A sister in Ohio sent this
question: “What passages would you use
to either prove or disprove that Christians who commit suicide
are able to
still be saved?”
The subject of suicide, like that of
abortion and other important issues, is not addressed in the
scriptures, so a
person’s willful self-destruction must be judged by
principles given to guide
our conduct.
It is thought traditionally that a
person seals his or her eternal doom by suicide. Few
comforting words have been offered to relieve the shock of
family and friends. With a resigned
quietness we have left them in unrelieved grief. We would
like to offer hope, but that desire must not cause us to
create false hope. Is there any real
hope?
When the subject is approached, it
is said generally that the person who kills self dies in
violation of “Thou shalt not kill,” and has no
chance to
repent and ask for forgiveness, hence, is beyond
redemption. But suicide is not necessarily a violation
of “Thou shalt not kill.”. That
commandment had to do with murder, not manslaughter. It is
not the taking of life that is sin, but it is the
motivation for killing. Murder comes
from ill-will, hatred, jealousy, and such evil thoughts.
John explains, “Anyone who hates his brother
is a murderer…” (1 John 3:15).
There are several instances of
justified killing (manslaughter) in the Scriptures listed in the
very law that
contained the Ten Commandments (consider Exo. 21:12; 22:2; Lev.
24:16; 20:13;
Exo. 21:15, 17; Num. 35; Deut.20 – instructions for battle
where killing was
commanded.) Manslaughter could be
honorable and expedient when serving the cause of justice
rather than being expressions of personal hatred, rage,
jealousy, or vengeance. The higher
motive outweighs the general restriction.
Jesus and other martyrs chose to die
for good cause. Although they did not
perform the acts of self-destruction, they willingly put
themselves in the
situation where it would happen. Samson
willingly brought his own death for the cause of his people and
he is listed as
a hero of faith (Heb. 11:32f). Some
hopelessly ill persons take their own lives to spare their loved
ones the
extended emotional and financial burden of caring for
them. Whether they are justifiable or not, we must
recognize such cases as acts of unselfishness.
While I cannot in good conscience
offer these thoughts as a support for willful suicide, I mention
them in order
to offer the grieving family some comfort and hope for their
loved one. In Oregon the voters now have legalized
assisted suicide. I cannot approve of
that, either for the assistant or the one being killed.
Though it may be done as an act of mercy, it
presumes too heavily on knowing the unrevealed will of God and
claiming grace
which he has not offered either by word or precedent.
Most of the suicides of which I have
known more details have been the result of a psychotic suicidal
compulsion
caused by mental illness. I know, some
would class emotional disorders as demon possession, but I think
that is an
ignorant, insensitive insult to the one who has a mental
disorder. Sin is not a disease, nor is disease sin.
In his grace and mercy, God does not
demand the impossible of us. He does
not demand sanity of the mentally ill.
Even under the rigid code of Law through Moses, Jesus emphasized
that
the showing of mercy was of greater importance than keeping laws
that would
prevent it. His numerous “Sabbath
violations” made that clear (See Matt. 12:1f; 12:9f; Lk.
14:1f; 13:10f; etc.). Law offers no mercy or grace.
“Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James
2:13). God alone is able to judge, and
he will judge mercifully those who seek his mercy.
Back to the question. No, those Christians who commit
suicide are
not “able to still be saved.” No one is
able. (The questioner probably
understands that.) “For by grace you
have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing,
it is the gift
of God…” (Eph. 2:8). None of us are able
to be saved but we must depend on
God’s gift. To any of us who might
think we can keep a supposed code of law well enough to be
saved, James would
shout, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one
point has become
guilty of all of it” (James 2:10)! That
includes all of us.
The man who kills himself has no
chance for repentance and asking forgiveness.
Neither does the person who dies in a moment of anger, pride, or
jealousy. Would his state be better than that of the
suicide? If you die of compulsive speeding,
overeating, or smoking, what is your hope?
If you fail in “one point” while someone else fails in
another, who has
better standing before God?
(If you will forgive my sick
sarcasm, I will offer the legalist an acceptable mode of
suicide. Don’t blow your brains out. That is
too fast. Instead, swallow a big dose of cyanide or
sleeping pills and then
ask God’s forgiveness before they take effect!
L )
If we must be in a state of achieved
righteousness the moment we die in order to enter into eternal
life, no one
will make it! None are “able” to
achieve it – able to be saved. So
accept the gift! Because of his
atonement, we struggling sinners can be in fellowship with him
who accepts our sins and accounts us as righteousness.
His forgiveness is continuous as we stumble along.
“If we say we have fellowship with
him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according
to the truth;
but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all
sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1John 1:6-8).
Yes, there is hope for you and me
both as we die in our own imperfection while being accounted
perfect through his gift of righteousness. However,
there is no assurance for one who dies in deliberate sin
presuming upon the grace of God and using it as a license. []