Can a Psycopath get saved?

Can a Psycopath recieve Salvation?

Q: From a biblical Christian perspective, if a diagnosed psycopath like David Wood was converted by God, [now knows hes not the best highest in the world, but sees hes the lowest, and that something was wrong with him (by his testimony)], but he said he still "doesnt feel bad" for doing wrong things, [he recognizes it as wrong but has no feelings towards it....], how can he have "a contrite humble repentant heart" which Scripture seems to show of a person that takes place upon them coming to salvation (obeying the Gospel)? Based on that how can he genuinely be saved then?

A: That’s a deep and very perceptive question — and it goes right to the heart of how Christianity understands repentance, regeneration, faith, and emotion. 

Psychopathy can affect emotional regulation and empathetic responses. 

A "broken and contrite heart" refers to a deep acknowledgment of one's sinfulness and a longing for God’s forgiveness. This expression suggests that true repentance often involves feelings of sorrow, but it can differ among individuals.

Lets look...

1. Christian understanding of conversion

Salvation is entirely a work of God’s sovereign grace. A person is born again (regenerated) by the Holy Spirit, which then produces faith and repentance (John 3:3–8; Eph 2:4–9; Titus 3:5).

So, repentance and faith are fruits of regeneration — they are real, but they may not look identical in every person’s experience or emotional makeup.

2. What is “a contrite heart”?

Psalm 51:17 says,

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

A “contrite” heart means a humble, dependent, Godward heart — one that stops defending its sin, admits guilt, and turns toward God for mercy.

It does not necessarily mean that someone must feel intense emotional sorrow in the same way others do.

• Thomas Watson, a Puritan, said that repentance includes “grief for sin,” but that grief is first and foremost spiritual, not necessarily emotional — it’s an agreement with God’s verdict about sin.

• John Calvin said repentance is a “true conversion of our life to God, proceeding from sincere and serious fear of God, and consisting in the mortification of our flesh and of the old man, and the quickening of the Spirit.”

→ Notice: repentance is turning, not just feeling.

3. What about someone who lacks empathy or emotion (e.g., psychopathy)?

Psychopathy or emotional blunting can seriously affect how someone experiences guilt or remorse.

But from a biblical standpoint, salvation does not depend on emotional capacity, but on whether the Holy Spirit has truly changed the will and the mind — the heart in the biblical sense, not merely the feelings.

So if a person:

• Recognizes their sin as evil before God,

• Trusts in Christ alone for righteousness,

• Desires to obey Christ and submit to Him, even without emotional “sorrow” —

that can reflect genuine repentance and faith.

Emotions may come later, or they may not look “normal.” What matters is the new orientation of the heart: from self to Christ, from autonomy to dependence.

4. In David Wood’s case (& similar testimonies)

He himself often says something like:

“I don’t feel the way other people feel, but I know God has changed the way I think, what I value, and what I live for.”

That actually fits within Christian categories. A regenerate person may still struggle with certain remnants of their fallen psychology — the “flesh” (Romans 7) — but if the mind has been renewed (Romans 12:2) and the will has been turned toward Christ, that’s evidence of the Spirit’s work.

It’s possible for the Spirit’s renewing grace to override or sanctify the moral reasoning even when emotional empathy remains limited.

5. How then can someone like that (without emotions) be saved?

Because salvation is by grace through faith.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted” (Ps 34:18) — not meaning “those who cry the most,” but “those who know they are morally and spiritually bankrupt before God.”

True repentance = a change of mind and direction (metanoia), produced by the Spirit.

Emotional sorrow is normally part of it, but not essential to justification.

Repentance is not merely an emotional response; it's seeing sin from God’s perspective resulting in a change of purpose … away from sin.

Repentance involves a change of mind away from sin and toward God (that is, an internal change) and that repentance continues after salvation. 

Repentance is coupled with a turning — that is, not merely regret but a reorientation of life, obedience, confession, forsaking sin, etc. 

“Repentance is a gift. … when we choose to repent of our sin … it is a gift given to us by God.” 

That is, a person cannot merely “decide” or “feel bad” on their own; they need the Holy Spirit’s enabling.

So if David Wood truly believes the gospel, submits to Christ as Lord, and his life bears fruit consistent with repentance (Luke 3:8), then his salvation rests on Christ’s finished work — not on his emotional range.

6. The Role of the Holy Spirit

Converting & Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

• John 16:8: "And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment."

• John 3:3: "Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’" *Born from above [God] . 

• The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in bringing about conviction and changing the heart. This transformation is not solely based on emotional feelings but involves a deep-seated change in desire and intent.

7. In short

 

Q: I understand even us normals we cant have a perfect repentance, but Jesus our perfect Savior perfectly saves us. Yet Scripture really seems to indicates a emotion connection to salvation. I'm not saying its only emotions. But yes sorrow is an emotion. 

