This is a question many people think about.
If your a person thinking about suicide then you need to know that this action could be one which represents a lack of true faith in Jesus Christ and therefore could place you before the throne of God without the death of Christ applied to your sins.
It is this that would place your soul in danger. For without the suffering of Christ being the payment of your sins then you are lost.
Suicide is a sin not a solution. Since it is the sin of murder it is a very serious sin. So to commit suicide is taking a very high spiritual risk and it would never be a wise or a safe way to enter into eternity.
If you are having thoughts of suicide then contact a local mental health professional, a local hospital emergency department, or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1–800–273-TALK (8255). Calls to the Lifeline are routed 24 hours a day to the crisis center closest to the caller where staff is trained to work with people who are suicidal. Get help now!
If you are a friend or family member of someone who has committed suicide then you need to know that just because your loved one committed suicide does not mean their is no hope of salvation. This one act alone would not deny a person who believed in Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior forgiveness and eternal life. So we should not give up all hope for our loved one simply because they committed suicide.
Different types of Suicide
Direct Suicide is when one intentionally desires to take his/her own life. This is the sin of murder.
Irrational Suicide is when one suffers from some mental and emotional break down and is unable any longer to know right from wrong. They have lost the means to make rational decisions and in this condition suffer the loss of their life due to some action they take. Those in an irrational state are not morally responsible for their actions. So such sad events are not sin.
Indirect suicide is when the goal is to prevent harm to others but the effect is to lose one’s life, even though one does not desire to kill themselves. This is not a sin.
Only direct suicide is a sin because it is “self-murder”.
Why do people have the idea that suicide leads to going to hell?
The idea that suicide automatically condemns someone to hell is an idea that many Christians believe to be true. The reasoning for this is:
A sin must be confessed and repented of to be forgiven
A person who commits suicide cannot confess or repent of it after this has been committed.
Therefore, direct and intentional suicide must result in eternal damnation because this sin has not been forgiven.
This is not true.
The Problem with this reasoning
If this was true of suicide then it would have to be true of all other sins.
If every sin must be confessed and repented of in a very particular way to be forgiven then only those who have confessed and repented of every particular sin will go to heaven.
Every Christian has sins they have failed to confess and repent of at the time of death. Sin includes hardness of heart, selfishness, greed, lust, and anger.
So then, if we must confess and repent of all sins to avoid hell, then all Christians will go to hell because they die with unconfessed sins of which they have not repented fully.
This clearly is not what the bible teaches. The scriptures say that heaven will be filled with so many people that they cannot be numbered from all cultures and nations. (Revelation 5:11)
So this would show that the logic that suicide is an unforgivable sin is flawed and is not true.
Why are people not sent to hell?
The questions about suicide show we are confused about why people do not go to hell.
People do not go to hell because they are justified (Declared Righteous) because of the death of Christ for them which once for all pays for all their sins. The moment they believe in Christ they move from death to life. Even this faith is a gift of God and not a good work.
No particular sin they commit after conversion can then damn them to hell (Romans 5:1-11). Therefore, suicide does not automatically damn to hell. However it could be a sign of a person not having faith in Christ. Faith in Christ changes us and gives us a new direction in life. This is not perfect but substantial. So the only question is if a person’s suicide was because they did not really know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. That is what matters when talking about heaven or hell.
The issue then is always the same. Does a person have faith in Christ and therefore their sins are paid by the sacrifice of Christ, or do they not have faith in Christ and therefore must pay for all their own sins including suicide.
Have I called upon the Living Christ to be the one that will pay for my sins or am I still depending on myself to pay for my own sins? That is the one key issue which determines hell or heaven and not the act of suicide itself.
Suicide in not the unforgivable sin nor does it immediately result in person being justly condemned to hell.
Prayer
Lord, give to those thinking about suicide new hope and the ability to see that you are at work in their lives even when things are painful and hard. Let them seek good counselors and people to help them. Lord have mercy on them and give them a desire to live.
Lord, for those mourning the death of a loved one who committed suicide then let them turn the eternal destiny of their loved one into your hands knowing you love that person more than they do. Give them a peace beyond their understanding. Take from them the false idea that they are responsible for the sinful decision of their loved one. Allow them your comfort. Amen
I am 50 years old and for many years have had MAJOR problems with stamina in past 3 years found problem is my hart I have had numerous hart attacks including but certinly not limited to 8 widow maker hartattack s on Aug 26 2014 and had open hart surgery January 2015
The loss of my job and diminished abilities has compounded the depression I have dealt with for many years
I am in fear for my soul if I were to blow my head off but I figure if I just stop taking life sustaining medications thus leaving my life in gods hands WOULD NOT BE SUICIDE
When I had that (storm) of widow maker hart attacks I was down (dead) for a combined total of 90 min I figured god must have a reason for my still being here but I can’t find that reason and the depression is so bad now there are only two thing I look toward to DIEING AND GOING TO SLEEP I quit taking these meds a 3 1/2 weeks
Doese this comdem my sole to hell?????
