What do you say to the parents of a Christian teenager who has just killed himself? I faced this situation several years ago and, I have tell you, it’s not easy. Premature death is hard to handle at any time but suicide leaves loved ones bewildered at its senselessness.
It seems the subject of suicide is one of those sensitive issues that Christians don’t like to talk about. That’s probably because most of us don’t have anything good to say! Ask a believer, “What happens to Christians who kill themselves?” and you’ll likely get one of the following responses:
1. They go to hell because they never repented for the sin of murder.
2. It’s not up to us to judge – we don’t know what happens.
3. It’s a grave sin but God will somehow take care of it in his mysterious ways.
None of these responses brings much comfort to those who are left behind. But happily none of these responses is true! Let’s compare each response with what the Bible says.
What does the Bible say about those who commit suicide?
First, do people who commit suicide go to hell? Not if they’re saved. Revelations 21:8 tells us that the lake of fire – whatever that is – will be full of murderers. But you don’t end up in the lake of fire because you are a murderer (see Rev 20:15). If murder sent you to hell, King David would be a goner. But it doesn’t and he isn’t.
But didn’t God say, “Thou shalt not murder”? He did – it’s the sixth commandment and part of the law. Do you know what the penalty for law-breaking is? Jesus said anyone who breaks the law is in danger of hellfire (Mt 5:22). But his words were directed to those who were born under law – not you (Rm 6:14). When Jesus went to the cross he fulfilled the requirements of the law on your behalf so that you might live free from its curse. Don’t look at your own obedience for salvation; look at his. On the cross Jesus carried the sins of the world and now you are completely and eternally forgiven.
But what about repentance? Don’t we have to repent in order to receive forgiveness? Isn’t this the stumbling block for those who kill themselves – that they never repent? No. We are not forgiven on the basis of anything we do or don’t do. We are forgiven because of what Jesus has done:
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. (Eph 1:7)
In God’s eyes you are forgiven whether you repent or don’t repent. To say, you must repent to be forgiven, is to cheapen the riches of His grace. The blood of Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world – including the unrepentant and suicidal (1 Jn 2:2). This isn’t to say that the whole world is saved, for we all need to respond to the grace of God by faith (Eph 2:8). Everyone is forgiven but not everyone has received the gift of his righteousness (Rms 1:17). But we are talking here about people who are saved when they die. Can a Christian nullify God’s forgiveness by committing suicide? No – it’s impossible. God’s gifts are irrevocable.
Second, to say, “we don’t know what happens to Christians who kill themselves” merely reveals an ignorance of God’s promises. We do know what happens. They go to be with Jesus (Jn 3:16, 14:3). Some say that “suicide is a grave sin.” Is there any sin that’s not?
The good news is that God’s grace is greater than our gravest sins; His best is better than our worst (Rms 5:20). Just as we are not qualified by our good deeds, neither are we disqualified by our bad (see Col 1:12). We were condemned by Adam’s disobedience but now we have been justified through Christ’s obedience:
So then, just as sin ruled by means of death, so also God’s grace rules by means of righteousness, leading us to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rms 5:21, GNB)
Third, to offer vague comfort by saying, “God will take care of it in some mysterious way,” is to insult the finished work of the cross. Take care of it? He already did! He came and died and rose again that we might have resurrection life:
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” (Jhn 11:25)
Look closely at this promise of Jesus and see if you can find any conditions pertaining to the means of death. There are none! The way in which you shrug off your earth-suit has absolutely no bearing on his promise of resurrection life. Whether you die in a house fire, from an over-dose, or go down with the Titanic, Jesus said, He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.
The main thing
For those who are left behind, suicide hits like a Mack truck. But allow me to bring some perspective to this issue. The single most important fact of your life is not where you were born or how you die, but whether you believe in Jesus – whether you have put your trust in him and confessed him as Lord.
You can be born a prince and die on a field of glory, but unless you know Jesus it’s all for naught. Conversely, you can be born a nobody and die a nobody but if Jesus knows you, all is eternally well! If you have lost someone to suicide and they belonged to Jesus, all is not lost! You will be with them again. Believe what God has promised and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
It is beyond the scope of this post to discuss those things that might drive a believer to suicide. Perhaps you find it inconceivable that someone acquainted with the goodness of God would ever consider ending their lives. But only God knows the depth of pain that some of our brothers and sisters have to endure in this world.
