Can a Murderer Find Salvation?

The power of God’s salvation’s beyond

The natural resources of man,

Man finds that he cannot change himself

Though he tries as hard as he can.

The heart of man is desperately wicked,

Deceitful beyond degree,

But God has provided a way he can change

And what could not be, now can be.

 From a heart of hate to a heart of love,

Only God can make this change,

From the depths of hell to the heights above

What power can span this range?

No human effort, determined will

Can change a leopard’s spots,

No fountain send forth bitter and sweet

To create a dove from a fox.

Man’s heart is so wicked and evil,

Self bends his will from his birth,

Beneath the cloak of respect and reason

The front of religion’s – a curse!

In every act, word, thought, intent,

The motives that control,

Is a dominant self, a tyrant, a king,

With a cast iron will o’er the soul.

Man seeks his pleasure from birth to death

In numerous forms and ways,

The cry of the new-born, the gasp of the dying,

Survival’s, the name of the game.

When hunger and thirst are satisfied,

The needs of the moment fulfilled,

He searches, he seeks in a thousand more ways,

His restless soul can’t be stilled.

He eats of the Tree like Adam of old.

To satisfy fleshly desires,

And finds he’s addicted to sin and its train

Until his last breath expires.

Like a dog to its vomit returns every day,

Then hates the misery that follows,

A prisoner indeed, with chains cutting deep,

A life that’s so barren and hollow 

He’s brought to the grave in sin and disgrace

Unless light dawns deep in his soul,

The foulest, diseased, perverted, unclean,

Can be washed, and through Christ be made whole;

The filthiest sinner that ever lived

Can be forgiven today

If he will repent of his sins and believe

On the Lord Jesus Christ as the Way.

There’s no repentance beyond the grave,

As we leave this life, we will stay;

But sins can be cleansed now, forgiven by a God

Who sent His own Son to pay

The price for our sins – someone has to pay,

Justice demands a price,

But the vilest of sinners who truly repents

Can find this forgiveness through Christ.

Do you mean to say that a murderer can

Repent and believe and be free?

A man like Hitler who tortured and gassed

The millions to obscene degree?

The pervert, the rapist, the child abuser,

The immoral too?

The adulterer, the liar, the thief?  Are you saying

That this can really be true?

 King David of old was a murderer indeed,

But found mercy when he sought God’s forgiveness,

Paul was complicit to the death of Stephen,

And made the killing of Christians his business,

“Lord, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom!”

Were the last words of the thief on the cross,

“Today, you’ll be with Me in Paradise!”

What a blessing for a criminal that was lost!

God hates the sin, it repulses Him

But we all have sinned and come short,

If we despise others, we think of ourselves

Far more highly than ever we ought;

We are all unclean and our “righteousness”

Is as filthy rags to Him,

Look not down on your brother and his evil ways,

For God might forgive him his sin.

“Father, forgive them, they know not

What they do” – was His bitter cry

For his murderers and torturers –

All sinners of the deepest dye,

So, dare you question God

When a prodigal repents?

Do you think that you’re more worthy

All the wasted years you’ve spent?

Beware lest you distinguish

‘Twixt one sin and another,

Maintaining you’re more worthy

Than your poor, despised brother,

How dare you question God

When the chief of sinners bends

And finds this great salvation

That all our sin transcends!

But I’ve not killed, I have not murdered,

Never abused a child!

We can secretly think that we are more

Worthy than the paedophile,

We can pride ourselves for taking credit

For sins we have not done,

And find ourselves condemned before God

For scorning the Blood of His Son.

Therefore thou art inexcusable, Oh man,

For whosoever thou art

That judgest another, you stand condemned

And do the same things in your heart,

And do you think that thou shalt escape

The righteous judgement of God,

Despising His goodness, forbearance, long-suffering

To repentance at His word?

And you who have found repentance

For the worst sins of mankind,

Don’t run away to some dark corner

To cover your face and hide,

Almighty God’s forgiven you,

Whatever society’s said,

You’re cleansed and freed by the Blood of the Cross,

Stand before Him and raise up your head!

You are washed, sanctified, justified

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

By the Spirit of God, He can build you anew,

Lift you to the highest of heights;

His nature divine planted in you,

Yes! He can change rebels to priests,

God’s transformation miraculous

 Can fashion a saint from a beast.

Don’t let your past destroy you,

Believe the word of our God:

“Whoever shall call on the Name of the Lord,

Delivered shall be” by His Blood;

Let hell’s accusers condemn you,

Society cast you aside,

Just leave them all with Jesus

But in this truth abide.

As heaven is high above the earth

So great is His mercy towards us,

As far as the east is from the west,

So far, He’s removed our sin from us,

“Your iniquity I’ll forgive,” He says,

“And remember your sin no more,”

This is said by the God

That made sun, moon and stars,
Who divided the sea whose waves roar.

So, arise, O sinner, forgiven!

Cast the garments of sin to the floor!

Refuse to give ear to accusing without
Or guilt from within anymore!

You are rescued and God wants to make you

A servant to serve only Him,

Victorious o’er that which destroyed you,
A warrior to fight against sin.

By His great love He hath quickened us

And raised us up to sit

With Him in heavenly places

That in the ages to come we’ll be fit

To show His kindness to us through Christ,

All the riches of His Son,

To restore through us all that sin’s destroyed
From when the world begun.

These unsearchable riches of Christ

All men one day will see,

Hidden in God from the beginning of the world,

Revealed! – this mystery;

He has granted us strength by His Spirit

In our inner man with might,

The fullness of God, all the love of Christ,

All its length, breadth, depth and height!

Forgiven!

Peter Burt