In our day, we often hear Christians say, '..my friend committed suicide, but I'm sure he was a Christian and is now in heaven with all his mental pain gone.' But is suicide the pain-killer that so many Christians think it is, or is that just wishful thinking? The truth is, none of us can be absolutely sure that anyone besides ourselves is a true Christian. The cliche of someone 'wearing his heart on his sleeve' is a colloquialism, not a truism. Despite our human desires and beliefs, exactly who is, and who is not a true Christian, only Sovereign God knows for sure. And indeed that is 'His business,' not ours. We judge not, for it is not given to man to know the true state of anyone's heart (1st Corinthians 3:12-13). God looks upon the inward man, not on the outward appearance man as man does. He is able to discern between soul and spirit, and between joint and marrow. He pondereth the heart (proverbs 24:12) and knows it's intents, no matter how cleverly man may cloak it in his outward piety or perceived love. We define suicide as 'killing yourself intentionally.' And the scriptures declare that to shed man's blood in taking human life is the sin of murder in the eyes of the Lord.

Exodus 20:13

• "Thou shalt not kill."

How Do We Know It's Possible?

We know it's possible because all of the sins of God's Children were accounted for in Christ's completed work on the cross. 'Therefore,' if a true believer (the keyword being, true) were to get to the point where God (for His own purposes) abrogated His normal way of strengthening and upholding Christians in time of trial, and allowed him to lose all hope that they did somehow commit suicide, then that sin would surely not keep them out of heaven. Because 'all' the sins of the elect were paid for in Christ Jesus. So no sin that we could commit could keep us from the Love of God.

If God were to do this, but that is a big if. What would lead us to think God would do that? Some might point to Samson as an example of one who committed suicide, however, Samson's death was to bring vengeance on the enemies of the Lord, and Samson was a vessel used in the 'purpose of God' to get this done. Remember, Samson 'asked God' for strength to do this. Not to kill himself, but to take vengeance upon these Philistines.

Judges 16:28

• "And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes."

Nevertheless, being consistent in scripture, the doctrine of eternal security, 'if' a true Christian should in a instant of weakness decide to drive his car off a cliff, or shot himself, that instant of bad judgment would certainly not keep him out of the Kingdom, since all his sins were forgiven. And so while I certainly would have to agree that it is possible for a true Christian to commit suicide and have been Saved, I also would have to ask 'what would ever indicate to a Christian that God would abrogate His care over His elect in time of trial to allow this hopelessness and despair without solution?' Certainly not scripture.

John 14:18 KJV

• "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."

• "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

How Do We Know It is Unlikely

    It's a simple matter of believing everything which God says, and not allowing our own interests and emotions to cloud our thinking. As I said, we would all like to think that our loved ones, personal friends and acquaintances will be in heaven. It's just human nature for people to want to believe that. But we have to leave that in the hands of the Lord and surrender to the authority of His Word. i.e., 'Thy will be done O' Lord, not mine.'

There are many things neglected, but which should be considered in this issue. The first being, a true believer is indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God. People like to think that someone is so depressed and distraught that they see no way out, and so finally kill themselves. But that inherently presupposes that God is busy elsewhere, or just dwelling there within that person (assuming they're Christian) idle and not helping or doing anything to prevent their hopelessness. Even many learned theologians have fallen into the snare of underestimating the working of God within us. And the second thing is, this would illustrate clearly that the person committing suicide has forsaken trust in the Lord, which is supposed to be the 'evidence' of true Salvation. We take refuge from trials and tribulations in Him, not in despair. He is the help of those who have faith, and faith is our strength.

Psalms 9:10

• "And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee."

• "Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah."

• "Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.:"

More than that, history reveals that ninety-nine percent of suicide victims are simply feeling sorry for themselves, even though most are blessed far above the average person. But they have their eyes on themselves and not on Christ, and it is in this vanity that so many make their big mistake. Their thoughts are always, 'Poor me, why is this always happening to me?' The Christian minister should counsel them on where the real problem lies. They've made themselves the central figure and primary reason for their existence, and not Christ. How is that evidence of true Salvation? How are they then destined for the Kingdom? We must exhort them to take their eyes off themselves and the cares of 'this world' and put them on Christ. If they do this, their depression will always lesson because you cannot feel sorry for yourself when you're not thinking 'of' yourself. When we lift our hands in prayer and put our minds on Christ (if He indeed be present within us), He will be our help, our strength, and our refuge in time of weakness if we pour out our heart before Him.

Psalms 62:7-8

• "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
• Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah."

• "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;"

Philippians 4:6-9

• "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
• And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
• Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
• Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you".

