Heart Touchers - Suicide 2

Suicide Part 2

Augustine argued in the fifth century that suicide was a violation of the sixth commandment, "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13). Later, Thomas Aquinas, being catholic and believing that confession of sin must be made prior to departure from the world to the next, taught that suicide was the most fatal of all sins because the victim could not repent of it. The problem with his view is that it represents a gross misunderstanding of eternal security, which Scripture clearly teaches. We are saved by the grace of God, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9) and nothing can separate a Christian from the love of God (Romans 8:37-39).Other verses that clearly teach assurance of salvation for the believer are: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
      -John 5:24

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand."
      -John 10:27-29

"And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."
      -1 John 5:11-13

However, suicide is not what God wants for anyone. We have a God who loves us and cares for us and promises to meet all of our needs if we place our trust in Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Are you feeling that life isn't worth living anymore? Do your problems seem too big to handle? Does it seem that no one cares? Sometimes these feelings of despair or apathy cause people to think about suicide. What does the Bible say?Suicide is not a new idea. The Bible records seven suicides.

Abimelech
(Judges 9:52-54)

Abimelech lacked personal identity.

Samson
(Judges 16:25-30)
Samson died for a cause he believed in and for revenge.

Saul
(1 Samuel 31:4)
Stressed out, unable to live up to certain expectations; felt rejected and a failure

Saul's armor-bearer
(1 Samuel 31:5)
Impulse, he wanted to die with his boss. 40% of teenage suicide is impulse.

Ahithophel
(2 Samuel 17:23)
Ahithophel was bitter because his advice was not followed

Zimri
(1 Kings 16:15-20)
Rebellion; Zimri had a problem with authority

Judas
(Matthew 27:3-5)
Depressed, Judas felt trapped by materialism and guilt

But what does the Bible say about taking your own life?

1. God has a great plan for your life. God has created us in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). He created us for a purpose. God has a specific plan in mind for everyone.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

2. God's plan is for life, not death. The Bible teaches that both physical and spiritual death are the result of our sin and disobedience to God, but eternal life is a gift to those who receive it.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

3. Jesus taught that death and destruction are the work of "the thief" (Satan). He said, "The thief comes only to steal and destroy;" (John 10:10). John 8:44 says that Satan is a "murderer" and the "father of lies". The feelings of despair that lead to suicide are caused by some of his lies.

4. Jesus wants us to have life. He said:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
(John 10:10)

5. Life belongs to God. It is never our place to take our own life or someone else's life.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

IF SUICIDE ISN'T THE ANSWER, WHAT IS?

1. The solution to despair and hopelessness is not suicide, but faith in God.

We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you. (Psalms 33:20-22)

2. Christ promises that He will give us rest from our problems.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

3. Tell someone. Tell your parents, your brother or sister, your teacher or school counselor, your pastor or youth minister that you are thinking about suicide. If a friend tells you that he or she is serious about suicide, then you need to tell someone who is responsible and can help.

4. Accept Christ's free gift of eternal life and salvation, if you haven't already. Romans 10:13 says: "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." John 1:12 says: "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

5. When we accept Christ, God gives us a brand-new life and sees us as completely holy and righteous.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

6. Because of God's salvation through the death of Jesus on the cross, we can have assurance of eternal life with God.

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)