Last week, I wrote about what the Bible says about life and death. This week, I want to address a different circumstance of that: suicide. This is a topic that we at Worldview Warriors have been asked about at various times and in various ways, so we want to address it for those of you struggling with this - whether pondering suicide yourself, or struggling with a loved one who committed suicide.
Some people seem to believe that suicide is an unforgivable sin, and because of it that person would definitely not go to heaven. What does the Bible say about that? Nothing that I can find. The determining factor of whether a person goes to heaven or to hell is their faith in Jesus, not the cause of their death. It can be argued that the act of committing suicide is done because one loses faith in Jesus, but again the Bible does not speak specifically to that. We know that God is the ultimate Judge and the one to decide the fate of every human being, and we have to trust that He is loving and just.
There are stories in the Bible of people committing suicide, or making someone kill them (which is basically the same thing). In 1 Samuel 31, Saul fell on his own sword and killed himself, rather than face being captured by the Philistines. At the end of Judges 9, Abimelech makes his armor bearer kill him, rather than be killed due to injuries incurred by a woman. In Judges 16, Samson commits suicide (as well as the murder of thousands of Philistines) by literally bringing down the house. In Matthew 27:1-5, Judas Iscariot killed himself out of the guilt of betraying Jesus.
God isn’t interested in finding technicalities to keep people out of heaven, like the method in which a person dies. He fully desires for everyone to join Him in heaven for all eternity (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). He loves and highly values EVERY person, including you! God desires to have relationship with us and has made each one of us for a good purpose (Romans 8:28).
In this world, there will be sin. There will be bad stuff that happens. There will be things that may make it difficult to see how you can go on with life. (For more on why, check out this post that I wrote a few years ago on that topic or this post last year by Charlie Wolcott.) But, Jesus has overcome the world! He has promised to always be with us, through whatever struggles we may face. Here are just some of promises God made to us to assure us of His presence with us:
Jesus tells us in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
We know that God will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Jesus will be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20).
Even though we walk through dark places, we don’t need to fear because He is with us (Psalm 23:4).
Not even death can separate us from the love of God when we have faith in Him (Romans 8:38-39).
God is greater than anything we face in this world (1 John 4:4).
God will be with us, strengthen us, and help us, because He is our God (Isaiah 41:10).
God is near to us when even we’re suffering, and He will deliver us (Psalm 34:18-19).
The best way to deal with the hopelessness that suicide stems from is to renew your hope in Jesus, the only one who is truly worth hoping in. If you are considering suicide, please get appropriate help such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Also, reach out to fellow believers, to strengthen your relationship with Christ through their encouragement. Find a local Bible-believing church to encourage you and help you grow in your faith. If you don’t have anyone close to you that you can reach out to regarding this, please contact us here at Worldview Warriors! Connect with us on Facebook, leave a comment on this (or any) blog post, or get ahold of us through our website. We will help encourage you with God’s truth, about this or whatever struggle you may be having.
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