CW: Suicide, Mental Health Disorders, Depression
According to the Bible, suicide cannot either grant or take away a person's ability to enter heaven. If an unsaved person dies by suicide, he has done nothing hurry up his trip to hell. But! He did not go there because he died by suicide; he went to hell because he rejected the gift of salvation through Christ.
Many believe the lie that a person might get shut out of heaven if they die by suicide. But this is also a lie. The ONLY factor that determines a person's eternal fate is whether or not they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior from the punishment for their sin.
The Bible tells the story of Judas taking his own life after he realized that Jesus, whom he'd betrayed by turning over to Romans soldiers, was condemned to execution (Matthew 27:1-5). Five more biblical figures are reported to have died by suicide: Abimelech (Judges 9:54), Saul (1 Samuel 31:4), Saul's armor-bearer (1 Samuel 31:4-6), Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23), and Zimri (1 Kings 16:18). God is the only one who ought to decide when and how a person should die.
The second you truly believe in Christ, you have been guaranteed eternal life (John 3:16-17; 1 John 5:13). Nothing can separate you from God's love (Romans 8:38-39). Not even suicide can separate a Christian from God's love. But that doesn't mean that suicide is ever the right answer.
Choosing to end your life is to reject God's sovereignty and His purpose for your life. As difficult as life can be at times, our days are safest and most fulfilling in God's hands (Psalm 31:15).
When life seems to bring you down to your lowest point, it's hard to imagine any worse pain. Depression, anxiety, stress...they can all seem to coalesce into the worst possible existence. Even if we trust God, there can be days when our circumstances feel unbearable.
God tells us to call upon Him in the day of trouble and that He will deliver us (Psalm 50:15). Sometimes it feels hard to face God when we feel alone in our darkness. Shame spirals will take us to places we normally wouldn't consider. That doesn't make you a bad person or a bad Christian. Being depressed is not a sin. And your feelings or suicidal ideation has ZERO effect on how much God loves you and values you (Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 2:4-5).
Thinking that we're alone is one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves. We think that we're the only one going through these problems and that no one understands. You are NOT alone. Many have taken God's hand, found their feet, stood up, resisted suicide's seemingly easy path, and said, "I am stronger than I was before" (James 1:2-4; Romans 5:4).
Cry to God and ask Him to help you. He may not make all your problems go away, but He will be present and give you strength for one day—then another, and another, until this trial is over. Jesus came to give us abundant life on Earth (John 10:10). Trust that God will follow through and take care of you, a child whom He loves.
Reach out to trusted friends or loved ones. Ask God for the courage to tell them your struggles and thoughts. Bring them into your space and trust God to work through them to help you (Proverbs 17:17, 18:24).
Everyone has hard times and may think that death is the easiest solution, but those who regularly talk or write about suicide are usually at a more serious point and are in need of help right away. If this is you, you must get up right now and talk to someone about it. Don't wait for tomorrow.
Suicide can neither grant nor take away a person's ability to enter Heaven. The only way to Heaven is belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior from the punishment of sin (John 3:16; 1 John 5:13). Nothing—not even suicide—can separate you from God's love (Romans 8:38-39). If you are considering suicide, please know that you are NOT alone. Reach out to trusted friends or loved ones. Ask God for the courage to tell them your struggles and thoughts. Bring them into your space and trust God to work through them to help you (Proverbs 17:17, 18:24).
Golden Iris likes to read, play phone games, and watch NCIS with her parents. Being a happy college graduate, she anticipates the day when she can pursue further education.
Cat is the web producer and editor of 412teens.org. She is known as "412teens" on the 412teens Discord. She loves audiobooks, feeding the people she cares about, and using Christmas lights to illuminate a room. When Catiana is not cooking, gardening, or practicing creativity, she enjoys spending time with her two kids, five socially-awkward cats, and her amazing friend-amily.