The teenager I mentioned at the top of this post took his own life because he was the ongoing victim of a sexual predator and he could see no other way out. Who am I to say that I would’ve chosen differently if I had been in his shoes? I’m not trying to justify suicide. I’m saying I can’t condemn those who, for reasons I cannot fathom, choose death over life.
It’s too late to help that young man but it’s not too late to comfort his parents and those of you who’ve lost loved ones to suicide. Maybe you have heard words of condemnation or hollow comfort. Maybe you’ve been be told that the one you lost is lost for eternity. If so, I encourage you to find rest in the grace of our loving Father and to cultivate the same conviction as Paul:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rms 8:38-9)
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Related posts:
- What happens to unfruitful branches?
- Does God give and take away?
- Is God’s love unconditional?
- Building ramps for the mentally ill
Comforting words……and true!!
Good Job.
Thank you once again from my heart Paul. You answered many questions regarding this subject. God bless you. xx
By the way, I checked your photos on FB and wow, some lovely sceneries.
thanks for this post!
Thank you Paul, a wonderfully encouraging article on a subject that has been hotly debated over time, in paticular by the leagalist, or should I say the “anti Grace brigade”.
I read an article by someone who remains nameless commenting on Joseph Princes’s two great books and all this pesson can say – ” Prince says we dont have to repent” — he/she says “In 1JN 1:9 Prince says, John is talking to the gnostics” etc and etc.
The anti Grace brigade just dont get it do they?
Yet some of them are Theologians? – the word cheap Grace is tossed about, what about a cheap degree.. ouch, keith stop it. Cheers Paul, keep it up, your website is just awesome. Thank you.
PS 5:12.. IS A WOW
thanks for posting. i know several that will disagree, but i find in comforting that there are others out there who i can agree with.
Brother Paul, I just wanted to share with you about my son, Matthew. On Dec. 29, 1996, he commited suicide. He was 14 yrs. old. I was told by some people that he had gone to hell because of this, but I just want to testify about God’s GOODNESS. Several yrs. before this happened, my, then, pastor’s wife taught about how the same way that the enemy took out people with cancer of the body, he also took out people with cancer of the mind through suicide. Six months before Matthew commited suicide my nephew died of cancer. Holy Spirit brought this message back to my remembrance and HIMSELF assured me that Matthew was HOME!!!!! I could go on with more detail, but this is the bulk of what I want to say.
Thank you for this great message. God will most certainly use it to SILENCE the mouth of the enemy.
Shalom, dear brother!!!!!
Bertha Harmon
Thanks for writing Bertha. You are blessed.
From my opinion, I think Christians who suicide will lose their salvation because:
-They gave up on hope(Jesus)
-They gave up on life(Jesus)
-They lost faith in Jesus
I think today’s Grace Quote is an apt response: “Every Christian I’ve met who believes they can lose their salvation has always given a reason that involves them. What if I commit suicide? What if I get a divorce? What if I stop believing? What if I…? You fill in the blank there, but it’s all the same. Every hypothetical scenario puts ourselves at the center of the equation. But our faithfulness to God is an old-covenant problem that is solved by the new.” ~ Andrew Farley
Paul, could you get in touch with me? I have attempted suicide as a Christian and I feel so ashamed – I never thought that I could do such a thing, like another person has said further down on this blog. Please help me work through this – I need reassurance that I haven’t lost my salvation.
Thanks,
Maura
Maura,
You raise a big issue so let me call in two big guns. Here’s Peter: Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Act 2:21). Now here’s Paul, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom 10:13). Have you called on the name of the Lord? Then you’re saved. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.
But if everything that makes us guilty before God was washed away on the cross wouldn’t losing faith after coming to Christ be a sin that was washed away? see Colossians 2:14 Or are some sins not covered by the cross? If so can you rprove it to yourself without a doubt from scripture.
(They all are washed away but you have to ask the question if you think salvation goes away when you lose faith.)
a person who has received Christ can never actually “lose” his faith… he can, however, forget where he has placed it!
a person can forget about or chose not to do anything with his faith after he has received it, and has used it to believe Christ for salvation. from the parable of the 10 minas (luke 19:11-27) we learn, unlike the servant who hid his mina (because he was fearful and refused to accept it was his in his possession to invest), that a person can receive his “measure” of “like precious faith” (rom 12:3 and 2 pet 1:1) and use it once – if only by “depositing” it in Christ to gain interest. and interestingly, the word used for “interest” in this verse, actually means “to birth; bring forth; offspring” – which is undeniably suggestive of being born-again. only people who never accept this faith to receive Christ (that the Holy Spirit offers all men) can lose their salvation – because they never received it in the first place.
