Q: Do people who commit suicide go to hell?
A: The short answer is that the act of suicide itself is not a “one-way ticket to hell.” There are a couple of reasons that many people think that suicide is an unpardonable sin; one that results only in eternal separation from God. The first developed within Catholicism from the combination of Augustine’s belief that suicide was a violation of the 6th commandment (murder) and Thomas Aquinas’ belief that confession of sin must be made prior to death. The logic is then that since suicide is murder that cannot be confessed to a priest afterward, it is unforgivable. The second is the association of suicide with Judas, the betraying disciple of Jesus Christ.
The Bible makes no claim about the eternal prospect of those who commit suicide. In the absence of such specifics it is reasonable to apply what we read about eternal life in the presence of God. The Gospel of John says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.” So, eternal life is the result of heartfelt belief and trust in Christ Jesus' redemptive death and resurrection, not in our actions - what we do or don’t do.
While we can get an idea of a person’s belief by their actions (“faith produces fruit”), we can never know for sure what lies in the heart, because none of us are made perfect in action by our belief. Scripture says, “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” Only God knows the motives and what is in the heart – belief or unbelief, acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ – that determines our eternal future.
So the question really is, “what was the state of the heart of the one who committed suicide; the motives, beliefs, and relationship with Christ?” That is a difficult question for me to answer even for myself, but God knows the heart of each of us.
One of the questions regarding this topic also asked about life purpose, where God was when a loved one committed suicide, and why did God allow it to happen. I believe those questions will be addressed in other answers or in the series message entitled Where Was God?
A: The short answer is that the act of suicide itself is not a “one-way ticket to hell.” There are a couple of reasons that many people think that suicide is an unpardonable sin; one that results only in eternal separation from God. The first developed within Catholicism from the combination of Augustine’s belief that suicide was a violation of the 6th commandment (murder) and Thomas Aquinas’ belief that confession of sin must be made prior to death. The logic is then that since suicide is murder that cannot be confessed to a priest afterward, it is unforgivable. The second is the association of suicide with Judas, the betraying disciple of Jesus Christ.
The Bible makes no claim about the eternal prospect of those who commit suicide. In the absence of such specifics it is reasonable to apply what we read about eternal life in the presence of God. The Gospel of John says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.” So, eternal life is the result of heartfelt belief and trust in Christ Jesus' redemptive death and resurrection, not in our actions - what we do or don’t do.
While we can get an idea of a person’s belief by their actions (“faith produces fruit”), we can never know for sure what lies in the heart, because none of us are made perfect in action by our belief. Scripture says, “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” Only God knows the motives and what is in the heart – belief or unbelief, acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ – that determines our eternal future.
So the question really is, “what was the state of the heart of the one who committed suicide; the motives, beliefs, and relationship with Christ?” That is a difficult question for me to answer even for myself, but God knows the heart of each of us.
One of the questions regarding this topic also asked about life purpose, where God was when a loved one committed suicide, and why did God allow it to happen. I believe those questions will be addressed in other answers or in the series message entitled Where Was God?
3 comments:
Thanks very much for this!
It really changed my thinking on the subject.
you're quite welcome, david.
I have heard it said that suicide is "sin", the last sin, but not the only sin that a person who takes there own life commits.
Christ died for the forgiveness of all sin. Including the first sin we commit and the last, whatever that sin might be.
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