Is suicide forgivable?

Before we dive into this topic, I want to make sure that my heart is clearly expressed here. If you have been close to someone who has taken their own life, I am deeply sorry. The pain that you feel is something that I have not experienced, but one that my heart breaks for. The thoughts and questions that are left, the pain the continues on, I truly am sorry and am praying for you. Nobody ever wants to hear that a loved one has passed. Whether we see it coming, or it catches us by surprise, it is never easy. But then the pain hits a deeper level, because on top of the loss, it is revealed that it was self inflicted. Regardless of the method, someone that was loved decided to take their own life. In that moment, and the days and years that follow, questions, concerns, and struggles arise. For many, one of those questions that is asked is, is suicide forgivable? I believe the heart behind that question is is it possible for me to see that person in heaven, because they professed to be a believer. There is a struggle of their hope in Christ and the reality that they ended their life on this earth. So again, the question we face is; is sin forgivable?
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The Bible doesn’t speak about this topic. I can think of three instances in which someone was in such dire circumstances that they desired for their life to end. All three are prominent figures in the Scriptures.
The first one is found in Numbers 11. Moses has been leading the people out of Egypt, and they are now setting out from Mount Sinai. Shortly after, the people begin to complain. Their complaining gets to Moses, in which he then cries out to God, I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness. Moses was consumed by the weight of his circumstances, and desired that God would take his life from him.

The second King David. Some of the clearest passages of emotion in Scripture are found in the Psalms. We see rejoicing, trusting in God, praising God, and then also passages that reveal great pain. Psalm 22, 39, and 55 both express David’s emotions through difficult situations. When David’s son rebelled against him and then was killed, David cried out that he would have died in Absalom’s place. David experienced intense times in which he desired for death to come.

Lastly, the Apostle Paul. In one of Paul’s heavier introductions to an epistle, Paul is writing about the comfort that God gives us in our time of affliction so that we can then comfort those who are being afflicted. Paul has suffered immense persecution for the Gospel. So much so, that he says in 2 Corinthians 2:8, we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.

Why do I share these passages? Because these are heroes of the faith, pillars that we stand on what they have written, and even they experienced moments of weakness, in which they despaired of life itself. The point I’m wanting to make is that for someone to take their own life, there is a level of pain and hurt that I won’t even dare to claim I understand. Life is hard. Our world is broken. And whether self inflicted or not, we face struggles of different levels, some way harder than others. Some cause people to seek deliverance through death. This doesn’t even mean a lack of trust in God, but there are moments of weakness, chemical imbalances, biological abnormalities, and mental illnesses that cause someone to go to the extent of taking their life. Does that mean that what they did is unforgivable? We can look at the nature of God and what He tells us about His forgiveness.

• Psalm 103:10-12 — He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.
• Titus 3:5 — He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy….
• Ephesians 1:13-14 — In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.

These passages point us to the immense love and forgiveness that God extends to us. Forgiveness that is not based on what we do, but received by faith through His grace. Forgiveness that covers a multitude of sins, which I believe, includes suicide. I believe that if your faith is in Christ Jesus, that is what saves you. That you are sealed with His Spirit, that in a moment of weakness does not nullify His grace.

One last comment, if you are in a level of depression that is considering ending it all, please don’t. There is a hope in Christ. Though suicide is forgivable, it is not right. If you think no one cares, that is a lie from the devil. Whatever is leading you to think such thoughts, God has given you a body of believers, locally at Center, and globally in His Church, to encourage you. If you are struggling, please reach out and seek Godly help.