I think it is sometimes too easy to judge. Life is hard. the only the that keeps me going is that God said it would be hard. but some times its just too…much. Other times you catch your breath. People are just unkind and that it what really hurts either they kick you when you are down or they just don’t care. Not to mention there is no room for error you must be perfect at all times. That is the way I see it.
Eternal life is life eternal in Christ forever unless he/she was never saved in the first place! Carry on the good work Paul.
This gospel is not for the “tough ones”, the people who can bite their lips, swallow their pain.
A friend of mine, he was a christian before I met Jesus and he played a part in my own salvation story, killed him self by jumping from a building.
He was a gifted drummer, but suffered from fatherlessness – displayed through drugabuse and smoking. That was a reason he could not stay in the worshipteam of his church.(its the church I am a part of, thankful we have grown in the grace of god)
The church counseled him, tried to drive demons out of him but I believe no one really showed him Daddys love.
I was not sure if he made it, but since I grow in grace I am sure he is enjoying to sit on Daddies lap – free at last.
When god chooses not to count our sins against us, I believe suicide is not counted against him as well.
By the way: has anyone ever thought negatively about himself : “I am such a fool?” – According to Jesus, you are guilty of having committed suicide ;) Matthew 5,21-22
This is brilliant, an awesome truth about who serves us. Well done for putting it into perspective, comforting words of truth.
Dear Paul,
This is a really cool article…can you please clarify this verse in 1 John 5:18? “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.”
Hi Paul and full Grace brother,
How is mercy connected to grace ? Can you please explain in detail a friend of mine has asked me and i said i will get back to him……
In His Grace and Love
John
Mercy is when you don’t get what you do deserve (eg: punishment); grace is when you do get what you don’t deserve (eg: favor). You might also say that mercy gets you forgiveness but grace makes you righteous and acceptable in the Beloved.
Hi Paul have read your article – good thanks for further thoughts
http://astridstaley.wordpress.com/
blessings Astrid
Dear Paul,
Thank you for your comforting message. We lost our 21 year old daughter on December 1, 2011. She was battling prescription drugs. We found her journal. She had a deep relationship with God, but we were unaware of her deep depression and the affect of Adderal. We do believe our daughter is in heaven. God bless all parents experiencing a similar tragedy. This is certainly the toughest time in our life. Our hearts our broken…
Dear Freddie,
I am so sorry for your loss. If you need anything or if I can help in any way, please don’t hesitate to ask. Although this is a dark time, I’m praying that our loving Father will reveal Himself to you in ways you have not known and touch your broken hearts. Know that everyone reading this is praying for you too.
In the movie about Martin Luther, he said, “The man who commits suicide is no more to blame than the man who is attacked by robbers.”
This was such a confirmation for me.
I gave my life to Christ as a child. I grew up in church all my life – present at every service and then some! Pianist, teacher, active leader in many ways. I had always loved the Lord, His Word, His people, and His work. I didn’t know it then, but I was deeply rooted and living in
religion.
At 38 years old, I attempted suicide. And nearly succeeded. Something no one, including myself, would have ever dreamed I would’ve even considered.
I can testify that most people have no idea of the depth of deception the enemy can pour on. Especially, if you have opened the door to him by participating in sin. It will harden your heart and conscious. And if you are not constantly in the Word or have a REAL relationship with the Spirit of God – not a church roll record or list of accomplishments and duties – but a real, living, breathing, interactive relationship – the enemy’s lies began to make sense.
He loves to cull people out of the fold. Isolation and sickness or weakness (spiritually) are his playground. The only defense is understanding who you are in Christ, staying full of the Word, and getting rid of religion. It will kill you.
Upon returning home from the hospital, I began saturating myself in the Word through tv, music, CD’s, tapes, services, classes. I found Andrew Wommack and although his teachings made my angry at first, because they challenged my false theology, I now praise God for delivering me from the bondage of religion! I am so thankful for Grace teachers like you, Paul!! Your work (and those like you) is saving lives! Even – and especially – the saved ones!
Hi Lynn, thanks for writing in and telling us a little of your story. God is good!
Love it. Cant get enough of your posts!!! Ive been a Christian for 2 years now and i am so thankful to have recieved the gift of hia grace. I agree completly with the post. No sin is heavier than the blood of Christ.