When God says, 'think on these things,' and 'the God of peace shall be with you,' it's not just words blowing in the wind to placate us, it's divine truth. His Words only seem without power when professed Christians ignore the scriptures and begin to 'give and take' advice by what seems right in their own eyes rather than what God provides for. If we're true Christian, then we must resign ourselves to do it God's way. We think not on ourselves, our lot in life, our troubles, we think on the thing which God prescribes. Not 'poor me, what can I do about poor me,' we think on, 'what can I do today to better serve God.' God has promised that if we do, His Peace of mind will be with us. Do we believe it, or do we (as unbelievers) believe that these are ..just words? If we think words are cheap, then what makes us think that we are true believers to start with? That is the question? A friend of mine once declared in a discussion:

"I suppose the question would be whether or not God would allow a believer to commit such a sin. I would tend to think not, but I don't know.."

This is an excellent point. We don't know for sure, but judging from all the Biblical texts, we 'do know' that it is highly unlikely. And so to tell someone that they're going to heaven if they commit suicide (and believe me when I tell you, many do say that) is at best a misnomer. For it assumes far too much. A Christian committing suicide is like rejecting God's promises and saying, 'God you have put more on me than I can bear in this life.' That of course is a direct contradiction to what God has promised He would not do. Yet just another example of scripture constantly ignored in favor of humanistic reasoning.

1st Corinthians 10:13

• "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will NOT suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it".

Christians will survive suicidal tendencies by doing either of two things. They can 'reduce' their mental anguish by laying it down at the cross and leaving it there, or they can 'increase' their ability to cope by strength of Christ in prayer and supplication, placing our eyes upon Him and not ourselves. We can take the burden off of ourselves by laying it on Christ, or we can attempt to carry it on our own shoulders. The problem is that so many Christians burden themselves in trying to deal with this alone, or without Christ our help.

Faith in Christ is an integral part of being a true Christian. And that is what we must not lose sight of, nor minimize in our sorrow or compassion. The light of the body is the eye. So let us exhort them (as Paul did) to keep their eyes on the prize, for this world is not our comfort zone, it is a way station. Often in our depression, we forget that this is not our home and we are just strangers and pilgrims here, just passing through. We've got a job to do and we weren't promised a rose garden in doing it. Indeed what we were promised was trails, temptations, tribulations, being hated, and persecuted (John 16:33, Luke 6:26).

2nd Timothy 3:12

• "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution".

So it's not, 'woe is me,' it's 'blessed am I.' God said blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you. We take up our cross and we follow him. And whosoever won't forsake all for the sake of Christ is not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:37-38). Because in our weakness are we made strong in Christ. These are the things which Christians of our day seem to have forgotten. Their first Love (agape) is to charity, the sharing the gospel message with others. Our weaknesses are not what we despair over, but joy in.

2nd Corinthians 12:10

• "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong".

Philippians 2:12-13

• "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
• For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

Still there are other theologians who understand these things, but who respond by saying that we can't take this type view because we all lack a trust in the Lord sometimes. This may be true, but are we to use our own weakness as justification for murder? Just because someone did not trust in the Lord at sometime doesn't equate to, 'Suicide victims are most likely Saved.' We may have at sometime not trusted in the Lord, but we didn't kill ourselves, did we? ..and why not? By the Grace of God, that's why! And that is what some cannot seem to comprehend. God is not idle in all this. We do not reach that point of total despair precisely because of the Grace of God to 'keep' His faithful promise, and not put upon us more than we can bear. Either that, or God was not truthful when He promised that He wouldn't. So again, who are we going to believe? Psychiatrists, philosophers, new age seminary graduates, or the Word of God.

This world (and I'm talking about the professed Christian world) is so enamoured by their own vanity and ability to solve every problem by thinking it out themselves, that God and His Word is as an afterthought in everything. Things are always about me, or I, or what I do, what I did, What I can't do, how I chose God, How I must move because God won't force me, etc. But the 'I' is the real problem here. All is pride and vanity saith the preacher. Trust and belief of the Word, and faith in the Lord to carry it out, is not insignificant in anything. It's an essential part of true Christianity.

Psalms 18:2

• "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower".

• "Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies".

2nd Corinthians 4:16

• "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day."

Isaiah 40:31

• "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Isaiah 30:10

• "Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:"

Hebrews 12:11

• "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."

Hebrews 6:19

• "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;"

So, we answer the question of 'can a person who commits suicide be a saved person?' Theoretically, and hypothetically we say yes. But is it likely that they were Saved? We must Biblically say, probably not.

In any case, the state of those after death is not our business. The Lord judge. Our Christian work is to tend to the living. And to the living we say, all evidence is that a 'true' Christian will not commit suicide. And therefore contemplating suicide may be evidence that one is not truly Saved at all, and therefore still under the wrath of God. Let every soul contemplating suicide think hard on these things. Let them ask themselves why they would abandon God because of their pain. We are 'sent' with a mission and it's not over until God calls us home. It's not over when we decide we don't want to live anymore because God (supposedly) placed upon us more than we can bear (in direct contradiction to His Promise). Not at all, for He would never do that. He is our Strength, not our burden. If we have a burden we cannot bear, it's because we have not laid it down at the feet of Christ. And to be sure, how can one carrying his own burden, get into the Kingdom of Heaven?