This week, our Middle School Pastor, Daniel Moore, answers an anonymous question:
Will a person who commits suicide go to Hell? If so, can a Christian commit suicide?
I remember when I first heard about someone committing
suicide. I was in 5th grade
and a 6th grader at our school had taken their own life. I remember trying to think through why a
person would want to do that, but I just couldn’t understand their
motivation. Over the years since then,
I’ve walked alongside a few friends who have lost parents and siblings to
suicide as well. It is a confusing and
depressing situation, especially for the family and friends that are left
behind to deal with the pain.
Before answering the question at hand, let’s try to create a
biblical framework around the idea of suicide.
Suicide is the murder of oneself, or self-murder, and because there are
explicit commands from God to not murder anyone (Ex. 20:13), we can conclude
that suicide is definitely a sin. As
humans, we are created in the image of God, which means we are made like God
and we represent God to the world. Because
we bear the image of God, our lives have dignity and value. This is why the Scriptures are so clear in
the condemnation of murder. To murder
someone, even yourself, is to place yourself in God’s position because we are
taking authority over someone’s life. We
know that the Creator God alone has ultimate authority, and therefore no
“creature” has a right to steal life, even his own.
While it is true that suicide is murder, murder is sin, and
sin separates from God; it is equally true that all sin is forgiven by grace
through faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. There is no place in Scripture that teaches
that suicide is an “unforgivable” sin.
So to answer the question, a person who commits suicide is not
automatically sent to Hell. A person’s
eternal destination is completely decided by their faith and trust in the
sacrifice of Jesus for their salvation, or on the other hand, their lack of
faith.
We must recognize that even in the brokenness of our world... God has rescued us...
Now to answer the second question, there is nothing more
paradoxical in this world than a Christian who commits suicide. A Christian has hope because they are
trusting Jesus for salvation and they have the promises of eternal life and
restoration with God. So for a Christian
to commit suicide, they are giving up hope even though they are trusting in the
God of all hope. That’s why it is a
paradox, but it does happen because of the brokenness of our world. Most of the time, despair grows as we lose
hope, and we lose hope because we transfer our satisfaction and contentment from
the eternal things of God to the temporary things of this world. There are almost always a variety of
physical, emotional, and spiritual factors (such as depression, anxiety,
despair, etc.) that lead people towards suicidal thoughts, but none of these
should ever be used as an excuse to attempt to justify the act. So in an effort to be clear, it is possible
for a person who is a Christian to commit suicide. But even in stating that, it should never be
an excuse or a license for anyone to take their own life. We must recognize that even in the brokenness
of our world where despair is so prevalent, God has rescued us and called us
out of death and into life, out of darkness and into light, out of despair and into
hope. We must base our lives on the
promises of God and the truth of the gospel, just like Paul stated in Romans
5:1-5...
If you or someone you know struggles with suicidal thoughts or feelings, please call or email the church office. We are here for you and would like to help.
church email: info@gracechurchsc.org
church phone: 864.284.0122