What do you say to a lady who has lost her son who has taken his own life???
who wants to know has he gone to hell or not ! as if it wasn’t hard enough for her to deal with.
To anyone in that boat. I hope you will seek person to person support available in your community or perhaps close circle of friends. [doctor]
I believe the new testament says the your body is the temple where the Holy Ghost lives. “The full deity lives within you” and “You have the mind of Christ” A.Wommack once said hope is the antiphesis of depression.
Quite formidable resources.
This is perhaps what makes the question so difficult to answer, I will try :-
Many people and Christians suffer from depression, a sense of despair at times, or a range of other emotional problems due to being imperfect. The Holy Ghost doesn’t as far as I can tell, instantly make you perfect again like Adam was initially and so live for hundred plus years, its more a work in progress described in Romans.
The Words of Spirit and Life in a number of individual cases where these mental processes have gone wrong seem to have little or no impact, even your memory and learning is made of flesh. I imagine it is in some way mapped into your Spirit when you step out.
A person may have various issues not of choice.
Anyway others have perhaps more the opposite to say. Such along the lines of “I have given you power to tread scorpions and snakes underfoot.” for general problems is a good attitude to take.
Believe God is Love and is also just and merciful.
I have been battling suicidal thoughts for some time now. I cut myself regularly. Suicide occupies my thoughts and invades my dreams. As time goes on it’s getting stronger. I’ve tried turning to christian brothers and sisters for help/support (not answers, or a solution), even family, whether specifically identifying my problem or being suggestive as to what I’m thinking about – and I’m generally met with avoidance or a I don’t want to know/get over it attitude. Even the knowledge that someone is hurting is seemingly distasteful and indicative of “not enough faith.”. Some have even looked down on me spiritually saying I need to get closer to God and then avoid me to make me get closer to him (even though I know I am joined with Him and cannot get any closer). I am part of the facebook grace community. I used to be part of the works salvation crowd. Many folk on there helped me on the path to finding grace, but now it’s almost like I think I’d prefer a slamming about how if I commit suicide I’ll go to hell – at least then I’m not being told I’m loved and ignored in the same breath. I feel safe to admit what I have here as I can post anonymously. I know I cannot admit it where my name is published as it results in platitude and cliche that results in feeling even more alone and rejected. I’m already at the end of my rope and don’t need any more lectures about how stupid I am. Paul, I love your writings and this one is no exception. I completely agree. “Keep yourself alive” = a work to keep your salvation.
Thanks for taking the time to write. Can I put something on your radar that you may not have considered. Those suicidal thoughts may not be your thoughts. I know they sound a lot like your thoughts, but appearances can be deceiving. In Christ we are new creatures. We have the mind of Christ so any thoughts we have that are not thoughts He has do not originate in our new-born spirit. They come from another source. Tempting thoughts come to all of us in one way or another. We don’t have to receive them. We can say “No”. Thoughts of suicide even came to Jesus – and he rejected them (see Matt. 4:6-7). He didn’t take them on board.
I am not denying your hurts, which sound severe. I want to interrupt the thought process that says “because I’m hurting, suicide is an option.” Let me cut that thought in two. Yes, you are hurting. Life is unbearably hard at times. But Jesus will never encourage you to end your life.
Is it possible for you to detach these two things? Are you able to view the real hurt separately from the suicide issue? You may say, “But Paul, you don’t know how much pain I’m in.” How do you know that I don’t? I’ve been to the pit a few times. I found God in the pit. He comforted me and lifted me up. Looking back, I can tell you that the pit was one of the sweetest times of my life because of Who I met there. Because of Him the pit was not permanent.
You’re in a dark spot right now but you will come through. One day you will look back at this day and see it for what it is – a low point. I want to leave you with a scripture that really encouraged me while I was in the pit: “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me” (Micah 7:8). And he was. And I did.
Paul, I know they’re not my thoughts. I’ve known that for some time, but I am just so tired of fighting them, I don’t have the strength any more. I know God doesn’t want me dead, He’s shown me things to come for me, but I just cannot see them happening, and the enemy is certainly using that. Micah 7:7 has been one of my favourite passages for years, I will call to Him and He will hear me…and although I know He is with me always, it doesn’t feel like He is, like He’s not listening. I’ve had people tell me that this is all God’s plan, that He’s standing back to make me stronger, to make me fight on my own without relying on Him. I’m just so confused what to even believe.
