Does God Forgive Murderers?

Does God forgive murderers?

Introduction

It can be difficult to wrap our heads around the forgiveness and grace of God.

When there is so much evil around us in the world, sometimes we can wonder if God truly could forgive such terrible acts.

For instance, does God really forgive murderers?

We’re going to take a look at how the Bible views murder and whether God could truly forgive something as horrible as taking another person’s life.

What is murder?

The question of what murder truly is, probably seems like a simple question.

It’s the taking of someone else’s life. However, in light of the Bible, a murder takes on a whole new meaning.

The Bible views murder in a different light because of the way that the Bible understands humanity.

The Bible views humans as special, separate from the rest of God’s creation, for one specific reason.

In Genesis, we see that God created human beings different from the rest of His creation.

He created us in His image, meaning that we were created to represent God and portray His likeness to everything around us.

By the way, we live, we are meant to represent the image of God and be like Him in nature, spreading His divine life everywhere we go.

This, in fact, is what gives human beings their inherent worth.

Your worth is not determined by who you are or what you do, but rather by the image that has been stamped upon you from your inception: the image of Almighty God.

This is an amazing truth when it comes to the worlds of identity and self-worth because we no longer have to feel like we have to live up to a certain standard or be a certain way to have worth. However, it also has implications for this topic of murder.

Killing a human being is not the same as killing an animal or a plant.

Rather, when someone murders someone else, they are murdering another representative of God that bears His image on this earth.

This is why the Bible takes murder so seriously and why we should also take it as a very serious act.

Taking the life of someone else and ending the earthly existence of an image of God is not something we should be able to do, yet it happens because of sin.

This is the true weight of murder, according to the Bible.

Another kind of murder

Interestingly enough, although murder was considered one of the worst sins to commit, Jesus, while He was on earth, took the command not to murder to a whole new level.

He said that though you shouldn’t murder, you should also not hate someone.

Jesus equated being hateful towards another person to the act of murdering them.

That should be profound in our lives, considering how easy we find it to dislike and hold bitterness towards others.

Jesus says it’s as bad as murder.

How can this be?

Surely if we are weighing sins, God would rather me hate someone than actually go and physically kill them, right?

Although this may be true in the physical and practical sense, don’t forget that God is more concerned about the heart.

Reading the book of 1 John may shed some light on this issue.

In 1 John, we see how emphasized it is that God is love and that He is a God of love.

We also read extensively that those who follow Him should be characterized by love in all that we do.

Therefore, if followers of God hate someone, it is the very antithesis of what it means to be a Christ-follower.

This is why showing hatred toward someone is so warned against.

Instead, we should show love to all, including those who despise us. After all, isn’t that what Jesus did on the cross?

READ MORE: When Do We Go to Heaven?

Does God forgive murderers? Are they forgiven?

So, now that we have a better understanding of the concept of murder from a biblical perspective, does God forgive murderers?

The simple answer is that God forgives everyone if they come to Him, so yes, He does even forgive murderers.

The Bible tells us that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

There are no exceptions or rules that single out certain people that have committed certain sins.

Instead, it says that He who is in Christ becomes a new creation and everything that they did in their old life passes away.

Even murderers can be saved by the matchless and amazing love and grace of God.

After all, we must remember that it is not dependent upon us to be saved, but instead, it is based on God Himself.

Nothing we could ever do could separate us from the love of God, according to Paul. Therefore, every sinner can be saved, no matter what sins they have committed.

READ MORE: Is cutting your hair a sin?

A case study

A great example to look at in the Scriptures of this very thing happening is that of Paul himself.

Paul, when he was still called Saul, was actually a persecutor of Christians.

He would hunt down Christians, jail them, and even kill them for their faith.

In his eyes, their faith was blasphemy against the God that they claimed to believe in.

He felt that he was doing the work of God by killing them for it.

However, while he was on a journey, he encountered the presence of Jesus for himself and was saved by God’s grace.

Even Paul, a murderer, was saved by the grace of God, forgiven of his sins, and then was used as an amazing tool for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

If anything, Paul is one of the greatest testaments that we have to just how powerful God’s grace is.

Surely, if God can save Paul and accept him by the blood of Christ, he can save you and me, no matter what we’ve done.

Will God punish murderers even if they repent?

Based on God’s Word, anyone who repents, including a murderer, by accepting Jesus Christ, confessing their sins, and turning away from their evil ways will be saved.

That means all their sins are forgiven, and their old record is wiped off.

They have become a new creature, offered a new slate to begin a new journey in Christ.

However, anyone operating in this world is under its systems and the government and must obey them.

Romans 13:1 says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” 

Different systems have been put in place by rulers and governments of this world. For example, there are economic systems, judiciary systems, etc. The judiciary system can execute judgment based on the written law governing a nation. 

There are different degrees of punishment for murderers within the confines of the law, based on the circumstances surrounding the event.

For example, a murderer might be sentenced to life imprisonment, executed, or sentenced to prison for some years. Therefore, even though God is kind and good and will forgive even the worst sinner, the judiciary system has the authority to punish murderers. 

Romans 13:3 says, “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.” 

God has given them the authority to maintain law and order. So, while some of our actions might be considered sins, they can also be punished by law if they affect the well-being of society.

So, what do you do as a repentant murderer?

You must accept that Jesus has saved you after you have genuinely repented.

Then, submit to the authority of the land. Romans 13:2 says, “Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” 

Resisting arrest and prosecution is a sign that you have not truly repented. 

The lives of certain biblical characters show that God can still punish or chastise us for our wrongs or disobedience even though He loves and forgives us.

For example, God told Moses he would not enter the Promised Land because he disobeyed God’s command by striking a rock instead of speaking to it (Numbers 20:7–11).

That does not mean that God did not forgive his sin. But God laid an example to others that he is not partial. 

According to Hebrews 12:6, “the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Correction is a part of God’s love.

In fact, God does not love you or consider you His child if He ignores your sins or mistakes.

Anytime God shows us with a rod of correction, He teaches us new things and helps us to become better Christians.

Therefore, a murderer will be forgiven after asking for forgiveness. However, he will still experience divine chastening and punishment by the systems and authority of the nation he is in.

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