Will a person who commits suicide still be saved?
Introduction. One of the more emotional questions we get is from people who have been impacted by a loved one or close friend who committed suicide. As a rule, suicide is usually reflective of an extreme mental state - extreme despair, depression, pain, failure, loss of hope, loss of faith in God, and/or cowardice. Suicide is a mistake that, needless to say, is irreversible. In simple language, suicide is self-murder. And neither murder nor suicide is condoned in scripture (Acts 16: 28; Rev. 21: 8). Therefore, many wonder about the ultimate salvation of a professed Christian who commits suicide. These questions tend to fall into one of the following areas.
#1 "Once saved, always saved"? Some would claim a saved person who committed suicide would still go to heaven because of their "eternal security". However, contrary to this popular (yet false) doctrine, many scriptures teach that Christians must have an obedient, working faith in order to remain saved. For starters, see Hebrews 6:4-6; Hebrews 10:26-31; 2 Peter 1: 5-11; and 1 Corinthians 9:24 - 13 (especially verse 12). The exact expression "fall from grace" is found in the past tense in Galatians 5:4. Not only can one fall, but one would have been better off to have never known than to know and turn back (2 Pet. 2: 21-22). The Bible does teach that we can have confidence in God's ability to save and in the security of the believer, but it is conditional (John. 10: 27-29; James 2:14-26). The biblical principle is if we forsake God, he will forsake us (2 Chron. 15: 1-3). God will not force any to be saved or to remain saved (John. 3: 16). We must keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 21), which includes walking in the light and repenting & asking for forgiveness when we sin (1 John 1:5 through 2:6). A person who commits the sin of suicide usually cannot subsequently ask for forgiveness (see #3 below).
#2 Mental Impairment? Admittedly, in some cases, there may be a question of the person's mental capacity and ability to correctly discern right from wrong. It is possible that a person may be so mentally impaired that they are not held responsible for their actions. If a person is not responsible for their actions, they would appear to fall into the same class as the "little children" (Matt. 18: 3-6). However, if they had a period of sanity, they will have to answer for murder.
#3 Death Bed Repentance? Not all cases of suicide are instantaneous. Although likely rare, it is still conceivable there may be a period of time between the actual act and the person's loss of consciousness & resulting death. During this time, a Christian may realize their mistake and ask God's forgiveness (although they lost the ability to call for medical help and/or stop their death). Under such circumstances, it is possible God may have forgiven them.
Conclusion. While we cannot give false hope to those who have lost a loved one to suicide, we can have confidence in God as the ultimate and righteous Judge. As with any traumatic event, our focus should be on drawing closer to God, His Word, and fellow Christians for strength and encouragement.
#1 "Once saved, always saved"? Some would claim a saved person who committed suicide would still go to heaven because of their "eternal security". However, contrary to this popular (yet false) doctrine, many scriptures teach that Christians must have an obedient, working faith in order to remain saved. For starters, see Hebrews 6:4-6; Hebrews 10:26-31; 2 Peter 1: 5-11; and 1 Corinthians 9:24 - 13 (especially verse 12). The exact expression "fall from grace" is found in the past tense in Galatians 5:4. Not only can one fall, but one would have been better off to have never known than to know and turn back (2 Pet. 2: 21-22). The Bible does teach that we can have confidence in God's ability to save and in the security of the believer, but it is conditional (John. 10: 27-29; James 2:14-26). The biblical principle is if we forsake God, he will forsake us (2 Chron. 15: 1-3). God will not force any to be saved or to remain saved (John. 3: 16). We must keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 21), which includes walking in the light and repenting & asking for forgiveness when we sin (1 John 1:5 through 2:6). A person who commits the sin of suicide usually cannot subsequently ask for forgiveness (see #3 below).
#2 Mental Impairment? Admittedly, in some cases, there may be a question of the person's mental capacity and ability to correctly discern right from wrong. It is possible that a person may be so mentally impaired that they are not held responsible for their actions. If a person is not responsible for their actions, they would appear to fall into the same class as the "little children" (Matt. 18: 3-6). However, if they had a period of sanity, they will have to answer for murder.
#3 Death Bed Repentance? Not all cases of suicide are instantaneous. Although likely rare, it is still conceivable there may be a period of time between the actual act and the person's loss of consciousness & resulting death. During this time, a Christian may realize their mistake and ask God's forgiveness (although they lost the ability to call for medical help and/or stop their death). Under such circumstances, it is possible God may have forgiven them.
Conclusion. While we cannot give false hope to those who have lost a loved one to suicide, we can have confidence in God as the ultimate and righteous Judge. As with any traumatic event, our focus should be on drawing closer to God, His Word, and fellow Christians for strength and encouragement.