We just launched a new sermon series at Aldersgate Church titled, “Asking for a Friend.” You know the questions – the ones you don’t want to ask at the risk of sounding silly or being embarrassed. Better to make your friend look ridiculous, right? We’ve learned that you have lots of friends with lots of hard questions!
One question that came up numerous times is around the matter of suicide and whether suicide can be forgiven by God. Many grapple with the question because they have a friend or loved one who has taken their own life. Some question because they have heard teaching that it is certainly an unpardonable sin. And still others are intrigued by the Netflix series “Thirteen Reasons Why” that just released its second season.
I recently sat down with a good friend of mine, Renee Ross, who is living in the wake of such tragedy. Her son, Riley, took his life at 21 years of age. Renee never asked for the platform she has but is taking full advantage of the opportunity God has given her. You can catch that interview here. It’s definitely worth your time to hear Renee’s story. Allow me to add some additional commentary here.
The Bible records six incidents where a person takes his own life: the case of Abimelech (Judges 9:50-57), Samson (Judges 16:28-30), Saul and his armor-bearer (1 Samuel 31:1-6), Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23), Zimri (1 Kings 16:18-19), and Judas (Matthew 7:25). In none of these is an explicit moral evaluation or judgment rendered, but it is worth noting that none of these cases were met with God’s approval.
Here is what we know:
1. Suicide is a sin.
A traumatic event, a death in the family, a series of bad experiences, severe depression or mental illness —all of these things can lead us down into the valley of death’s shadow. But suicide is never considered to be an option for escaping a time of difficulty and despair. It is not a good conclusion and becomes a sin because it robs a person of the sanctity of life and the full time given to them by God.
2. Suicide is not an unforgivable sin.
Nowhere does the Bible say that suicide is unforgivable or unpardonable. The Bible teaches that all sin – past, present, and future – is forgiven through the grace of God. One’s eternal destiny is sealed and set at the moment of trusting Jesus for salvation. This is the most important decision that can ever be made in life. And there is not another decision after the decision to follow Jesus (short of perhaps outright rejecting Him) that can negate that decision.
Some argue that a person who commits suicide cannot repent of the sin and therefore it is unforgivable. But who will really have the time to confess every single sin before they die? Some of us will die instantly, without warning. Others may slowly die, but even then—after we confess as many sins as we can think of—there are still sins that we have committed against God and our neighbor that we aren’t even aware of! So, the usual reason given for suicide being an unforgivable sin doesn’t seem to hold up to the Bible or experience.
There are obviously difficult and challenging questions the Bible simply does not directly address. But this one thing is certain. Suicide is always a tragedy and most assuredly a sin that violates the sanctity of life. But in itself is not the unpardonable sin. There is no evidence to conclude that it is beyond the reach of forgiveness obtained for us at the cross of Christ. The only sin God cannot pardon is the sin of rejecting him.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and struggles with this question.
Ryan Smallwood
.svg)