Suicide

The following are a few examples of what is typically taught concerning the eternal destiny of those who commit suicide. It is completely contrary to what the Bible teaches.

1. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches,

Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.

We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives. (CCC, p. 550, #2282 & 2283)

2. John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN preached a "Funeral Meditation for a Christian Who Committed Suicide (1981)":

No single sin, not even suicide, evicts a person from heaven into hell. On thing does: continual rejection of God's Spirit. Our friend, we believe, gave up that resistance and accepted the forgiveness of Christ. What sort of momentary weakness, what brief cloud of hopelessness caused her to take her life remains a mystery. (hard copy on file)

It's not a mystery for those who know the truth (Colossians 1:23). She had such a debased mind (Romans 1:28), she killed herself, which is simply the result of an unregenerate heart.

2. Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa California writes in Answers For Today,

Q: Is a person who commits suicide totally lost for eternity?

A: Definitely not! I believe that a person who is driven to the point of committing suicide no longer has full responsibility for the things he's doing. Driven to a point of such mental extremes, he isn't necessarily responsible for the action of taking his own life. (p. 88-89; revised edition p. 116)

3. Charles Stanley of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, teaches,

. . . suicide is an act of rebellion against God. Fortunately for all of us, however, God's grace is without prejudice. Whoever believes will be saved. Nowhere in the Bible does God compartmentalize sin and reserve grace only for those who commit "acceptable" sins. There is no such thing. Does God forgive suicide? Yes, He does.

If the person who committed suicide at some time accepted Jesus' death on the cross as payment for his sin debt and asked Him into his life, he is forgiven. Absolute assurance of forgiveness is found in Romans 8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." If a person has ever taken that step and received Christ as Savior, nothing can alter the truth that, as children of God, we are forgiven. Even when we rebel against God. (Handbook for Christian Living, p. 49, italics in original)

4. It is recorded that Dr. J. Vernon McGee (1904-1988, "Thru the Bible" radio) taught,

Q. I was completely surprised when one of my friends from church committed suicide. How could a Christian kill himself?

McGee's answer, in part, reads,

I can understand that a Christian might have a mental breakdown, a catastrophic illness, or certain other things which might cause him to do this. I would not sit in judgment upon a professing Christian who does this because, to begin with, the minute he commits this act he is out of your hands and out of my hands. We cannot pass judgment on him. And I do know this: if that person is a child of God, he is saved. I don't care what you say, he is saved if he is a child of God. (Questions and Answers, copyright 1990 p. 50)

6. Billy Graham

Graham is asked,

My cousin had very serious emotional problems most of her life, and finally they overwhelmed her and she committed suicide. I firmly believe she was a Christian, but did she lose her salvation by doing this? Is suicide the unpardonable sin? - Mrs. W.L.

In the third paragraph of Graham's answer he says,

Suicide is always a tragedy - but in itself it is not the unpardonable sin. The only sin God cannot pardon is the sin of rejecting Him. God knew your cousin's heart, and He also knows that mental illness sometimes clouds a person's judgment so much that they aren't fully responsible for their actions. (www.billygraham.org/MyAnswer_Article.asp?ArticleID=1861, hard copy on file)

In other words, it's possible she went to heaven, according to Graham.

7. John F. MacArthur, pastor teacher of Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California, makes the following claim in his article entitled "Can one who commits suicide be saved?"

Suicide is a grave sin equivalent to murder (Exodus 20:13; 21:23), but it can be forgiven like any other sin. And Scripture says clearly that those redeemed by God have been forgiven for all their sins--past, present, and future (Colossians 2:13-14). Paul says in Romans 8:38-39 that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

So if a true Christian would commit suicide in a time of extreme weakness, he or she would be received into heaven (Jude 24). [www.biblebb.com/files/macqa/IA-suicide.htm, hard copy on file]

All of this speaks directly against Matthew 24:13; John 15:1-6; Romans 11:22; 1 Corinthians 15:2; Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 3:6, 14; 12:25; and 1 John 5:4. Committing suicide is not enduring to the end (Matthew 24:13). It is not abiding in Christ (John 15:1-6). It is not continuing in His goodness (Romans 11:22). It is not holding fast the word (1 Corinthians 15:2). It is definitely being moved away from the hope of the gospel (Colossians 1:23). It is not holding fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end (Hebrews 3:6). It is not holding the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end (Hebrews 3:14). It is refusing and turning away from Him who speaks from heaven (Hebrews 12:25). And, it is not overcoming the world (1 John 5:4), but rather being overcome by the world and the devil (1 Peter 5:8; 1 John 5:18).

This kind of teaching on suicide opens wide the door of death and Hades (Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15) to those in despair.

Some might argue, "What about Samson? He committed suicide." Samson's "suicide" was actually an act of war, as he killed three thousand Philistines in his vengeance upon them (Judges 16:28-30). He died in his effort to kill others, as he said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" (Judges 16:30). It was not, as a typical suicide of our day, because of a lack of hope, or a deranged mind. He died with the Philistines to "take vengeance on the Philistines" for his two eyes (Judges 16:28). Plus, this was the only choice he had, to kill them as he did.

Typical suicidal people today are those who have no hope, and they are thus not in Christ (Ephesians 2:12; 1 Peter 1:3; 3:15), or they have been moved away from the hope of the gospel and are thus lost (Colossians 1:21-23). Those with deranged minds, or who "might have a mental breakdown," are those who do not have a sound mind and are therefore not in Christ (Isaiah 26:3; 2 Timothy 1:7). These people will end up in hell if they die in such a state. Such people are not saved.

MacArthur, in the article mentioned above, ends his article with these words:

So though it may be possible for a true believer to commit suicide, we believe that is an unusual occurrence.

One unusual belief in this damning doctrine will result in one long eternity in hell!

a true church, Po. O. Box 797, Lake Hughes, CA 93532

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