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This sermon was developed for the Army Community. It contains phraseology that may not be understood by the general civilian population.
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Every year 32,000 people commit suicide in the United States. It is the 9th leading cause of death. In fact it is likely that just about everyone here today knows someone, or of someone who has committed suicide. Statistics say that 98% of all people 12 years old or older at one time or another have considered committing suicide, even if it was only a passing thought and quickly dismissed.
As a military chaplain I have had to deal with suicide more often that anyone would wish to. Recently, last January to be exact, I had a young man in my battalion commit suicide. By all outward appearances he had everything to live for. He was a commo chief for a line company, he had a reasonable number of friends, he seemed to be fairly well liked and he was about to be promoted. But for some reason that escapes both myself and all of this soldiers friends and co-workers he committed suicide one night in his room. Nobody knows why, and the sad truth is that no one will ever know why. All we are left with are questions. Why did he do it? Could we have prevented this? And for many of this soldier’s co-workers and friends did he go to heaven or hell? This last question none of us can answer simply because we are not God. But that does not mean that we cannot examine some principles that can help us make an educated guess.
But before we talk about some principles lets talk about three commonly held myths about what happens to a person when he or she commits suicide. The first one is that nothing happens at all. The person who commits suicide simple ceases to exist. They are neither rewarded or punished they just stop existing. This myth is popular with individuals that have no real religious belief or hope for the future.
How many people here remember the TV show M.A.S.H. of the late 70’s and early 80’s about a group of Army doctors serving in the Korean Conflict? How many of you remember the theme song, the one that was used for both the movie and the first season? The one with the words? Let’s listen to some of it, I think it really exemplifies the view that there is no hope for the future. Listen to the words [Play The Song]
The game of life is hard to play
I’m gonna lose it anyway
The losing card I’ll someday lay
AND
A brave man once requested me
to answer questions that are key
is it to be or not to be
and I replied ’oh why ask me?’
These are the words of a person who has given up hope, a person who sees no real future for himself. I believe that those who support the idea that nothing happens to a person who commits suicide are in a truly sad state. They reason no one really knows what happens after we die and no one will know what happens until they die. And while this is a ultimately a true statement, as person who believe that death, has been conquered by Christ, a person with a hope for an eternal future I think we can safely discount this myth or view.
The second myth is more or less a variation of the first one. The person who commits suicide goes into a limbo of sorts. Consider the movie “What Dreams May Come.” No doubt more that a few of us here have seen it. Chris Nielsen (played by Robin Williams) is a good man. Loving husband, devoted father, compassionate doctor... is killed in a car accident.
Upon his death, he goes to heaven, but heaven isn’t a perfect place for Chris because his wife Annie isn’t there. The combination of losing her children in an car accident four years earlier and now having Chris, her husband die in a second car accident pushes her over the brink into a suicidal depression which ultimately leads to her taking her own life. In the movie Suicides don’t go to heaven. They go ... someplace else.
The someplace else is a kind of a personal hell or a holding place for suicides. A place where a person’s own imagination hold them captive. Now, I think that we can discount this myth as well simply because the Bible does not talk about a holding place reserved for suicides.
The third and final myth is a very commonly held. Many people have been taught that if a person commits suicide that he or she is going to hell. This teaching is based on a early church tradition that has little foundation in the scriptures.
Now I am willing to bet that a fair portion of the people here today have either heard about this tradition or possibly even believe it. In our weekly preparation meeting for this service CH Sellers shared a story about when he was a hospital chaplain and how he worked on the psychotic ward. In one of the group counseling sessions he was involved in the topic of suicides came up and he was asked if he thought that suicides went to hell. Zan responded that he did not believe that the Bible supported such a position. This immediately cased a great up roar, not only with the patients in the group, many of whom rushed out of the room to get their Bibles to prove Zan wrong, but also with the social worker leading the group. Keep in mind there were all kinds of people in this group from many different backgrounds and they all felt that Zan was out of his mind, the Bible must certainly contain a scripture that said that if you committed suicide you were going to hell. After all they had all heard that teaching someplace before.
