Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 247 JANUARY 2017 BODY OF CHRIST NEWS A Biblical Perspective On Suicide There is arguably nothing in this life more heartbreaking than suicide. It affects much more than the one life lost. The family, friends, acquaintances, community and generations to come are affected by the choice to die of one solitary person. The hard part for the victim’s family is that they can’t rebuke the victim for what he or she has done, and it’s hard to find closure. BIBLICAL PERSONALITIES WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE. The Bible con- tains two prohibitions against killing, Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17, both declare, “Thou shall not kill”, but nowhere does it expressly forbid sui- cide. The word is not even mentioned in the Bible. It may be because life is viewed as a sacred gift of God, and the power of life and death is in His sover- eign hand. The presence of the positive statements regarding God being the author and finisher of life, may make the negative one unnecessary Suicide is not a new idea. There are seven recorded persons who took their life in the Bible: Abimelech (Judges 9:52-54), Samson (Judges 16:25-30), Saul (1 Samuel 31:4), Saul’s armor- bearer (1 Samuel 31:5), Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23), Zimri (1 Kings 16:15- 20), and Judas (Matthew 27:3-5). In each of them we find a symptom of sui- cide: feelings of pride, impulsive behav- ior, hopelessness, bitterness, rebellion, and depression. BIBLICAL PERSONALITIES WHO THOUGHT ABOUT IT. Some people in Scripture felt deep despair in life and voiced the need for help. Even though they didn’t attempt suicide the spiritual giants of the Bible begged God for death in their darkest hours. Solomon, in his pursuit of pleasure, reached the point where he “hated life” (Ecclesiastes 2:17). Elijah was fearful and depressed and yearned for death (1 Kings 19:4). Jonah was so angry at God that he wished to die (Jonah 4:8). The apostle Paul and his missionary companions at one point “were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself” (2 Corinthians 1:8). However, none of these men committed suicide. They found comfort, consolation, and were strengthened in God: Solomon learned to “fear God and keep his com- mandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Elijah was comforted by an angel, allowed to rest, and given a new commission. Jonah received admonition and rebuke from God. Paul learned that, although the pressure he faced was beyond his ability to endure, the Lord can bear all things (2 Corinthians 1:9). IF A CHRISTIAN COMMITS SUICIDE, IS HE/SHE STILL SAVED? It is a sad fact that some Christians have com- mitted suicide. Adding to the tragedy is the false teaching that committing suicide automatically consigns one to hell. Many believe that a Christian who commits suicide will not be saved. This teaching is not supported in the Bible. Scripture teaches that, from the moment we truly believe in Christ, we are guaranteed eternal life (John 3:16). According to 1 John 5:13, Christians can know beyond any doubt that they possess eternal life. Romans 8:38-39 informs us that nothing can separate a Christian from God’s love, not even suicide. Jesus died for all our sins, and if a true Christian, in a time of spiritual attack and weakness, commits suicide, his sin is still covered by the blood of Christ. Suicide is not what determines wheth- er a person gains entrance into heaven. If an unsaved person commits suicide, he has done nothing but “expedite” his journey to hell. However, that person who committed suicide will ultimately be in hell for rejecting salvation through Christ, not because he committed sui- cide (John 3:18). Suicide is a sin. It is not the “greatest” sin—it is no worse than other evils, in terms of how God sees it, and it does not determine a person's eternal des- tiny. However, suicide definitely has a deep and lasting impact on those left behind. The painful scars left by a sui- cide do not heal easily. . Suicide is still a serious sin against God. Suicide is murder; it is always wrong. Christians are called to live their lives for God, and the decision of when to die is God’s and God’s alone. Suicide has been said to be a permanent solu- tion to a temporary problem. It is a forever decision with no opportunity to change your mind. IS SUICIDE UNFORGIVEABLE? The Bible views suicide as equal to murder, which is what it is—self-murder. God is the only one who is to decide when and how a person should die. God is the giver of life. He gives, and He takes away (Job 1:21). Suicide, the taking of one’s own life, is ungodly because it rejects God’s gift of life. No man or woman should presume to take God’s authority upon themselves to end his or her own life. The Bible states plainly that our lives are not our own. As Christians, our lives have been bought and paid for through the action of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). And so, selfish behavior on our part is not an option (Romans 14:7-8). When a person com- mits suicide, for some it is a very selfish, unthink- ing act—designed only to gratify themselves and cause remorse for those around them. In those circumstances, a person does not consider God or His plan for their life. But there are also other times, when suicide is the result of a mental illness or incapacity of rational thought. Some people who go through the difficulty of bi-polar disorders, or suffer from severe depression can be dangerously susceptible to suicide, especially if they are not receiving medical treatment or counseling. And so, there’s a wide range of thoughts, feelings, and actions that are present in suicide, which leads us to our question, is suicide unforgiv- able? For many years, the conventional thought of many in the church is that suicide is an unforgivable sin. This is because if a person dies while they are committing a sinful act, they are unable then to confess that sin and ask for forgiveness. This is an incredibly damaging and unbiblical view. Merely from our own personal standpoint, these ideas can be easily refuted. All we need to do is ask two questions. First, do you sin? The obvious answer is yes. And secondly, have you confessed every sin that you have committed in your life? The obvi- ous answer is no. There are sins we forget, there are even sins that we com- mit that we are not aware of. And so, by that logic, each of us would still be sus- ceptible to the eternal fires of hell and still unable to receive the grace given through Jesus Christ. But Scripture tells us that is not the case (John 5:24). The problem with the view that sui- cide is unforgivable is that it represents a gross misunderstanding of eternal security. We are saved by the grace of God, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Those who want to say that suicide is unforgivable attempt to make suicide an elevated sin—a sin that is height- ened to a status that even God himself cannot forgive. There are two problems with this. First, such a stance limits the conditions by which God can or cannot forgive someone—resulting in us essen- tially placing God in a box. Secondly, there is only one unpardonable sin that is ever mentioned within the Bible (Matthew 12:31). Although our sins can be forgiven, it is important to be incred- ibly cautious of our approach to this issue. Even though our salva- tion is secure, suicide cannot be condoned, and it should not be dealt with lightly. I dare to say that not every person who has com- mitted suicide will go to heaven, and not every person who has com- mitted suicide will go to hell. Those decisions are not ours anyway, they are God’s. “As Christians, we should worry less about whether Christians who have killed themselves go to heaven, and worry more about how we can help people like them find hope and joy in living. Our most urgent problem is not the morality of suicide but the spiritual and mental despair that drags people down to it. Loved ones who have died at their own hands we can safely trust to our gracious God. Loved ones whose spirits are even now slipping so silently toward death, these are our burden." "WHY SHOULD I NOT COMMIT SUICIDE?" Our hearts go out to those who have thoughts of ending their own lives through suicide. If that is you right now, it may speak of many emotions, such as feelings of hopelessness and despair. You may feel like you are in the deepest pit, and you doubt there is any hope of things getting better. No one seems to care or understand where you are coming from. Life just is not worth living...or is it? If you will take a few moments to con- sider letting God truly be God in your life right now, He will prove how big He really is, “for nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Perhaps scars from past hurts have resulted in an over- whelming sense of rejection or aban- donment. That may lead to self-pity, anger, bitterness, vengeful thoughts, or unhealthy fears that have caused prob- lems in some of your most important relationships. Why should you not commit suicide? No matter how bad things are in your life, there is a God of love who is waiting William T. Golson, Jr By Rev. Dr. William T. Golson, Jr. SERMON Continued on Page 10