I’ve been down that road. I too used to cut myself regularly. It was a compulsive addiction for me. I thought about committing suicide for a while as well. I would fall asleep every night crying my eyes out, hoping I’d die in my sleep because I was too scared to actually go beyond cutting myself. What Paul said to you was totally true about me. Sometimes thoughts that don’t belong come to me about suicide and cutting myself, but they are not mine. I am a new creation.
Grace is love that stoops, and love stooped down to hold me when I went through this, just as Love will do for you. I couldn’t make it on my own, but Jesus picked me up and carried me. The greatest revelations of God’s love for me came during that period of my life. Don’t give up on hope. The pain of being in the place of suicide and cutting feels unbearable, but Jesus will lift you out of the pit. I still have scars from when I would cut myself. Every time I look at them I am reminded of Jesus, who followed me to hell and back, and never ever stopped loving me. It’s been a year and a half since I last cut myself, and around that much time since my last serious contemplation of suicide.Blessings and prayers to you, Jesus is faithful and has absolutely zero condemnation for you in this place of pain.
Daniel, thank you for your transparency. I’ve found that most folk don’t want to hear bad stuff, and they really don’t want to reveal anything like what you just did. I appreciate it. It does kinda help to know that a brother has gone through it and come out the other side – or to see that you (and Paul) took time out of your lives to actually respond to me instead of just ignoring me. I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am for that, and it has provided some hope…
Feel free to e-mail me if you want to bro. You should be able to get my e-mail by clicking on my name.
Daniel, clicking just takes me to your blog…and, btw, I am your “sister” in Christ lol :)
Oh. Haha, my foolish mistake. dddixon341@gmail if you want to talk. I’ve been that road before and am totally willing to help in any way I can. It’s only right that I take the freedom and healing Jesus has shown me and help others out.
Sometimes bad thoughts(depression, suicide, etc) have nothing to do with our spitiuality and everything to do with our physical health. You would be surprised at the messed up thinking can be caused by a nutritional imbalance. I was serverely depressed, learned about grace and real salvation but I only moved up to moderatly depressed among other health issues. (At that time healing by faith was in the realm of quackery, hadn’t learned anything else. I’m just beginning to learn about the real deal) I knew I didn’t want to go the doctor route because that would just be a band-aid treatment that would never really fix me. Then I had no option but to research like crazy and fix myself. It turnined out I have a higher need for some nutrients than other people and that aspects of my lifestyle drained others out of me.
I guess I’m saying it’s ok to deal with this yourself on a natural level. It’s not always solely spritual and that investigating how to help your body & mind heal with food, vitamins and herbs doesn’t mean you are less-than-super-spiritual. Your a human with a malfuntctioning system. God is not going to withhold His help because of… fill in the blank. It’s ok to not “be there” yet where you can stand and fight spiritually for your healing either. The thing is getting better/balanced should be the goal not how you choose to get there.
I know Escape Reality teaches that we have healing as part of salvation so if what I say Paul would rather not be posted I’m ok with that. When I was sick I was in no pleace to accept the healing by faith aspect yet.
Colleen, I totally agree. I thank God for doctors and see no conflict between medicine and faith. The only natural remedy I would add to your suggestion of diet is rest. Sometimes what we need most of all is a good sleep!
Sleep deprivation was a large part of the beginning of my previous depression and other illness. Two of my babies were born very close in age and for both sleep was an foriegn concept. So yes sleep helps much.
A few years ago, I became plagued with thoughts on the meaningless of life. despaired over whether school helped me at all for “real life,” and I remember most clearly that I was angry a lot. I’d grown up in a religious setting – but I refused to believe that religion was “truth.” I remember thinking clearly, “If there is a God, couldn’t He deal with sins permanently?”(I wasn’t buying the whole “confession” business at that time.) I decided that religion was a sham, but then I’d done away with the foundation that supported me since birth – and so I was empty. I entertained thoughts of suicide – I failed to turn in most of my school work, my grades slipped, and I was generally irritated and unhappy. Why not just disappear, then?
I stumbled across Escape to Reality after living in that “pit” for many months. I cried as I read through posts on forgiveness and grace – the news that I thought was too good to be true IS indeed true.
If I hadn’t “screwed up” my academic performance and became “depressed,” I would not have met Jesus Christ. And guess what? Soon after reading Paul’s posts and discovering more about the goodness of my heavenly Father, my grades made a huge turnaround the next school year (straight As!). And I remember that year being effortless.
