Are you feeling that life isn't worth living anymore? Do your problems seem too big to handle? Does it seem that no one cares? Sometimes these feelings of despair or apathy cause people to think about suicide. What does the Bible say?
Suicide is not a new idea. The Bible records seven suicides.
AbimelechJudges 9:52-54 Abimelech lacked personal identity.
SamsonJudges 16:25-30 Samson died for a cause he believed in and for revenge.
Saul1 Samuel 31:4 Saul was stressed out, unable to live up to certain expectations; felt rejected and a failure
Saul's armor-bearer1 Samuel 31:5 Impulse, he wanted to die with his boss. 40% of teenage suicide is impulse.
Ahithophel2 Samuel 17:23 Ahithophel was bitter because his advice was not followed.
Zimri1 Kings 16:15-20 Rebellion; Zimri had a problem with authority.
JudasMatthew 27:3-5 Depressed, Judas felt trapped by materialism and guilt.
But what does the bible say about takeing your own life?
God has a great plan for your life. God has created us in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). He created us for a purpose. God has a specific plan in mind for everyone.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
God's plan is for life, not death. The Bible teaches that both physical and spiritual death are the result of our sin and disobedience to God, but eternal life is a gift to those who receive it.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
Jesus taught that death and destruction are the work of “the thief” (Satan). He said,
The thief comes only to steal and destroy (John 10:10).
John 8:44 says that Satan is a “murderer” and the “father of lies.” The feelings of despair that lead to suicide are caused by some of his lies.
Jesus wants us to have life. He said:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10).
Life belongs to God. It is never our place to take our own life or someone else's life.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
If suicide isn't the answer then what is?
The solution to despair and hopelessness is not suicide, but faith in God.
We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you (Psalms 33:20-22).
Christ promises that He will give us rest from our problems.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).
Tell someone. Tell your parents, your brother or sister, your teacher or school counselor, your pastor or youth minister that you are thinking about suicide. If a friend tells you that he or she is serious about suicide, then you need to tell someone who is responsible and can help.
Accept Christ's free gift of eternal life and salvation, if you haven't already. Romans 10:13 says:
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
John 1:12 says:
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
When we accept Christ, God gives us a brand-new life and sees us as completely holy and righteous.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17).
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Because of God's salvation through the death of Jesus on the cross, we can have assurance of eternal life with God.
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)
Are there bible exampls and how to deal with it?
The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?” (Proverbs 18:14
“I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word” (Psalm 119:25).
There are numerous biblical references to depression, one of the human race's most common and distressing afflictions. It is likely that the first humans to experience depression were Adam and Eve, after they sinned against God.
Examples of people in the Bible who suffered bouts of depression
Abraham (Genesis 15)
Jonah (Jonah 4)
Job (Book of Job)
Elijah (1 Kings 19)
King Saul (I Samuel 16:14-23, etc.)
Jeremiah (Book of Jeremiah)
David (Psalms 6, 13, 18, 23, 25, 27, 31, 32, 34, 37-40, 42-43, 46, 51, 55, 62-63, 69, 71, 73, 77, 84, 86, 90-91, 94-95, 103-104, 107, 110, 116, 118, 121, 123-124, 130, 138, 139, 141-143, 146-147)
King David's prayer.
Chapter 38
1 O lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.
6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.
10 My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.
12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.
13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15 For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.
17 For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.
19 But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.
21 Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.
22 Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.
Depression due to guilt.
CAIN, son of Adam (having disobeyed God)
“Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.’”
-Genesis 4:6-7 (NIV)
DAVID, King of Israel (having committed adultery was depressed until he confessed his sin)
"When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
-Psalm 32:3-4
Release from depression caused by guilt came from confession and seeking God's forgiveness…
"For I said in my haste, 'I am cut off from before Your eyes'; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried out to You. Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. …I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
-Psalm 31:22 - 32:2, 32:5 (NKJV)
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 - NKJV).