They were cut to the heart [emotion] and [desperation] acted to obey/recieve/trust in Jesus.

2 Cor 7:10

For godly sorrow produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world brings about death.

Acts 2:37-38

"Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?' And Peter said to them, ‘Repent

A: Yes Scripture ties emotion to salvation and repentance.

The Bible doesn’t present repentance as merely intellectual; it touches the heart deeply. Let’s hold both truths together — the emotional reality Scripture describes and the theological nuance that accounts for different human conditions (like someone with psychopathic traits).

1. Scripture does show emotional awareness in repentance

Two key passages:

Acts 2:37–38

“They were cut to the heart…”

That phrase shows a heart-level conviction — a Spirit-given awareness of sin and need.

2 Corinthians 7:10

“Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation…”

Here, “godly sorrow” (lupe kata theon) means grief according to God — sorrow that agrees with His holiness and justice.

So yes — in the normal pattern of conversion, the Spirit awakens both the mind and the heart. There’s an affective element: shame for sin, longing for mercy, joy in forgiveness. Christianity is not stoic.

2. But: “Heart” in Scripture ≠ “feelings only”

In the Bible, the heart (Heb. leb; Gk. kardia) means the core of the person — mind, will, and affections together.

So when Scripture says “cut to the heart,” that doesn’t refer only to emotion (which you noted) — it means the person’s inner self is pierced and reoriented.

In Christian understanding, this is what regeneration does: it renews the heart — the seat of reason, desire, and choice — so that a person now acknowledges God’s truth and turns to Him in trust.

So even if someone lacks ordinary emotional reactions, the Spirit can still pierce the “heart” in the biblical sense — changing their judgments, desires, and allegiance.

3. What 2 Corinthians 7:10 really contrasts

Paul contrasts two sorrows:

• Worldly sorrow = self-centered regret, shame for consequences, despair (like Judas).

• Godly sorrow = grief that turns toward God in faith (like Peter after his denial).

Notice: the difference is not how much emotion, but what direction the heart moves.

Even someone who cannot feel sorrow strongly can still turn toward God and recognize the evil of sin as God sees it — that’s “godly sorrow” in its essence.

4. In the case of someone like David Wood

For someone like David Wood, while lacking typical emotional responses associated with remorse, can still have a genuine conversion and be saved if they cognitively acknowledge their wrongdoing, recognize their need for God’s grace, and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. True repentance may manifest differently for individuals, especially those with psychopathic traits. Ultimately, it is God’s grace and transformative power that enables any believer to grow into a more Christlike character.

If he says:

“I recognize sin as evil, I trust Christ’s righteousness, I submit to Him as Lord, even though I don’t feel the emotional pangs others describe…”

Then, from a biblical point of view, we’d say:

• The Spirit has renewed his mind and will, even if his emotional faculty is partially damaged.

• His lack of emotion doesn’t mean he lacks repentance; it means his repentance expresses itself cognitively and volitionally rather than affectively.

• Over time, sanctification may awaken new kinds of emotion — perhaps gratitude, awe, or compassion — but these don’t define salvation’s validity.

5. Putting it together

 

Summary

• Normal repentance includes both mind and emotion: conviction, sorrow, and faith.

• Essential repentance is a turning of the inner person (mind, will, heart) toward God.

• Emotional expression varies by personality, culture, and even neurological condition.

• Salvation rests not on how deeply one feels, but on God converting / the reality of grace and new allegiance to Christ.

In Conclusion, 

David noted he has been transformed. He no longer wants to harm others, (varied thoughts hes had and shared, & like what he did to his father that landed him in prison). He no longer hears and thinks delusionally. It all points of God transforming him and bringing him to sanity. He said it all went away instantly, but he had some issues connected, but recenters when its brought to his attention. Just as believers do when we get away from the Word, worship and daily following Christ (walking the right path); repenting of sin and recentering by the renewing and washing of the Word; Scripture. 

While God miraculously changes us at conversion, (not every part of us instantly is perfect and fixed [we are still in fallen bodies affected by the Fall & its corruption]), but God sustains us. He changes us over time in other parts of us; many examples. But regardless we rely on Him to conform us to Christ and become more Christlike, with our capacities. 

And there's reasons God doesnt change certian things about us. An example with David is he has no emotion of fear, so he doesnt fear Islamists death threats. He keeps on preaching the truth and trying to show them the errors and flaws of Islam [which isnt allowed in Islam & the cowering West has caved to not speak about Islam and Mohamed as David does, in truth, to lead them (those bold enough to examine it) out of darkness]. When Islam is exposed as the fraud it is, they can come to salvation in Christ; the real one.