, to see if I was at least 51% good. If I passed, then I would go to heaven. I don’t remember much of what Mr. K. told me. It was still so confusing, but one thing I did do was to accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for my sins. I prayed to receive Jesus into my life as Savior and Lord. I didn’t really understand the importance of that night until about two weeks later when I was reading 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 21 hit me: “God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that we would become the righteousness of God in Him.” I came to the conclusion that I would not go to heaven because of my goodness, but because Jesus took my sins for me on the cross and gave me HIS GOODNESS. GOT IT! I realized at that point that I REALLY WAS SAVED! Then I cried.

I went back to Mr. K.’s Bible study one more time and asked about different churches to join. He sent me to Springfield Baptist and I’ve been there ever since. It was there that I learned more fully about the gospel. I’ve come to realize that if Christ had not died for my sins that I would face God alone in judgment and be found guilty and justly be sent to hell forever. I also know that God loves me so much that if I had been the only sinner in the world, then He would still move heaven and earth to save me alone. I rest in a salvation so perfect and complete based on the merits of Jesus alone to take me to heaven. I strive daily to live a life of obedience to my Lord out of love and gratitude to a God who loved me first and so well.

The Almighty can do the same for you too. Accept the fact that God must judge your sin and send you to hell forever for them. Believe the fact that Jesus Christ paid the penalty of your sins on the cross. That He wiped your sin slate clean and you can go to heaven, because He that knew no sin became sin for us that we may become the righteousness of God in Him, then live for Him in the new born again nature of a redeemed person. Accept Jesus. Be saved. Tell others about Him. Walk with the King and be a blessing. Come soon Lord Jesus Christ!