How Should a Christian Think About Suicide?

40 // March 2020 Reagan Marsh, MATS, MDiv (eq) has served in gospel ministry since 1998. A certified biblical counselor and Th.D. student in Puritan Studies, he is founding Pastor-Teacher to Reformation Baptist Church of Dalton. Learn more at www.reformationdalton.com. About The Author by Reagan Marsh S ooner or later, the painful reality of suicide affects every Christian. Thinking biblically about it now will help us respond biblically and faithfully then, both for our own peace in the moment and for serving others in their sorrow.

1. Suicide is sin against both God and man. The 6th Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13), requires all lawful endeavors to preserve our own lives (Ephesians 5:28-29) and the lives of others (1 Kings 18:4) and absolutely forbids the taking away of our own lives, or the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatever tends thereunto (Genesis 9:6). To take your own life is selfmurder, violating God’s moral law and sinning against God, your own body, and your neighbor (Baptist Catechism, Q. 73-74).

2. Suicide is fundamentally an act of self-rule, not submission to God. Autonomy (auto, self; nomos, rule) is casting off God’s law and aiming to rule myself. By its nature, this is not an act of faith but unbelieving lawlessness (1 John 3:4), and the Bible is clear that whatever doesn’t proceed from faith is sin (Romans 14:23b). It attempts, at some level, to override God’s sovereignty—to live my life and die my death on my terms rather than God’s.

3. Suicide usually results in dying with unconfessed sin. Because man cannot know his own heart, every Christian will die with some unknown, unconfessed sin (Jeremiah 17:9). Our concern, however, is the intentional nature of this particular sin. No professing Christian should ever sin presumptively (Romans 6:1-2), much less commit so public a sin with so permanent an effect. Scripture’s remedy is the same for everyone: full redemption is promised to anyone who looks to the grace of Jesus Christ by faith alone (Psalm 130:7). The blood of Jesus cleanses His people from all sin (1 John 1:7)—known and unknown. 4. Suicide is an act of devaluing life. It buys into the prevailing “culture of death,” just as abortion does. Genesis 9:6 considers wrongly taking a life an assault on the image of God. While Adam’s sin resulted in death (Genesis 2:17; Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:21), God defeated death in the death of Christ and calls His people’s death their gain (Philippians 1:21), their possession (1 Corinthians 3:22), and precious in His sight (Psalm 116:15). He purposes the day and details of their deaths (Psalm 139:16; Hebrews 9:27a) and promises to walk closely with them at their time of death (Psalm 23:4; Isaiah 43:2). To devalue your life by suicide is to dismiss as worthless God’s many promises never to forsake His own (Hebrews 13:5-6). 5. Suicide tempts others to sin as well. Whether inviting them to despair, discouragement, bitterness, resentment, sinful anger, distrusting God, embracing wrong views of God, or even their own suicide, it offers Satan a foothold (Ephesians 4:27) and entices others to their own rebellion against God.

More could be said, but in closing, if you’re facing suicidal thoughts or temptation, or if you’re dealing with loss from someone else’s suicide, get help. Talk to your pastor or see a godly counselor who can help care for your soul. Don’t put yourself in situations where your struggles are strengthened or consume “entertainment” that glorifies self-harm. Ask a trusted friend to check on you regularly. And above all else, look to Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:1-3). In His great mercy, He is near to the broken-hearted (Psalm 34:18), and He holds His people forever with a love that will not let us go.

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