Last week, we began a newsletter series on the topic of suicide. In it, we discussed what the Word of God says about taking life and whether a born-again Christian can take their own life and still be saved. If you missed Part 1 and Part 2, you can find them at the links below:
Judgment for Believers
Another thing to remember in this discussion is the Bema Seat Judgment of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Remember that this judgment does not determine one’s salvation. Salvation was already bought with the blood of Christ. Your born-again experience determines your eternal destination.
But for believers, we have a Judgment Day coming where God will reward us according to how we lived for Him. Did we do what He asked us to do? Were we soul-winners? Were our motives pure?
Now you can see how this all fits together. If we check out early by our own hand, we will miss out on some of the rewards He WANTS to bless us with! He is a giving God! He wants to shower us with His blessings. That is why we want to stay here as long as we can to glorify His name more and more until He finally takes us home.
Evil Influences
Also, I don’t think we can forget there is a spiritual element to all of this as well.
John 8:44
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
The great Deceiver is active in our world—very active. Lying and murdering are from his hand, and I don’t want to help him do his dirty work.
We had a suicide, one time, at a school where I worked. The young man killed himself in the bathroom. One of the second-grade teachers was the first to find him. She told me later that when she walked into the room, she felt a very heavy presence there. There was no feeling of life. She could feel a presence of death all around the room. There was something spiritual going on in that room.
There is a spiritual element that goes along with suicide, and I don’t think many of us think about it from that angle. People say that, when they are super depressed, there is a heavy darkness around them. They feel no hope. I believe Satan clouds their minds so they won’t reach out to Jesus in the darkest moment of their life.
Carnal Christians
In the Bible, you find three kinds of people: lost people, saved people, and carnal Christians. You read about this in the church of Corinth. They were living in sin, and Paul admonished them to repent of their sins and get back on track with Jesus. Interestingly, he never refers to them as lost people. He refers to them as Christians who were living incorrectly.
If a Christian cheats on his taxes, is he still a Christian?
If a Christian lies to his parents, is he still a Christian?
If a Christian commits suicide, is he still a Christian?
I think the answer to these questions is a simple one: yes.
Now, all of these sins are wrong. God wants us to live a certain way. But if I commit a sin, it does not change the fact that I am saved and that I am a Christian.
Romans 8:38-39
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:1-4
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Nothing. He has removed our sins so far from us that even He can’t see them when we get saved. That is a love none of us can truly comprehend.
Now that we know God forgives all the sins of the believer, even if they commit suicide, what is the fallout in the aftermath of that suicide? Who picks up the pieces and carries the burden once they are gone? We address these painful aspects of suicide in the last remaining part of our newsletter series, which comes out on Wednesday. Remember, now is the time to reach people with the hope of the gospel and the hope of living full lives for Christ.
Until the nets are full,
P.S. Ray is smart. Ray also loves the Lord. So a smart man of the Lord uses his opportunities to reach the lost souls who come in for services where he works. The sign says, “…The items are provided by the staff and are free to take. Please do not sell them, but feel free to take some to give away free of charge to others.” He let me know that a lot of Muslims and Hindus come to his workplace, and they are the ones who are most interested in the materials. Job well done, Ray! Remember to use your opportunities for the Lord.
