Thoughts for the evening...
Now concerning suicide. I don't think there will ever be an agreement on what happens to a "Christian" if they commit suicide. There are those who believe that suicide is the ultimate defiance of God's rule in our lives and will therefor be sentenced to hell. Then there are those who say that God understands a persons heart and where they are at in life, and if they were a Christian they will be saved, because after all, blasphemy of the holy spirit is the only "unforgivable" sin. Now my personal belief lies closer to the first description, but not entirely that extreme. I do believe that a person who commits suicide will go to hell on the basis that they ultimately deny Christ. Was it not Christ who said : "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven." (Matt 10:32 & 33). Now you may ask how commiting suicide is denying God. Well does scripture not say that all things work together for good to those who believe (Rom. 8:28), and that God's grace is sufficient and that God's power is displayed in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9)? Scripture also states that nothing can seperate the believer from the love of God (Rom 8:38 & 39) I can continue to pull out promises from scripture that deal with our eternal victory, the hope found in Christ, God's provision, etc etc. The point is that Christians need not worry about anything that comes in our path on earth, because God our father, friend, saviour, and king is always with us and will never forsake us (Deut 31:6). This is all fine, but what does it have to do with suicide denying God? If suicide is the intentional ending of your own life, are not not essentially calling every single promise God ever made to the believer a lie? If God's grace was truely sufficient for you, then why would you commit suicide? If all things work together for good, how is ending your own life better? Are you not dictating to God that your wisdom is greater than His, and that ending your life is an ultimately better decision than living through a trial? If you do not agree, please do so, but I will challenge you on this. By commiting suicide you are fully denying the supreme wisdom and providence of the God you profess to be your savior.
Here's a rebuttle for my debate thus far: Peter denied Christ three times before men (Mark 14:66-72), and he was the closest to Jesus out of all the disciples. And he was also given the keys to the kingdom of heaven! He was also the rock that the church was to be built upon! (Matt 16:18-19) He was arguably the greatest of the twelve, and he denied Christ, and he was not denied before the father. So you can be forgiven for denying Christ. That is true. You can deny Christ and be forgiven for it. We all have, and thank God that his grace is given to us even after we deny Him! But the statement that Christ said in Matt 10 still stands. If you deny Christ, he will deny you. Now how does this work out, if you can be forgiven. It has to be an ultimate denial, one that seals your eternal death. You can argue that the denial is that Christ speaks of is living your whole life and not accepting him as your savior. No doubt that could very well be what he spoke of, at least a part of it. But I still maintain that suicide is an ultimate denial of Christ before men, especially the suicide of a known Christian. I will spare the debate of if they are truely saved or not, and I will just consider them a proclaimed brother or sister in the faith.
Here is another conflicting idea against what I argue. All sins can be forgiven, except blasphemy of the holy spirit (Matt 12:31 & 32). And suicide is a sin, sure but all other sins are equally condemning. And we have assurance that our sins have been forgiven (1 John 2:12). And if that is the case, then a believer can be forgiven for an act of suicide. Now this, I do not deny. If a believer commits suicide and in the midst of dying, has a contrite heart and asks for forgiveness for the act, then they shall be forgiven. In some cases, people report God saving their life and keeping them from dying. God is amazing, and is supremely gracious, no doubt about that. However, I would be willing to bet that some have had a contrite and remourseful heart and have repented of the sin, and have still died. However, suicide that kills instantly, I do will say that there is no forgiveness. And suicide where the person has no remourse or regret, again, I can't say I see any proof that they will be forgiven. You have to actively live a life of repentance and confess your sins. I believe 1 John 1: 8-10 states this truth: If you live, you sin, and if you confess your sin, he will forgive them. Now I can't reconcile suicide with a repentant life at all. In fact, I would more closely associate it with being pride and selfishness. After all, what a greater way to show that you are wiser than the Almighty than to say that you know when life has lost any and all meaning and that death is the only thing that can improve it. What kind of message does that send God? I can't say one very low in spirit. Now surely I am not saying that the persons flesh is arrogant, because to come to a point of suicide is one of the lowliest things a person can do. But I do not agree that the actual act of suicide is a consumation of this lowly, humiliating state. Suicide esteems your wisdom and your pain above every thing else in your own eyes. But yes. We all sin, and sin can be forgiven. However to die in sin, is to deny Christ. And to kill yourself, that is the ultimate denial of Christ reign in your life I believe.
My stance on this issue can be subject to change, but there you have it.
Here's a rebuttle for my debate thus far: Peter denied Christ three times before men (Mark 14:66-72), and he was the closest to Jesus out of all the disciples. And he was also given the keys to the kingdom of heaven! He was also the rock that the church was to be built upon! (Matt 16:18-19) He was arguably the greatest of the twelve, and he denied Christ, and he was not denied before the father. So you can be forgiven for denying Christ. That is true. You can deny Christ and be forgiven for it. We all have, and thank God that his grace is given to us even after we deny Him! But the statement that Christ said in Matt 10 still stands. If you deny Christ, he will deny you. Now how does this work out, if you can be forgiven. It has to be an ultimate denial, one that seals your eternal death. You can argue that the denial is that Christ speaks of is living your whole life and not accepting him as your savior. No doubt that could very well be what he spoke of, at least a part of it. But I still maintain that suicide is an ultimate denial of Christ before men, especially the suicide of a known Christian. I will spare the debate of if they are truely saved or not, and I will just consider them a proclaimed brother or sister in the faith.
Here is another conflicting idea against what I argue. All sins can be forgiven, except blasphemy of the holy spirit (Matt 12:31 & 32). And suicide is a sin, sure but all other sins are equally condemning. And we have assurance that our sins have been forgiven (1 John 2:12). And if that is the case, then a believer can be forgiven for an act of suicide. Now this, I do not deny. If a believer commits suicide and in the midst of dying, has a contrite heart and asks for forgiveness for the act, then they shall be forgiven. In some cases, people report God saving their life and keeping them from dying. God is amazing, and is supremely gracious, no doubt about that. However, I would be willing to bet that some have had a contrite and remourseful heart and have repented of the sin, and have still died. However, suicide that kills instantly, I do will say that there is no forgiveness. And suicide where the person has no remourse or regret, again, I can't say I see any proof that they will be forgiven. You have to actively live a life of repentance and confess your sins. I believe 1 John 1: 8-10 states this truth: If you live, you sin, and if you confess your sin, he will forgive them. Now I can't reconcile suicide with a repentant life at all. In fact, I would more closely associate it with being pride and selfishness. After all, what a greater way to show that you are wiser than the Almighty than to say that you know when life has lost any and all meaning and that death is the only thing that can improve it. What kind of message does that send God? I can't say one very low in spirit. Now surely I am not saying that the persons flesh is arrogant, because to come to a point of suicide is one of the lowliest things a person can do. But I do not agree that the actual act of suicide is a consumation of this lowly, humiliating state. Suicide esteems your wisdom and your pain above every thing else in your own eyes. But yes. We all sin, and sin can be forgiven. However to die in sin, is to deny Christ. And to kill yourself, that is the ultimate denial of Christ reign in your life I believe.
My stance on this issue can be subject to change, but there you have it.