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by Steve Risner

This week I was hoping to change gears and, for once, write in tandem with Katie and her blog post concerning what the Bible says about suicide. This topic is near and dear to me and, unfortunately, for many others as well it's hit fairly close to home. Coincidentally and tragically, as of the writing of this blog post, there were two celebrities who took their own lives last week. People who seemingly have it all—fame, power, money—they're living the dream life, right? But they're empty inside. Their hearts were lacking something. However, I feel there are some misconceptions about suicide that I would like to address. Thank you for taking the time to read...

In 2016, there were something like 45,000 suicides! That's nearly twice the number of homicides and has increased around 30% in most places in the U.S. Keep in mind, as well, that successful suicides are dwarfed by the number of attempted suicides by some 25 times. Suicide is currently the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Montana, for some reason, leads the nation at about twice the national average. Among 15-35 year old Americans, it's the second leading cause of death! (Click here for more statistics.) Holy cow! What's going on?! Unfortunately, I believe this is another symptom of the lack of Christ in our culture, but let's move on.

A very dear friend of mine that my wife and I were able to witness to, bring to church, and watch find Jesus Christ back when Michelle and I were newly married took her own life recently. We were shocked and devastated. We couldn't believe it or understand it at all. We had no idea anything was going on and we were just broad sided. But her husband's take on it changed my concept of suicide a little. He believed she took her life not because she was being selfish but selfless. I understand this is not always the case, so please don't misunderstand me. But she didn't want her family to have to deal with her in the condition she was in. In her state of depression, she believed she would not recover and that taking her life would be the easiest thing for her family to deal with. Of course, no one else believed this and it's clear she wasn't thinking correctly, but in her state, this made sense to her.

This beautiful person's mind broke (these are the words of her husband). It was no different than if her heart stopped working or her liver shut down. Now, I realize some people won't accept something like that. They'll feel the need to attack this person or explanation or even declare that she's incapable of dancing before her Savior for all eternity because of this. However, this is not in line with Scripture at all and demonstrates, to me, a shallow understanding of the work of Christ on the cross. This wonderful person was a believer. She loved Jesus Christ intensely. She worked hard to raise her daughter in the ways of the Lord and her witness was instrumental in her entire extended family finding Christ. She was forgiven. It was a done deal when Christ entered her heart.

No one is arguing about the terrible nature of the act of suicide. Taking someone's life is murder, whether it's your life or someone else's. No one is suggesting suicide is not a bad thing—a sin. However, we all sin and no sin carries more weight than another. Someone who lies is forgiven if they find Christ, even if they lie again. Someone who covets his neighbor's property is forgiven if he finds Christ, even if they covet again. A person that takes a life is forgiven if they find Jesus and make Him Lord of their lives... even if they take another life. That may be hard to swallow, but the fact that we all sin before and after we turn our lives over to Christ is indisputable. We all sin. So suggesting, “This person destroyed an image bearer of God” or some other spiritual gobbledygook is meaningless.

This sin, like nearly all others, is not unforgivable. And Christ's forgiveness is not a future event or an event that occurs after we sin. The Savior of mankind died on the cross for my sin and yours 2000 or so years ago. He rose from the dead 3 days later. It's a done deal, folks. When I found Christ, that was not the moment my sins were forgiven; it was the moment I began to walk in that forgiveness. So if I were to sin right now and then die seconds later, I have no fear that my eternity would be spent face to face with the Creator of all and the lover of my soul. Otherwise, we could never be sure of our salvation because we could accidentally sin and die unexpectedly without getting forgiveness. This is in line with Colossians 2:13-14. Paul tells us that when we put our faith in Christ, He forgave us all our sins—ALL of them. Not just the sins we had committed prior to finding Him. His sacrifice was final and complete. So, for me anyway, the idea that suicide means you've committed some sin you couldn't be forgiven of is a catastrophic failure to understand foundational principles of Christianity.

Others will suggest that a person who takes their own life, if they were a believer, has apparently given up on their Lord. They've lost faith in Him so they desired to stop living rather than allow Him to walk with them through whatever they were dealing with. I don't feel this is the case at all, although not every situation is the same. I'm sure this could be the case in some circumstances, but certainly not all and I don't feel comfortable being the judge concerning it. I'll leave that between God and the person in question.

Going back to an earlier point: often times the brain of a person who is in the deepest despair or depression cannot reason properly. This means trying to figure out exactly what happened or what the person was thinking is not possible. Your brain runs on electricity and chemistry. If the chemistry is terribly out of balance, it will literally not be possible to think clearly or control your thoughts. Have you ever heard advertisements on television or radio for a new medication that includes, as a side effect, thoughts of suicide or worsening depression? See the connection? Please don't take this to mean I'm saying someone isn't responsible for their actions. Of course we are held accountable. However, I will leave God alone to judge the person as He stands before them. One thing I am sure of—if the person was a follower of Christ, regardless of what sin they may have committed just before they died, they're praising God in the throne room of the Almighty.

Suicide is a major problem. It's on the rise and it's not looking good. The only real hope to change this is Jesus Christ. Taking a life, whether another person's or your own, is murder and a sin. However, if someone is a follower of Christ, all of their sins have been forgiven if we are to trust God's Word. This includes the sin of murder (as well as any other sin one may commit). Taking a life is not an unpardonable offense. However, there is always a better way. If you have contemplated suicide, please understand there is a better way to handle whatever your situation may be. Jesus loves you and so do a great number of people, and we all want to help. For those of us who may not struggle with these thoughts, be aware that often times a person dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts cannot or will not talk about it. If you see some strange behavior or a red flag, approach the person in love and with grace. We have to try to stop this epidemic.

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