David's humble prayer for forgiveness (an example for us all)
“Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight; That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. …For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart; These, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:1-13, 16-17 - NKJV
When you're depressed place your hope in God.
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. …For You are the God of my strength…” (Psalm 42:5, 43:2 - NKJV).
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."
-Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13 - NKJV)
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy; meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:4-8 - NKJV).
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
Although things may be difficult, Christians can avoid deep depression.
We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed… Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 16-18 - NIV).
Remember what Jesus Christ went through for us. Remember what the apostle Paul experienced, yet remained focused on the eternal rather than the temporary. When we maintain faith and keep our focus on God's love and the hope He has given us for eternity, Christians can weather the storms of life. It can be done.
Paul — "…I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches."
—2 Corinthians 11:23b-28 (NIV)
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
—Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
(letter)
Why did God make some people ugly and others good looking? It’s not fair. I find myself looking in the mirror and wondering why I have to be so ugly and have such an ugly body when all my friends are pretty and have nice bodies. Why was God unfair to me like this?”
—Erin
Thank you for your honesty, Erin. I know a lot of teenagers feel the same way you do. You are obviously angry at God because you believe that He has cheated you by not giving you a better face and body.
And because you’ve been honest and direct with me, let me be honest with you—God doesn’t deal with us unfairly. He deals with us only in love. If He dealt with fairness we would never be born. Instead, He would judge us for all the sins He know we will commit. The fact you are alive and healthy means God has been gracious with you.
Iam ugly why was God so unfair to me this way?
(letter)
Why did God make some people ugly and others good looking? It’s not fair. I find myself looking in the mirror and wondering why I have to be so ugly and have such an ugly body when all my friends are pretty and have nice bodies. Why was God unfair to me like this?”
—Erin
Thank you for your honesty, Erin. I know a lot of teenagers feel the same way you do. You are obviously angry at God because you believe that He has cheated you by not giving you a better face and body.
And because you’ve been honest and direct with me, let me be honest with you—God doesn’t deal with us unfairly. He deals with us only in love. If He dealt with fairness we would never be born. Instead, He would judge us for all the sins He know we will commit. The fact you are alive and healthy means God has been gracious with you.
While God loves you, He also has some advice for you about you anger toward Him. Look at God’s word—in Isaiah 45:9,10:
Woe to the man who fights with his Creator. Does the pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with him who forms it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ or the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’ Woe to the baby just being born who squalls to his father and mother, ‘Why have you produced me? Can’t you do anything right at all?’ (TLB).
It is true of course, that some people are more attractive than others—when it comes to a body or a face. But our society puts way too much emphasis on the body and not enough on the inside. God doesn’t do that. Remember what God told Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7…
Don’t judge by a man’s face or height… I don’t make decisions the way you do! Men judge by outward appearance but I look at a man’s thoughts and intentions (TLB).
If being good-looking is important to God, then Jesus Christ would have been a real hunk, right? But he wasn’t. In Isaiah 53:2, Jesus was described this way:
In our eyes there was no attractiveness at all, nothing to make us want him (TLB).
You see, Erin, Jesus wasn’t good looking, yet He rocked the world because he walked with God.
That’s what you need to concentrate on, Erin—walking with God. He has a plan for you and your body is part of that plan. Maybe He wants you to work somehow with so-called “average-looking people,” helping them develop on the inside where God really looks. And believe me, God is still working on who you are on the inside, Erin. Give him a chance to do what He’s going to do.
Instead of asking your question—“Why am I not more beautiful on the outside?” ask this question: “How can I cooperate with God to help me become more beautiful on the inside?”
If you do that you’ll be OK. I promise
If God Knows Iam hurting. why doesn't he help me?
Letter)
I wish I could say that I believe in Jesus Christ, that He loves me and cares, but I no longer believe that.
From a mother who is vicious and has wrecked my adoptive family to the death of my adoptive brother, I no longer believe.
