Q&A with BBH

Question:

Is suicide an unforgivable sin? A young person asked me this question recently; I’m not sure whether he was contemplating suicide personally or not.

Answer:

It is important to remember that every sin leads to Hell – even a sin as seemingly “small” as eating one bite of a forbidden fruit. There is no sin which, in the eyes of God, is “forgivable” in the sense of being too small or petty for Him to care about. Because God is completely light (good), He has zero tolerance for any form of darkness (sin) at all (1 John 1:5, 6). Therefore, when we are willfully walking in a sinful way of life, we can know with certainty that Hell is the end of that road.

However, one of the wonderful things about the grace of God, which is founded in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, is that He is powerful enough—and He is wise enough—to snatch us from our Hell-bent pathway at any time that He desires. Remember the thief on the cross? Here was a man that was moments away from the end of his rebellious, sinful life. Yet, God showed His amazing power to save, even in the last moments of this man’s despicable life (Luke 23:39-43).

God is just the same today. God is able to save sinners, even in the last moments of their lives. Even when a sinner gives in to the lies of Satan, and decides to take his or her own life, God is able to catch the sinner even in the mid-air of a suicidal jump or to reach the sinner even faster than the bullet can speed down the chamber of a gun.

However, as sinners, we dare not rest in this. We dare not tempt God by willfully, rebelliously trying to take our own lives. This is the lesson that Jesus was teaching when He was tempted by Satan to throw Himself off the pinnacle of the temple. “Jesus said unto him… Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matthew 4:7).

Is God able to save a person who commits suicide? Certainly. Has He promised to do so in every case? Certainly not. We, therefore, should live life to the fullest capacity of the joyful instruction that He gives us and trust in His grace to save us, even when we do falter and fail in our feeble attempts toward perfect holiness. Then, and only then, can we confidently say with the apostle Paul “for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

In the darkness of depression, pain, or personal guilt it can sometimes seem that suicide is the only solution. But please remember that sin is never the solution. If you need help, God’s Word has healing. Please call us and we will be happy to put you in touch with someone in your area that can offer you a warm embrace and personal encouragement from a Biblical perspective.