A south Asian man learns first-hand the truth in Jesus’ words from Matthew 18:9: “It is better for you to have only one eye and have eternal life than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”

48-year old Sapru, born and brought up in South Asia, wanted nothing to do with Christianity. The avowed atheist and equally-avid communist had many friends, most of whom, he says, were alcoholic. He drove a taxi for a living, and his drinking to relax with buddies soon grew into full-blown alcoholism.

But his Christian wife Blessey never gave up on him. She secretly prayed and meditated on scriptures every day, holding tightly to God’s promises for household salvation.

“If I had ever seen her praying or reading the bible, I would not have allowed it,” Sapru says.

Once, in an alcohol-fuelled rage after an argument with Blessey, Sapru beat her severely.  He then climbed into his taxi and careened off. He didn’t get far before colliding with a truck. The impact left him with life-threatening injuries, including a dislodged, completely destroyed left eye. An ambulance took him to hospital, where he went directly into emergency surgery.

Blessey, on hearing of the accident, rushed to the hospital with some Bibles for Mideast missionaries. They headed straight for the hospital chapel and fell to their knees. Blessey read promises from her bible and cried out to the Lord for her husband. She asked God to give me him his life back, but as a new creation.

“While the surgery was going on, my soul was wandering around trying to get a seat in heaven,” Sapru explains. “The angels did not allow me to enter into heaven, but pushed me to hell instead.”

Jesus, he says, then stepped in, rescuing him from the descent to hell.

“He held me back safe in His mighty nailed hands because of my wife’s intercession. The Lord showed me my wife and the prayer team kneeling down and praying for me with tears. And he said to me, ‘Go; be saved and baptized and live for me with your family.’”

As the surgeons worked to save him, Sapru’s heart and pulse slowed to a standstill. Doctors were ready to declare him dead when he suddenly began breathing again. He is convinced that is the exact moment when Jesus allowed his spirit to return to his body.

“It is better for you to lose an eye,” he heard Jesus say to him, “than to have both your eyes and be thrown into hell. Let this be your testimony in witnessing for me.”

Sapru confessed to his wrong ways, accepted Jesus as his personal savior and Lord and within days was baptized in water.

 “I recovered, but my left eye has been totally removed,” he says. “I don’t worry about it, because the Lord wants me to be with Him in heaven. Praise the Lord for His wonderful love.”

“Though I have only one eye, I can easily drive the car now. My boss, a believer in Jesus gave me a car to drive for him. I have two sons. I am so happy to see them rejoicing in the Lord because of my conversion and activities in ministries.”