I even find myself wondering if God really exists. I look around at all the Christians who say that they help people who don't know how to ask for it, but they have not even noticed my pain.
If God loved or cared for me, He'd at least help, wouldn't He? But no help has come! Why? God doesn't love me!
—Anna
Oh, Anna, your letter is so painful! I can't fully understand—and no one really can—how deeply you hurt.
You're caught up in three devastating feelings: hurt, abandonment, and doubt.
It can't be easy to have a “vicious mother” or to go through all the devastation and pain that comes with losing someone you love.
And there's one thing very certain about what's happening in your life right now. It will change you. For better or for worse, it will change you. During difficult times, you either get stronger in your relationship with Christ or you get weaker. You never stay the same.
But in the middle of such agony and pain, it's hard to see things clearly. It may even be difficult to see God's love. I think about Job, a man in the Old Testament who went through difficult times. He lost his whole family, virtually everything he owned, and went through sickness. He felt like you do now, Anna.
Look at what Job said during his difficult times:
If I go to the east, God is not there; if I go to the west, I do not see Him. When He is at work in the north, I catch no sight of Him; when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him (Job 23:8-9).
And I want you to understand, Anna, exactly what Job later understood: That no matter what you feel or what happens, God does exist and He deeply loves you. No matter how awful things become, no matter what happens, we can never be separated from God's love.
Scene from God's StoryBut you are right, Anna. Christians will let us down even at some of the most critical and difficult times. Jesus learned this the hard way. When He was arrested—for no crime at all—and was about to be killed on a cross, all His disciples, His closest friends, ran away. They left Him at His darkest hour.
When Christians fail you, though, that doesn't mean that God forgets you. He doesn't. He has a plan for you, Anna. So even in the middle of all your heartbreak, tell God. “I'm going to hold on and wait for You to show me Your kindness and Your love, no matter what happens.”
I want you to be able to say what the Psalmist said in Psalm 27:14,
Wait for the Lord's help. Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord's help.
If you do that, Anna, I know what will happen. You will come out of all the pain and be a much stronger person. You will say what Job said:
But God knows the way that I take, and when He tested me. I will come out like gold (Job 23:10).
So hang on, Anna, I know you can make it.
why do innocent people suffer?
This is one of the most difficult questions for Christians to answer.
The “problem of pain,” as the well-known Christian scholar, C.S. Lewis, once called it, is atheism's most potent weapon against the Christian faith.
All true science and history, if rightly understood, support the fact of God. This evidence is so strong that, as the Bible says: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).
Most atheists, therefore, without any objective evidence on which to base their faith in “no God”, must resort finally to philosophical objections. And this problem of suffering is the greatest of these.
That is, they say, how can a God of love permit such things in His world as war, sickness, pain, and death, especially when their effects often are felt most keenly by those who are apparently innocent? Either He is not a God of love and is indifferent to human suffering, or else He is not a God of power and is therefore helpless to do anything about it. In either case, the Biblical God who is supposedly one of both absolute power and perfect love becomes an impossible anachronism. Or so they claim!
This is a real difficulty, but atheism is certainly not the answer, and neither is agnosticism. While there is much evil in the world, there is even more that is good. This is proved by the mere fact that people normally try to hang on to life as long as they can. Furthermore, everyone instinctively recognizes that “good” is a higher order of truth than “bad”.
We need also to recognize that our very minds were created by God. We can only use these minds to the extent that He allows, and it is, therefore, utterly presumptuous for us to use them to question Him and His motives.
“Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25).
“Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, why hast Thou made me thus?” (Romans 9:20).
We ourselves do not establish the standards of what is right. Only the Creator of all reality can do that. We need to settle it, in our minds and hearts, whether we understand it or not, that whatever God does is, by definition, right.
Having settled this by faith, we are then free to seek for ways in which we can profit spiritually from the sufferings in life as well as the blessings. As we consider such matters, it is helpful to keep the following great truths continually in our minds.