Dear Jeff,
My wife was hospitalized for the last month and so I have been behind in responding to things. Please forgive the slowness of this reply.
It is important that we have a clear understanding of salvation. The first thing we must understand it that we have not earned or deserved salvation by our good deeds. If judged by God’s law there is no one righteous and we wll would justly be condemned to hell (Romans 3:4-20). The reason we need a Savior is that we are lost. We cannot save ourselves.
I would recommend you watch the following video called “Falling Plates”
https://www.fallingplates.com/en/#/player
God loves us so much that is why HE solved our moral condemnation by having the Lord Jesus condemned in our place. To accept this free give of forgiveness and the presence of God in our lives we must trust in Jeus are our prophet, priest, and king. We must decide that Jesus will teach us the truth, be our one sacrifice for sin, and the leader of our life. Now our faith is not perfect but must be sincere. So the question of if you will be condemned when you die to hell depends on if you have a true and sincere relationships with Jesus as your personal, prophet, priest, and king.
Now even the prophet Elijah had a season when he wanted to die (1 Kings 19:1-14). So struggling with the idea that there is still value to our lives is something that a person of true faith can experience. The question is do you have true and sincere faith in Jesus as your prophet, priest, and king? That is what will determine your eternal destiny. Now such desire for death is a struggle of faith about if God can have a purpose in a life with so much pain. Yet, in light of the suffering of the Lord Jesus we should be careful before we decide there is no value in my pain. One of the hardest truths when facing such difficulties is the idea that God is working all things together for good (Romans 8:28).
Feel free to call the office at 954-726-2302 and tell them that I have asked to talk to you.
I would also recommend you get the following booklet on depression which you can download from this site
Lord, help there to be hope in suffering. Manifest your comfort in the middle of this pain. Provide a clear understanding of why this life is worth living. Give hope where there is now despiar.
By grace alone,
Dr. Norm
I continue to pray for you. Feel free to call me at 954-914-8650
May the Lord today give you hope and strength in the middle of your struggle. I pray that you can find rest in the middle of all you face. Amen
I thought as a catholic that to commit suicide meant one had been ”abandoned by God” and their soul sent to Hell. Is this true?
The reality is that our salvation depends on our relationship to Christ Jesus and trusting in HIM to be our ultimate source of truth and beign God in the flesh, the who paid in full for our sins on the cross, and the one who knows best how to lead us in making every decision of our lives. Whoever cries out to the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ is given forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Committing suicide would not cause a person to lose their salvation if they had that relationship with the Lord Jesus prior to this action. Individual sins cannot cause us to be abandoned by God regardless of their severity. I would urge you to read my articile again slowly and if you do you will find my answer to your question. In addition it would appear that this is not the real teaching of the Roman Catholic Churchhttp://www.catholicbridge.com/catholic/suicide-hell-catholic-teaching.php
Here is also a presentation of good news about how one come to know the Lord Jesus personally.
https://www.fallingplates.com/en#/player
i am a average looking girl with flat nose and belong to scheduled caste in india .in India being scheduled caste is crime .they are insulted till so much that they can commit suicide .on other hand India is regarded as peaceful county but satirically we are living in hell.
in that situation if i commit suicide with loosing brain then may i deserve hell?
Dear friend,
May the mercy, unconditional love and enduring strength of the Lord Jesus be with you.
I am sorry to hear of your oppression and struggle due to the prejudice and persecution the scheduled caste receives in India. Now if one actually goes into a state of being insane and is out of touch with reality then they cannot at that point be found responsible for their actions. However, when we are judged at the end of our lives all of our actions are judged, not just our final act and so no one would go to hell for just the sin of suicide, but would receive a fair judgment on their entire lives. Paul the Apostle says that no human being will be declared righteous at this day of judgment based on their performance (Romans 3:20). So to be prepared for death one has to have found an answer to this day of judgment.
