Question:
Please help me help a young lady who is being told that because her Mother committed suicide that she is no longer a Christian and is in Hell. Will suicide send you to Hell? I need Biblical references to show her that it doesn’t. Thank you for your help.
Answer:
There is only one sin that God cannot forgive — the sin of unbelief in His Son, Jesus Christ. John 3:16-18 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, BECAUSE HE HATH NOT BELIEVED IN THE NAME OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD.”
Suicide is a sin. It is “self-murder.” The sin of suicide should not be taken lightly, like the taking of any life should not be taken lightly. But like with any sin of a Christian, it is forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ. I John 1:7 says, “…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son CLEANSETH US FROM ALL SIN.”
There is a sad example of a believer in the Bible taking his own life. I Samuel 31:3-5 says, “And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers. Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. THEREFORE SAUL TOOK A SWORD, AND FELL UPON IT. And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.”
King Saul was wounded, and decided to kill himself, lest he become the Philistine’s captive. Notice how our sin always affects others. Romans 14:7 says, “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” Look what King Saul’s armourbearer did after the king killed himself. He did the same thing — he committed suicide, too. “And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.” Before we give up hope and take our lives, we need to think about how that will affect our loved ones and friends.
If we go back before that battle with the Philistines, we find that King Saul is not getting his prayers answered. So instead of waiting upon God and confessing his sin, King Saul goes to a witch for information. I Samuel 28:5-19 “And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day. Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and TO MORROW SHALT THOU AND THY SONS BE WITH ME: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”
You will notice that Samuel said that King Saul was going to be with him tomorrow. Where was Samuel? In heaven. King Saul would be in heaven, but earlier than he should have gone. His disobedience would cause his early death. Such is the case with disobedient Christians today, too. God may take them home early, because He cannot trust them down here to obey. I Corinthians 11:28-32 says, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. FOR THIS CAUSE MANY ARE WEAK AND SICKLY AMONG YOU, AND MANY SLEEP. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But WHEN WE ARE JUDGED, WE ARE CHASTENED OF THE LORD, THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE CONDEMNED WITH THE WORLD.”
As Christians, we do not face the same condemnation that the world faces (eternity in hell), but we do face the possibility of an early death if we are disobedient. The Bible describes that as being saved, but with no heavenly rewards. I Corinthians 3:11-15 says, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. IF ANY MAN’S WORK SHALL BE BURNED, HE SHALL SUFFER LOSS: BUT HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; YET SO AS BY FIRE.”