There is really no such thing as the “innocent” suffering.
Since “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), there is no one who has the right to freedom from God's wrath on the basis of his own innocence.
As far as babies are concerned, and others who may be incompetent mentally to distinguish right and wrong, it is clear from both Scripture and universal experience that they are sinners by nature and thus will inevitably become sinners by choice as soon as they are able to do so.
The world is now under God's Curse (Genesis 3:17) because of man's rebellion against God's Word.
This “bondage of corruption,” with the “whole world groaning and travailing together in pain” (Romans 8:21, 22), is universal, affecting all men and women and children everywhere. God did not create the world this way, and one day will set all things right again. In that day, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain” (Revelation 21:4).
Learn about how much Jesus Christ sufferedThe Lord Jesus Christ, who was the only truly “innocent” and “righteous” man in all history, nevertheless has suffered more than anyone else who ever lived.
And this He did for us! “Christ died for our sins” (I Corinthians 15:3). He suffered and died, in order that ultimately He might deliver the world from the Curse, and that, even now, He can deliver from sin and its bondage anyone who will receive Him in faith as personal Lord and Savior. This great deliverance from the penalty of inherent sin, as well as of overt sins, very possibly also assures the salvation of those who have died before reaching an age of conscious choice of wrong over right.
With our full faith in God's goodness and in Christ's redemption, we can recognize that our present sufferings can be turned to His glory and our good.
The sufferings of unsaved men are often used by the Holy Spirit to cause them to realize their needs of salvation and to turn to Christ in repentance and faith. The sufferings of Christians should always be the means of developing a stronger dependence on God and a more Christ-like character, if they are properly “exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12:11).
Thus, God is loving and merciful even when, “for the present,” He allows trials and sufferings to come in our lives.
“For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
How can I feel forgiven?
Forgive and forget” is how the old saying goes. But is it that simple?
A boy who was dumped by his girlfriend says, "She really hurt my feelings. How can I ever forgive her for what she did to me?"
A girl whose father sexually abused her for years asks, "Why should I forgive him for that?"
The drug dealer who wants to turn his life around wonders, "Will God really forgive me for all I have done?" How do we forgive others who have wronged us? How do we accept God's forgiveness?
The Real Need for Forgiveness
God hates sin; He cannot stand to look at its ugliness. Therefore, unconfessed sin in our lives comes between us and damages our relationship with the Lord.
"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, or his ear too dull to hear, but your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:1-2)
Not only does unforgiveness come between us and God, it also breaks our relationships with others.
"He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends." (Proverbs 17:9)
The Requirements for Forgiveness
Because God hates sin, the price for forgiveness is high. Scripture gives the following requirements for forgiveness:
Sacrifice. Hebrews 9:22 says that "without the shedding of Blood, there is no forgiveness." In the Old Testament, a sacrifice of an unblemished lamb was required to satisfy God's wrath. Jesus, the sinless Son of God, died on the cross and became the ultimate sacrifice for sin. Jesus bought our forgiveness when he died on the cross.
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." (1 Peter 3:18a)
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." (Ephesians 1:7)
Forgiveness of others. Another requirement for forgiveness of sins in that we forgive others. 1 Corinthians 13:5 says that "real love keeps no record of wrongs." Remember that Proverbs 17:9 tells us that a real friend will forgive. God has also made forgiving others a requirement for receiving His forgiveness.
"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:14,15)
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)
Confession of sin. We must admit our sins to God if our relationship with Him is to be restored completely. Looking back at the real need for forgiveness, we see that unconfessed sin can separate us in our relationship with God. Confession is the way to restore that relationship with the Lord, remembering that it is for our own benefit that we confess to return to the Lord because He is faithful even when we are not (2 Timothy 2:13).
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
Repentance. We must decide to change, to turn from our sins.