The answer is found in the Lord Jesus Christ suffering our hell on the cross, being physically raised from the dead. He paid in full the punishment for our sins. By accepting HIM as your one hope of heaven and HIS suffering as payment for your moral wrong, you then are given the free gift of eternal life in joy with the LORD Jesus.
For a better understanding of this, you can see the “Jesus” film” in your own language.
Jesus Film
http://www.jesusfilm.org/film-and-media/watch-the-film
I would like to focus not just on the oppression and difficulty you face but on the moments in your life that are not filled with pain. Is there any laughter among your people? Are there moments of joy? Times of playing a game? Do you worship? Do you feel God’s presence when you worship? Life is never just the dark negatives but also has flashes of light.
The Apostle Peter gives this advice to those in your situation.
(18) Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. (19) For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. … (21) For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, (22) WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; (23) and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; (24) and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (25) For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. [1Pe 2:18-19, 21-25 NASB]
I would have you believe that God can use your life of suffering for good for many people in ways you cannot imagine. God will use all your pain and grief for good. Suicide is not a solution but a problem.
My prayer for you: Lord, Allow my sister to know your enduring grace to give her strength under her pain, persecution, and oppression. Allow her to see in the middle of her suffering the many good gifts you have provided for her. Provide for her new courage and allow there to be those of your people there who will reach out to her with encouragement and mercy. Lord, watch over your daughter. Lord have mercy. Amen
By grace alone
Dr. Norman Wise
I am a christian and i accept the lord as my savior and creator. He has helped and been with me many years. I am being held in a place i cannot escape for things i did not do, i am not as strong as Job, and i dont think suicide sends u to hell. Amen, and God bless to all
It was not the strength of Job that got Job through but the grace of God and a honest prayer life.
Watch this
Book of Job
Also try praying prayers of lament as Job prayed
How to pray honest prayers of lament
You need to read John 15:1-8 and recognize the strength you need is not your strength but the strength of Jesus in you.
What will be lost by suicide is that you will give a victory to the devil with your last action on the earth since he will rejoice in your destruction, you will fail to bring glory to God in your circumstances and honor the price paid for your sins. You have no idea what God may bring about through your struggles and you will abort the good that could come though your life. This life is your one chance in all eternity to show the truth of the gospel by your sacrifices made here. There are no sacrifices that can be made to Jesus in heaven but only here “East of Eden”.
If you are wrong in your faith that you have faith, then you would literally be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire, not for the sin of suicide but because you lack true faith. Test yourself to see if you are in the faith since suicide is not a fruit of the Spirit. That which you cannot escape from is still under the control of God and HE can deliver you or use you in the midst of your struggle.
Watch this video
Finding Daily Hope in God’s Plan for you in the Gospel
Call 911 or the Suicide hotline before you would hurt yourself
1-800-273-8255
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
God has planned a life of good works for you. We need you to stay to accomplish them.
By grace alone,
Dr. Norman Wise
Dear Dr. Norman Wise,
I am a 32 years old female and one day I unexpectedly developed a terrible disease when I was 30. The disease consists in it being difficult to breathe all the time. I saw a lot of doctors but none of them know what this disease is and how to treat it. I also have headaches and stomach ache of unknown origin all the time. I believe in the Lord Jesus and I accept Him as my Savior. I believe that God has forgiven all our sins, past and future, once we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. I know that suicide is a sin but it is so hard to live with my disease. I believe that God will save me and I will be with Him even if I commit suicide out of my own will. Do you agree with me?
The Lord alone will decide who will enter the kingdom of God. Our role is to depart from sin and give glory to God in the midst of suffering and struggle. I am sorry for the horrible illness you face but the goal of this illness, like the illness of Job in the bible is that God may work something out and not that you would give up on God’s plan for your life. Others face hard struggles and have found ways to cope with them in faith so you are not alone. See the following links.
Call 911 if you think you will harm yourself.
Rest Ministries for those in chronic pain
Joni and Friends
Also learning to pray prayers of “Lament” I think can help.
How to write your own prayer of lament
LORD, help Galyna glorify you by facing each difficult day with fresh faith and looking for the good even in the days of trouble. Send to her friends who can comfort and not condemn her. Draw near to her and help her. Amen
God bless you, thank you all, I am a 17-year-old young man from Iran who knows that Islam is less similar to the true religion of God.
Long live Christ
I would recommend you read the gospel of John written by Christ Jesus’ best friend. https://members.ptl.org/code/products.php
https://www.biblica.com/bible/niv/john/1/
An overview of the gospel of John: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/john-1-12/
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/john-13-21/
May your search for a better understanding of God in Christ continue. Amen