A Christian View on Suicide

In recent days we have seen an increase of media reported cases of suicides among high profile individuals who many people admired and still admire to this day. At first report of a suicide or murder suicide (where a person murders others and then themselves) it sparks debate among people whether they are Chrisitan or not of that person's eternal destiny.

Just recently, I read a post of a friend that asked a question: "Is suicide an unforgivable sin?" which again sparked debate of approx 36+ comments of people trying to understand what seems to be a hard pill to swallow, a person taking their own lives and happens to them next.

I will admit up front that I am not a professional counselor on this issue so I will not be offering any suggestive advise as to how to handle individuals contemplating or have experienced such a tragedy. I can (and will) only say what the bible says to help us understand God's view on the topic.

As I write this introduction on a Christian View About Suicide, I will do my do-diligence to insure accuracy of biblical teaching on suicide. This is not an easy topic to write on nor is it an easy topic to understand. Therefore, I will allow the Holy Spirit to saturate our hearts and minds for understanding.

What does the bible say about suicide?
First understand that, according to Scripture, suicide is not what determines whether a person gains entrance into heaven. The bible views suicide as equal to murder, which is what it is self-murder. The bible views suicide as a sin just like any and every other sin. The command given to Moses in Exodus 20:13 validates the belief that suicide is sin when it says: "Do not murder". This is a command to not murder others nor yourself. The bible is clear that suicide is a sin. However, the mistake many of us make is categorIzing the severity of the sin from others. I guess we can categorize certain sins to scare the Hell out of us but lets be careful of doing so. We murder in so many ways, like, lying is murder because it kills a person trust of what you say. Slander (gossip) is murder because it kills a persons character. Adultery kills the vows/sanctity of marriage. In short, sin is sin no matter what sin you commit. As well, sin is deadly according to Paul's writing to the Romans: "The wages of sin is death but the of God is eternal life".

Are there biblical examples of people committing suicide? Yes. The Bible mentions six specific people who committed suicide: Abimelech (Judges 9:54), Saul (1 Samuel 31:4), Saul's armor-bearer (1 Samuel 31:4-6), Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23), Zimri (1 Kings 16:18), and Judas (Matthew 27:5). Five of them were wicked, sinful men (not enough is said regarding Saul's armor-bearer to make a judgment as to his character). Some consider Samson an instance of suicide (Judges 16:26-31), but Samson's goal was to kill the Philistines, not himself. The Bible views suicide as equal to murder, which is what it is—self-murder. God is the only one who is to decide when and how a person should die.

To be continued...