"Therefore this is what the Lord says, 'If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me.'" (Jeremiah 15:19a)
The Results of Forgiveness
The Bible promises the following benefits of God's forgiveness:
Happiness. When we know God's forgiveness, we are blessed (happy).
"Blessed (happy) is he whose transgressions are forgiven, who sins are covered. Blessed (happy) is the man whose sin the Lord doesn't count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." (Psalm 32:1,2)
God chooses not to hold our sins against us. Another result of forgiveness is that God doesn't keep a record of our sins, He does not hold them against us. Because the blood of Christ covered our sins, God chooses to put them out of His mind.
"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." (Isaiah 43:25)
God removes our sin from us. "It is possible for the Lord to look at us without seeing our sins because when he forgave us, he removed our sins as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12)
We can forgive ourselves. When we are forgiven, we can forgive ourselves and go on with our lives.
"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13,14)
what the Bible says about suicideShare
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 7:58pm | Edit Note | Delete
If Someone Commits Suicide, Can They Still Go To Heaven?
(What the Bible Says About Suicide)
The Key Issue
That said, the first thing to consider with this question is, did the person get right with God and live right for God before they died? People do not make it to heaven, regardless of how they died, if they had not yet accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. That is, suicide is not the issue regarding whether a person goes to heaven. Getting right with God is the issue. You can learn how people get right with God by clicking on this sentence.
Is Suicide Murdering Yourself?
You are probably aware that the Bible strictly forbids murdering anyone. Therefore, some people have stated that people who commit suicide will be judged as murderers (of themselves) and therefore could not reasonably expect to go to heaven. However, the Bible reveals that people can not “murder” themselves. As one example, look at the Ten Commandments in Exodus chapter 20, verses 1-17 (Exodus 20:1-17). The first four Commandments specify our behavior towards God:
1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image. . . .
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. . . .
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
The last six Commandments specify our behavior towards other people:
5. Honor your father and your mother. . . .
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet . . . anything that is your neighbor’s.
Notice that with the exception of the sixth commandment, you can not do them to yourself. This makes sense when you realize that the book of Exodus is one of the books of “The Law.” That is, it primarily defines civil laws—the type of laws that would be tried in a court today. Therefore, applying such laws “against yourself” makes no sense. You would find the same concept in other areas of the Bible—murder applies to killing other people, not yourself.
Suicide is not OK
That does not mean that suicide is OK. It only means that it is not specifically forbidden. However, other guidelines lead us to believe that suicide is wrong in God’s eyes. For example, suicide generally is a result of depression, and the Bible does teach us something about that:
God uses all sorts of people in the Bible, but He never uses anyone who is depressed or discouraged. You might find reading 1 Kings chapter 19 instructive.
Satan does not care what non-Christians do with their lives. However, once people become Christians, they have “entered the ball game” and can expect more opposition than when they were “warming the bench.” New Christians often report being depressed, because depression and discouragement are two of Satan’s most powerful tools against them.
Further, for those of us who have gotten right with God, several guidelines apply to suicide:
1 Corinthians 10:31 reveal that the Holy Spirit dwells in those who are saved. It is our responsibility to treat Him with respect, and suicide is not appropriate.
Genesis 1:26,27 (and similar verses) reveal that we are made in the image of God. This is one of the reasons we are not allowed to murder (see Genesis 9:6,7), so again suicide would be a bad thing.
The Bible teaches us to trust, depend on, and believe in God throughout its length. (Romans 8:28 is one example.) To take your own life would show no faith in God. Notice that although the prophets, apostles, and Jesus Christ were persecuted, tortured, and put to death; they did not commit suicide for an “easy out.” They “fought the good fight” to the end (see 2 Timothy 4:6-8).
Be aware of how suicide affects other people’s opinion of the person who died. It is common for people to wonder if someone who commits suicide went to heaven. (That is the reason for this page—get it?) That is a poor testimony for a “Christian warrior.”