My message? There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Seek [Jesus], and you shall find Him. Thanks, Jesus, for pulling me out of the pit and into your loving embrace!
Wow wow wow….thanks for this post Paul. This comment is in no way useful & has probably wasted a few seconds of your life if you’ve read it, but my thanks just bubbled up :-) By the way if you find a cure for addiction to the Good News I would love to hear back from you.
Have a good day.
haha! the cure is always more of Jesus! in Him we are completely filled, and yet there is always room for more! :D
Haha so true :-D Thanks for the comment Jennie, i’m finally finding time to get through my emails & catch up on some more of the Good news & posts I’ve commented on :-D…take care :-)
P.S if you know of anyone in England who is into the Good news, please let me know :-)
Hi John, I recommend you post your question about churches on E2R’s Facebook page and see what comes back.
Where in the UK John? We have found a wonderful church that preaches unadulterated Grace – branches so far in Dagenham, Watford and Guildford. this is Dagenham site http://www.treeoflifedagenham.com
Hi Paul love your website so Grace filled :)
Beloved Paul can you explain in detail and Word the connection between Grace = Jesus and integrity Because I am so disappointed with some leaders that have began to understand Grace and embraced Grace BUT continue to walk in the old nature, how can I as a leader point them in the right direction in love. With out telling them what to do, please show me how grace and integrity are important as a leader ?
Your Beloved Bradda in Christ
John. N.
Paul I need help,,,I’m going through a lot 3weeks ago I lost my boyfriend,,he took his life and I dnt know what to do
This is the 2nd article I read of yours today. I’ll not bug u the rest of the day. I know alot of people left behind are hurting but we don’t base the word of God on feeling to make people feel better. If anything we need to help other people that are being deceived by satan to kill themselves. There are countless story of people asking preachers if they will go to hell if they commit suicide, and the preachers say no and not long after that person committed suicide. If anyone reading is having thoughts of suicide please get in the bible and read it for yourselves. Start with Ephesians 6:10-18. Put on the Whole Armor of God and fight against these thoughts. JUDE VERSE 4 tells us that there are people who turn the grace of our God into lewdness. But true grace helps us in a time of need.Titus 2:11-12 tell us what grace really does. “11. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men 12. teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.” God is so good, He will help you. Trust him. I’m glad when i was a teenager and going thur some problems I didn’t hear no body preaching this, who knows maybe I wouldn’t be here today.
As I mention in the post, this was written for parents and those left behind – people who have been told that their dead kids are burning in hell. To take this post as an endorsement of suicide is to miss my heart by 100 miles.
Since writing this post I have been contacted by hurting Christians who are contemplating suicide. Typically they have Googled “Christian” and “suicide” and wound up here.
They make contact with me and I encourage them by telling them how God has met me during the dark times of my own life. I seek to dissuade them of the lie that says “this is all there is” and “nothing’s going to change” and I reveal the living hope they have here and now in Christ. To the best of my knowledge, none of them has followed through on their life-ending plans.
If I hadn’t written the post above, I would never hear from these people.
dare I ask I question that might raise another elephant in the room? On hearing about the sad death of Rick Warren’s son – my first thought was – did anyone try and raise him from the dead? Shouldn’t this be our first response?
awesome!!
Apparently, some people in this life will never understand that God sent Jesus to be the final sacrifice for our sins. If you’re reading this, you are forgiven. Don’t kill yourself – live. You are forgiven. Forgive others as He has forgiven you and you will live. my most respected line in this whole blog is from Steven. “If anything, we need to help other people that are being deceived by satan to kill themselves”. Love one another.
I can only see in the comments section that where sin abounded Grace superabounds. With the revelation that to live is Christ and to die is gain, it is no mere coincidence that God uses the death of one to break the bondage of suicide in many! Preach it brother Ellis!
I think the self blame when depressed is one of the hardest things to deal with. Moving beyond that to realise that, yes, depression can be caused by the wrong food, sleeplessness, life events, genetic propensity to it, can help set me free from the self blame. Verses like “all those who obey the voice of His servant and yet sit in deep darkness and have no shining splendour in their hearts’ can help us realise that we can’t ‘try’ our way out of it, we can only ‘trust’ and wait for a word from Jesus. Mine was ‘This will pass’. And it did. Praise God.