The truth is the Bible says surprisingly little about the topic of suicide. All total there are six recorded suicides. I have noted each of the suicides in your bulletin along with scripture references so that you can look them up if you like. The first recorded suicide is that of Samson who was a judge over Israel. He was captured by the Philistines and put on display for a party in a pagan temple. In order to end his embarrassment he pulled the temple down on himself and all the Philistines in it. The next two suicides were of King Saul and his armor-bearer. Seeing that he was about to be over run by the OPFOR he took his own life and his armor-bearer did the same thing. The third suicide was that of Ahithophel who was an advisor to the leader of a rebellion against King David. Zimri another king of Israel committed suicide by burring down the royal palace around him. The final suicide recorded in the Bible is that of Judas, the disciple of Jesus who betrayed him to the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. In each of the cases, the scriptures contains no condemnation for the individual taking his life. They simply say and so and so died.
In fact the only place in the scriptures where a person might find grounds to say that the Bible speaks against suicide is in the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder.” One could reasonably argue that suicide is self murder, and therefore if someone committed suicide they would have in fact committed a murder. Such an argument is sound and it would be very reasonable to say that anyone who has committed suicide has sinned and broken one of the ten commandments. Else where in the Bible we are told that when a person sins, he or she is cutoff from God and cannot enter into his presence. In other words if a person commits a sin they cannot go to heaven.
But here is a reality check, every single person in this room is a sinner. There is not one person here who has not sinned against God. Not one of us are sin free and therefore our sins cut us off from God.
So, is one sin greater than another? Well God treats all sins same. In God’s eyes the person who commits suicide is no better or worse off than the person who lies, or steals. A sin is a sin and it separates the person from God. But we are not God and to us some sins are worse than others. Suicide certainly falls into that category and so we who are left behind after a person commits suicide have to deal with our feelings, our emotions which is never an easy task.
Now back to the original question, “Do suicides go to heaven?” Well if I were to end this message right now, the answer would be no, suicides don’t go to heaven, simply because suicide is a sin, it is self murder, but I’m not ending the message now. In fact I’m just getting to the really good stuff.
I would argue that some people who commit suicide do go to heaven. But how can we tell which suicides go to heaven and which ones don’t? Well the answer is simple, God judges a person by his or her relationship with Him. Now by relationship I am not talking about reading the Bible, or going to Church or even giving in the offering plate. These things are all fine and good, but they by themselves do not make a relationship. A relationship with God comes though accepting Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. It is a commitment to follow the teachings and the life style principles of Jesus. It is a surrendering of oneself to the control of God through Christ. There is no other way to have a relationship with God.
Once a person has made that commitment to God though Jesus Christ, two things happen. First, all of their past sins are forgiven and are no longer held against them. Second, and equally important, the person comes under the grace of God. Grace may best be defined as God not giving you what you have earned or deserved. Now the grace of God is certainly not a license to go out an sin all you want, but it is a safety net of sorts incase you do fall and sin. Another way to look a grace is that it is God’s way of protecting us from what we deserve when we make stupid mistakes and do things that are wrong.
In my book suicide is a wrong, but it is something that is covered by the grace of God. I strongly believe that a person who is under God’s grace could commit suicide and God to heaven. But please don’t hear me saying it is alright to commit suicide. It isn’t! In fact I think it is selfish. Although the Christian who commits suicide escapes his or her problems, he or she leaves their friends and family with all sorts of questions and pain and sorrow. Now I ask you, is that something God would want his children to do to one another? I don’t think so. And this is certainly not the intent of why God sent is one and only son to die on the cross. Jesus says in John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the fullest. This is God’s intent for all people, that they are able to live the fullest possible life though God’s gift to all, Christ Jesus.
If you know someone who is thinking about suicide tell them that it is not God’s plan for anyone to take their life, and that God wants very, very much for them that have a full and meaningful life. In short God desired to give them hope, a hope for the future. Perhaps there is someone here today that is thinking about suicide, the same applies to you. God wants to give you hope and a meaningful as well. And if you are thinking about committing suicide or if you know someone who is thinking about suicide please talk to someone. I know that any of the chaplains that work in this chapel would be more than glad to talk with you. Talk with a friend or a co-worker, talk to someone. There is always help and hope available.
So, do suicides go to heaven? Yes, those that have a relationship with God based upon a commitment to Jesus Christ, but it is not God’s will that anyone take his or her own life.
Let us pray.
If you would like to speak to someone about suicide issues or if you would like to learn more about what it means to make a commitment to Christ, I would invite you to speak to any of the chaplains that are here to day.