A Clarifying Comment
1 Corinthians chapter 6, verses 19-20 is one of those “all purpose” passages that many churches use to forbid behavior that they do not approve. Since this passage states that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, such churches claim that that damaging this temple in any way is a sin. This interpretation is applied to smoking, drinking, and suicide—all of which “damage the temple.” Therefore, to understand the meaning of the passage, lets look at it in context by including the verses that precede it.
1 Corinthians chapter 6
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!
16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.”
17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
We doubt that anyone who just read this passage does not now realize that it deals with sexual morality. Further, it is obvious that verses 19 and 20 are a continuation of verses 15-18. Therefore, this passage applies to sexual conduct, not to other types of behavior. Although we are not in any way condoning suicide, we do not want anyone misled into following a twisted or distorted interpretation of the Bible text. That is, we must not imply that the Bible states something that it does not state—even if our intentions are good.
Please understand that this is a brief discussion for such a serious subject. Still, it should be clear that although suicide is wrong, the essential issue regarding going to heaven is getting right with God before you die.
Incidentally, this does not mean that someone who wants to end the pain in their lives can get “fire insurance” by getting right with God before killing themselves. In such a case, it is obvious that the person’s real reason for getting right with God is not establishing a relationship with Him, but rather going through a procedure to “get the best deal.” Such a phony “acceptance” of God will not count. The following passage is relevant:
Galatians chapter 6
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
Remember, the concept of “getting right with God” is to be adopted (through Jesus) into God’s family. How would you feel if you adopted someone who then committed suicide, leaving a note stating, “thanks for adopting me, I wanted to commit suicide and I am glad that I found someone who would pay for my funeral?” The reality is that you would then know that the person you adopted was only an opportunist—not someone interested in being part of your family. The point is that people who honestly want to get right with God are safe in His Hands. Those who have an ulterior motive to “have a relationship” with Him do not have that advantage.
PRAYER TO DEFEAT DEPRESSION
COMMAND AGAINST SATAN
"Satan, I close every door that I have opened to you and I renounce every activity I have partaken with you. In Jesus name, I submit myself to God. I resist you and command you to flee from me, as it is written in James 4:7! I remind you that you are defeated by the power of the cross--and with the authority given to me by Jesus Christ I command you and force you to leave me right now!"
PRAYER TO GOD
"Father, I receive Your breath of Life into my mortal body now. I lift up my hands to You, to receive it; I fix my hopes on it and turn my life completely over to You. From this day forth I pray that you will give me the grace and wisdom to guard my heart diligently, to obey You and to resist every scheme of the enemy. I commit all I am to You and I have full faith that You are able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all I could ever ask or think. Lord, send me the help I need now. Show me the way.
I thank you for the love that you have lavished upon me and I pray that for the rest of my life, I will show that same love, mercy and forgiveness to all those around me. Amen!"
James4:7 Reminds us for it is written the devil is a deafet foe! Submit yourselves,then,to God. Resist the devil,and he will flee from you.
Colossians2:15 Also reminds that the devil is a deafeted foe at the cross., And having diarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them,triumphing over them by the cross.
Hebrews2:14 , since the children have flesh and blood,he too shared their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power-that is,the devil.
1 peter5:8-10 Be self-controlled and alert. your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him stand firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace,who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,after you have suffered a little while,will himself restore you stong,firm and steadfast.
Jermiah31:17 states that there is hope for your futre.,, So there is hope for your for your futre futre," declares the Lord. your children will return to their own Land.
Further prayer to defeat depression.
