Q: If A Person Commits Suicide — Are They Lost?
Q: If a person commits suicide – Christian or non-Christian, are they lost?
A: This question concerning suicide continues to be asked in Christendom, because true believers have love ones that they ‘honestly’ believe, had sincerely accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and yet committed suicide. It has emotionally tormented (to some extent) their Christian parents, and they seek a word of comfort.
This is my view on the subject matter, and I’ve been asked about this subject several times over the years, and know of Christian families that have experienced this pain:
According to the Bible, whether a person commits suicide is not what determines whether he or she gains entrance into heaven. If an unsaved person commits suicide, he or she has done nothing but “expedite” their journey to the lake of fire. However, the person who committed suicide will ultimately end up in the Lake of Fire at the Great White Throne Judgment for rejecting salvation through Christ, not because they committed suicide. The Bible mentions four specific people who committed suicide: Saul (1 Samuel 31:4), Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23), Zimri (1 Kings 16:18), and Judas (Matthew 27:5). Each of them were wicked, evil, sinful men. The Bible views suicide as equal to murder – that’s what it is – self-murder. God is the One who is to decide when and how a person should die. To take that power into your own hands, according to the Bible, is blasphemy to God.
What does the Bible say about a Christian who commits suicide? I put myself in the category of Biblical expositors that do not believe that a Christian who commits suicide will lose their salvation and be eternally loss. The Bible teaches that from the moment a person truly believes in Christ, he or she is eternally secure (John 3:16). According to the Bible, Christians can know beyond any doubt that they possess eternal life no matter what happens. “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).
The Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:38-39), “Nothing can separate a Christian from God’s love! For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus died for all of our sins…and if a true Christian were to, in a time of spiritual attack and weakness, commit suicide – that would be a sin that Jesus died for. I’m of the opinion, that a Christian can be under such an attack (mentally), that the wicked one can and will bring all sorts of thought to that individual’s mind. That’s why the Word of God informs us to “KEEP OUR MINDS STAYED ON GOD’S WORD AND IT WILL -IN ALL CASES- BRING US PERFECT (COMPLETE) PEACE!!! [Again…] I’m of the opinion that Christians (and only God knows if they were born again) that spend quality time in the presence of the Anointed One, never really contemplate such a thing to the point that they plot how to carry it out. This isn’t to say that WE don’t battle wicked thoughts in our minds, because believe you-me, WE DO; I simply refuse to give the satanic thought ‘life’ to take root in my thought patterns. When these thought attack my mind, I always flood my mind with God’s Love and the things that are holy, pure, lovely, of a good report, etc. It works EVERY TIME…I decree this to be the Biblical formula for ungodly thoughts — for a season, until the next demonic attack against my mind, then back to square one and another victory. Simply stated, GOD’S WORD WORKS (EVERY TIME); Hallelujah …smile!!!
Without being too lengthy in my dissertation, I’ll conclude with a statement that a Bible teacher once said that truly was a blessing to my life on this subject matter, “I’ll never say that suicide is not a serious sin against God. According to the Bible, suicide is murder, it is always wrong. I would have serious doubts about the genuineness of faith of anyone who claimed to be a Christian yet committed suicide. There is no circumstance that can justify someone, especially a Christian, taking his or her own life. Christians are called to live their lives for God – the decision on when to die is God’s and God’s alone. Perhaps a good way to illustrate suicide for a Christian would be from the Book of Esther. In Persia, they had a law that anyone who came before the king uninvited could be put to death unless the king extended his scepter towards the person – indicating mercy. Suicide for a Christian would be forcing your way in to see the King instead of waiting for Him to summon you.”