Jesus Christ can show His grace and mercy even to an atheist who is an alcoholic and a wife-beater.

Sapru, a 48-year-old taxi driver, testified to this, saying he had an encounter with Jesus at a time when his life was hovering between life and death after a road accident, according to God Reports.

Moments before the accident occurred, Sapru got drunk, quarrelled with his Christian wife Blessey and severely beat her. He then left the house, got into his taxi and sped off.

Because he was driving under the influence, he inadvertently crashed into a lorry, seriously injuring himself. "My left eye came out and was totally destroyed," he says. "I saw death face to face."

Upon learning of the accident, Blessey rushed to the hospital where her husband was taken. She was joined by some Christian missionaries.

Sapru recalls seeing his wife by his bedside reading the Bible aloud and crying out to the Lord to heal him.

To save his life, doctors performed emergency surgery. It was at this point that Sapru had his near-death experience.

"My soul was wandering to get a seat in heaven," he remembers. "The angels would not allow me to enter into heaven but pushed me toward hell."

However, because of his wife's prayer, Sapru believes Jesus showed him His grace and mercy.

He recalls seeing his wife and the Christian missionaries kneeling and praying for him with tears in their eyes.

The sight melted his heart. Jesus then told him: "Go, be saved and be baptised and live for me with your family."

Sapru then felt his soul returning back to his body in the operating table, and he started breathing.

Jesus spoke to him again, telling him, "It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell. Let it be a testimony of yours for witnessing about me."

The surgeons had to remove his badly damaged left eye during the surgery. But Sapru says it's alright "because the Lord wants me to be with Him in heaven without an eye."

Shortly after being discharged from the hospital, Sapru confessed all his sins, accepted Jesus as his Lord and saviour, and was baptised.

Even though he only has one eye, Sapru is still able to drive his taxi.

After finding out what happened to him, his employer also turned to Jesus and gave him his own car to drive.

Sapru now lives happily with his wife and their two sons. "I am so happy to see them rejoicing in the Lord because of my conversion and ministry activities," he says.