Lord Jesus in your precious name I humbly come before in my time of despair.,I'am asking you to send me the help that I need guide and direct my heart grant the wisdom to make the right choices each day., because I know your word says to seek wise councel and you are the one and only true consler.And satan i speak to right now I command you in the name of Jesus to Get!! out !! of my !! Life you worthless lyier you will not defeat me., I will not be defated because Iam a child of the king., I bind you in chains to the lowest hell in chains., I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. I remind you in Colossians 2:15 that you were a deafeted foe at calvery., I remind you of your future hope and it is in the lake of fire. and my futre hope is to live in eternal peace with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. now satan you worthless lyier you murder you try and kill me? well just to let you know you will not win this battle loser., you have held me captivity to long and I will no longer remain your prisioner in the name of Jesus I delcare myself free from depression and suical thoughts and my pain!!! My precious I thank-you for everything you have done for me in the past , and I think you for the present and I also thank you for my futre hope., because I know it is in you., and Lord I thank you for healing me and delivering me from depression., because I know it will no longer exsists in my life and thank you for hearing this and bringing it to past., In Jesus name Amen.
Bibibcal Psychology Focus:
Biblical psychology teaches people that life has purpose, and that people have reason to be grateful that they have been created.
Biblical psychology is optimistic and deep. It acknowledges that life often confronts a person with obstacles, but also stresses that the person has the tools to overcome these obstacles.
Our approach to Biblical psychology desituates Biblical narratives from theology and applies them as Ten Commandments to mental health.
1. Overview of God, Nature and Creation
Earth and Sky precede and create the gods in the Greek creation story, but God precedes and creates heaven and earth in the Biblical account. In our Biblical account, human beings are freed from enslavement by nature. They are given dominion over it, not to ravage it but not to worship it either.
2. Self and Other; Cycle versus Development
Greek thought seems to see self and other as fundamentally opposed, while Biblical thought sees them as working in harmony. The legend of Narcissus is prototypical. Narcissus is totally self-involved, and idealizes his own face in the brook, not realizing that it represents his own reflection. A psychotic juxtaposition rips Narcissus apart and he commits suicide.
In the Biblical story, God calls on Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh of their wickedness. However, Jonah does not want to go and runs away. Ultimately, Jonah learns the message of teshuvah, repentance or return and divine mercy and that he can reach out to another without losing himself.
3. Man and Woman
The difference between the Greek and Biblical accounts of the first woman can be seen through comparing the story of Prometheus and Pandora with that of Adam and Eve. In the Greek account, Pandora is described as a curse to man in retaliation for Prometheus stealing fire from Zeus for man, who has withheld this knowledge. Thus woman is seen as the antithesis of male autonomy,
In our Biblical account, God has willingly given knowledge of fire to man. Eve is described as a blessing to man and as a helpmate.
4. Obedience and Disobedience
The question of obedience versus disobedience then depends who one’s god is. If it is Zeus, one should and indeed must rebel (e.g., Prometheus); if it is the Biblical God in contrast, the best course of action is obedience (e.g., Noah)
5. Fathers and Sons
The biblical story of the Akedah - Abraham's binding of Isaac – provides an alternative to the Greek legend of Oedipus to understand the relationship between fathers and sons. The Akedah narrative suggests an unambivalent resolution of the father-son relationship that is based on a covenant of love and shared purpose between parent and child rather than a compromise between the parental wish to possess the possess the child completely or even to kill him and the desire not to do so.
6. Mothers and Daughters
The Biblical story of Ruth - provides an alternative to the Greek legend of Electra to understand the relationship between mothers and daughters. The Ruth narrative suggests an unambivalent resolution of the mother-daughter relationship that is based on a covenant of love and shared purpose between parent and child rather than a compromise based on threats of abandonment and enmeshment.
7. Sibling Rivalry and its Resolution
The Hebrew Bible offers a plan to resolve family conflict by employing the father's blessing. Originally the source of the sibling conflict, the blessing may work to achieve some level of reconciliation between his sons, as in Jacob’s blessings to all his sons. Greek literature offers no such balm; never developing the idea that a father should bless his children. The result is that conflict in the families grew more angry and nasty in each succeeding generation until the families self-destruct, as did the family of Oedipus.
