Can even the most evil person be saved and turned to God?

Prior to that there was Josef Stalin who was also responsible for millions of deaths and more recently we had Robert Mugabe the former dictator of Zimbabwe who took Africa’s richest country and turned it into one of the most poorest and destitute countries in the world where countless hundreds and thousands have died from genocide and famine. The history books are littered with names of dictators, communists, socialists and leaders of nations who have committed the most heinous of crimes against humanity.

There are also movements that commit atrocities against God’s creation like the pro-choice so-called feminist movements in America and around the globe who are responsible for more murdering more than 60 million babies in their militant pro-abortion agenda.

What about the serial killers who savagely torture and murder their victims and rapists who seek pleasure in violating another person’s rights to safety and security. Then there are criminals whose sole purpose is to kill, steal and destroy. There’s no doubt that this world is filled with all kinds of evil people. But is it possible such a wicked person can receive God’s forgiveness and be saved?

Mark 10: 26-27 “And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”

There are only two pre-requisites for someone to enter Heaven: repentance and belief. We cannot earn our way into Heaven. We cannot think that we are ‘good’ and our good deeds are our ticket into eternal life with God.

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

So even the most evil person, can receive salvation if he repents and turns to Jesus. True repentance is achieved as the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of men, showing them that their ways are evil and that without God they will perish. Once someone has repented (acknowledged that they are sinners in need of a saviour) they need to believe on Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by Me.”

Acts 16:31 “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,”

There are no other conditions to salvation. Some (false) religions teach that salvation requires payment or the repeating of prayers or mantra’s or good works or church attendance to get into Heaven. These are simply false and not according to the infallible Word of God – the Bible.

There is a very good example in the Bible of a man who was wicked and went out of his way to kill the early Christians. In fact such was his repentance and turn-around that he authored much of the New Testament Bible. His name was Saul:

The Bible recounts the story of Stephen a disciple of Jesus, who was preaching the gospel in Jerusalem and thus angered some of the religious Jews who having heard Stephen preach decided to kill him by stoning:

Acts 7:57-58 “Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him (Stephen) with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.”

Saul was a religious man set on the destruction of the Christians.

Acts 8:1 “And Saul was consenting unto his (Stephen) death. And at that time there was great persecution against the church,”

Acts 8:3 “As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.”

Acts 9:1 “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord,”

In the Christians’ eyes, Saul was a wicked man. Surely he could not be saved or forgiven? Yet God’s grace and mercy extended even to him.

Acts 9:3- “And as he (Saul) journeyed, he came near Damascus and suddenly there shined around about him a light from Heaven…he heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul why persecutes thou me? And he said, Who art thou…And the Lord said, I am Jesus…”

Jesus then causes Saul to go blind and sends him to Damascus. In Damascus, Jesus speaks to a Christian named Ananias and tells him to take Saul into his house, but Ananias answers:

Acts 9:13 “Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints in Jerusalem.” Saul goes on to repent and believe that Jesus is indeed the Son of God, the Saviour and God himself. He believes that Jesus died to take away his sins and that after being crucified on a cross and buried in a tomb He rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. Saul’s name is changed to Paul and he goes on to become a great disciple of Jesus and teacher of the Gospel of Salvation. He also writes many of the books in the New Testament. His story is proof that even the most evil person can repent and be turned from their wicked ways and receive God’s free gift of eternal life.