Is suicide a sin?

The David Alliance

Garth Heckman

The David Alliance

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If you commit suicide will you go to hell?

Some people call suicide murder or self murder… while I will not belabor my opinion on that… I think it is a stupid perspective to start with. Because people then assume if you murder someone and repent you can still go to heaven… but if you murder yourself you can’t ask for forgiveness and you will then go to hell. Again… These people start at the wrong side of the equation. First of all one must ask themselves how are we saved? Is it by works?

Is it by a sinless life? Is it by living according to some moral code or high ground? Im not saying we as followers of Christ are to practice sloppy grace… just sin and confess… but the problem is much more complex. Here are 3 thoughts you must chew on.

First: We are saved by grace… there have been and will be those who sin on the day they die and go to heaven. I think you can achieve a sinless life to about 99% - I truly do - I have not achieved that, but I believe we sell ourselves short by simply stating “we all sin” as if an excuse to lay back on our Xn walk and sin without conscience and with out spiritual remorse or - understanding we grieve the Holy Spirit. But the point is - we sin, we will die, we will still go to heaven because of Gods grace.

Secondly… I have met many people who say emphatically suicide is a sin and you will go to hell… why do they say that? They have a spouse, a son, a parent or friend who is suicidal and they don’t know what else to say - so in order to keep them from taking their life they double down and try to use fear… here is the problem… if they are truly suicidal fear is not going to work… mental illness is a disease that blocks reason and cognitive application. Let me dumb it down for you…. If I am willing to kill myself (and we should all have some fear of dying) But I am not afraid of killing myself… then I am surely not afraid of hell.

Third thought… people have argued that people kill themselves because they just want to escape earth and be in heaven… while I understand this and have had people even hint at that in counseling… the real reason they are contemplating suicide is not so they can get to heaven, it is so they can escape the pain they are in.

Should we worry about people who are suicidal? Yes. Can a person still go to heaven if they commit suicide… YES. But first things first… love them, get them professional help and pray for them.