8. Body and Soul
Plato sees the relationship between body (soma) and soul (psyche) as conflictual and unfortunate. The soul is compelled to view reality not directly, but only through the prison bars of the body. Biblical thought, in comparison, views the human body and soul are both sacred (both referred to as nefesh), both created by God. They can and must function in harmony to fulfill God’s purpose in the world.
9. Freedom, Life and Suicide
To the Greeks, freedom is a struggle against the control of others and suicide is an effort to establish some sense of control over one's own life. For the stoics of Greece and Rome, suicide represents a high form of creativity. Further, almost twenty suicides abound in the surviving 17 tragedies of the Greek playwrights, Sophocles and Euripides. Biblical thought, in contrast, sees freedom as a central feature of its foundation narratives. Freedom can be achieved only in the acceptance of life and the realities of man's relationship with God. There are comparatively few stories of suicide in the Hebrew Bible (six in all) and many
I wanna tell your only true source of peace is in Jesus Christ, it will not end your trails but it will make it easier to cope with the issue that is causing you pain., and no don't let the devil you this is all a lie., because the bible say's thy word is truth., if you don't like the way your life is right now try Jesus., and don't be decived by letting the devil tell you the lie that it is ok once you become born again to kill yourself., nope thats a lie if you commit suicide you go to hell., and that applies to every man,woman boy,girl on planet earth. the best way to deal with it is through prayer and putting your faith and trust, confidence in Jesus because He will never let you down., He will always remain by your side.,because He said I will never will I leave and never will I forsake you. and dont let the devil tell you are worthless or that you are not good engough hunni your worth everything. you God's wounderful creation. He loves you., If you wanna get back at the devil for wha he is putting you through. you just say devil!!! the more you attack the more you attack me the more I'am going to pray and read the word of God the more I'am going to go to the house of God., the more iam gonna witness. and when you back off iam going to still do the same. and when you do that you have put the devil in a double bind. you've coonqured your enemy., once you start putting your full trust and faith and confidence in God depression will leave and you will be healed in the name of Jesus. you then can say I declare myself healed in Jesus name. And rember this my friend where ever the name of Jesus remains no depression,oppression can come against you. The scripture no weapon formed against shall prosper. they infirmaity that is holding you in chains will be gone., because at the name of Jesus ,mentioned those shackles will be loosed from you. you are a overacheiver my friend Not a underachiver., the devil is a fat lyier who wants you going to hell. he uses these little stratiges to see what kind of pain he can cause for you each day., like for example he will say i wounder what i can do to ruin their day. and then laugh in their face when thy become depressed and think its their fault. you see the devil is the cause of all of your pain and hurt its not God. you might ask me the question why does God allow so much pain and sorrow? well reply to you would be its not God's work its satan's
you, God's wounderful creation a beautiful masterpiece created in His own image,He loves you., so don't let the devil tell you are unworthy because I promise you its a lie do you hate lies? Then don't belive the lie comming from the worthless liear the devil itself., and yes i will refer to the devil as an it, stand up look fight it., you are a warrior don't surrender to the enemy make the enemy surrender to you.
Sin= inquity a federal offense against God.
Sin is the main culprit of our probllems the issue started in the Garden of Edend win Eve was tempted by satan., you see the devil is considred a lyier the father of all lies and hate., and that is the one that seperates us from God and everyone of us is gulity of it. John3:5 states that we must be born of water and of spirit or we cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.... And here is John3:5 and is qouate .... Jesus answred , verily,verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and and of the Spirit,he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Powerful scriptures against the rat satan!
Colossians2:15
Hebrews2:14
James4:7
Phillipans2:5-11
Job1
Romans5:12
1peter5:8-10
Ezekial28:16-17
Revelation12:4
Genseis3:15
Revelation20:2-3
Revelation20:7-10
Isaiah14:12
2corthians6:15
Acts19:13
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
