What Does the Bible Say About Suicide (Warning: Longer Post) On Monday, Robin Williams, one of the funniest comics to ever step on to a stage, became part of a growing statistic among men, when he took his own life. As the reports crossed the airways, I could not help but think of many Christian men and women who live under the dark cloud of deep depression, and feel like suicide is the only way out. Suicide and thoughts of suicide are very real issues among followers of Jesus Christ, but we have chosen to deny its existence, feel embarrassed to talk about it, or spiritualize it away. Robin Williams’ battle with depression and subsequent suicide, along with the questions I have received over the last several days, started me thinking about what the Bible says about suicide. What is suicide? Suicide defined is the deliberate taking of one’s own life or causing another to take your life, regardless of motive, circumstance or method. I know this is a controversial statement, and I know that there are many people with genuinely depressive feelings, but suicide is one of the most selfish acts that anyone can ever commit. It leaves family members behind to pick up the pieces, many times, without answers. Family members experience shock, profound sadness, anger, and then the deep grieving process. Family members are left wondering if they could have done something to prevent this from happening. Most times the secret of why is left with the deceased. Though very tragic, it remains one of the most selfish acts a person can commit. What drives a person take his/her own life? I don’t pretend to know all the reasons why a person decides to take his own life, but here is a biblical sampling of a few reasons why a person might commit suicide or have thoughts of suicide: • Guilt can lead to suicide. Judas experienced a profound sense of guilt after he betrayed Jesus. (Matthew 27:5) The guilt was so overwhelming that it became bigger than the God who covers all sin and guilt. • Defeat leads to suicide (1 Samuel 31:4-6) • Rejection can lead to suicide (2 Samuel 17:23). After his military counsel to Absalom had been rejected, Ahitophel “went off home to his own city, … set his house in order, and hanged himself.” • Failure can lead to suicide (Acts 16:27). The Philippian jailer, after God miraculously released Paul and Silas from jail, was about to take his own life. He was about to take his own life because he had failed at his job to secure the prisoners, and that meant death. • Revenge can lead to suicide (Judges 16:21-31). This is the story of Samson causing the building to collapse on all the people, including himself. According to the definition of above, Samson committed suicide. • Satanic influence can lead to suicide (John 8:44). When you hear about someone committing suicide, you must know that there were darker forces involved in the process. Satan hates life and was a murderer from the beginning. He will attempt to influence us with his lies: “Life isn’t worth living.” “God doesn’t care about you.” You are a failure and a loser and you will always be a failure and a loser.” “Your problems are way bigger than the God you serve and sing and pray to.” These are all lies from the very pit of hell. According to one scholar, suicide also has a broad array of other motivations, such as a ritual intended to preserve honor (such as Samurai suicides as a ritual admission of defeat), a form of protest (such as self-starvation to protest war or oppression), a means of escaping punishment, or as a form of escaping pain because of terminal illness. No matter the motivation, it still fits into the category of suicide. So we do see suicide and some causes in Scripture, but it’s interesting that thoughts of suicide or the desire for death seem to occur more frequently than actual suicide or suicide attempts in the Bible. • Elijah’s desire for death rose from depressive feelings, which resulted from Jezebel putting a hit out on his life (1 Kings 19:3-4; Jeremiah 15:10; 20:14-18; Jonah 4:1-3). • The desire for death arises from grief and pain (Job 10:1; Job 3:1-4; 7:16-16). Job experienced a tsunami of pain and grief that he desired death more than life. • The desire for death arises from hating life and not feeling significant (Ecclesiastes 2:17; 4:1-3; Psalm 90:8-9). Is suicide sin? Now, whereas we do not see a verse directly condemning suicide, we can build a case that it is against the will of God. • Suicide usurps God’s sovereignty over life. God is Creator, and thus has the authority over his creation. God is the one who controls life and death (Deuteronomy 32:29; Job 1:21; Hebrews 9:27). • Suicide is taking a life, even if it’s your own, and that is sin. (Exodus 20:13). • Suicide violates the commands to love ourselves (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39; Ephesians 5:29). • Suicide violates the command to love others (Matthew 7:12). Family and friends are hurt in a deep way when a person takes their own life. When a person takes his own life, he is abdicating his responsibility to do good to others. Can a genuine Christian commit suicide? I believe a person who has genuinely committed their lives to Jesus Christ can commit suicide. I have done several funerals where the person had experienced a genuine spiritual transformation and his life was filled with spiritual fruit, but he decided to take his own life. I didn’t know all the reasons, but I am convinced that dark forces had to be involved to convince him that his problems were bigger than the God who will never leave or forsake his children. What happens to the genuine Christian, who decides to take his/her own life? God is the ultimate judge, but we can draw conclusions based on Scripture. Listen to what Romans 8:35-39 says: 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing, absolutely nothing, not even suicide can separate the believer from the love of God that has been revealed in and through Jesus Christ. People attempt and sometimes succeed at committing suicide because they don’t see life as full and hopeful. Instead, the despair of life, hopelessness, pain and desperation are their constant companions. If this is you, I want you to know that at the center of hopelessness and emptiness, is the gospel. The gospel is the good news of: Jesus’ life (he has come to share the pain), his death (he has come to forgive our sins), his resurrection (he has come to make us new), and his exaltation (he will, one day, make all things new and redeem the pain and suffering). This good news replaces despair with hope, emptiness with God-ordained fullness. The gospel is really the deep answer to the circumstances and feelings that drive a person to suicide. The message of the gospel awakens people to full life with Christ. With that said, the proper use of psychological and medical resources can help people get to a place where they can hear this amazingly hopeful message. Also, as followers of Jesus, we are called to walk with those who are walking through the dark valley of depression and despair and intervening in appropriate ways. If you are battling suicidal thoughts, know that that God loves you, and that the gospel can redeem the pain, the suffering, the depression, the despair, and even death. If you know someone who is battling the dark thoughts of suicide, then do what Christ did: enter into the pain and suffering of others and reflect the new and full life Christ promises.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 13:16:02 +0000
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