How can God forgive someone who commits suicide?

Bible Question:

I read your answer to the Bible question about suicide. You said among other things that God will forgive all other sins, including suicide. How can God forgive somebody who commits suicide? Can such a one repent after death? Are you sure a Christian can commit suicide? Is it not Satan that is behind such an act? How can a child of God yield himself to obey Satan's voice and enter heaven without repentance?

Bible Answer:

People do not enter heaven because they have done good or bad deeds in this life. People go to heaven because they have either accepted or rejected Jesus Christ as their God and Savior. The following passages reveal that we have a choice. We must either believe in Jesus Christ or not believe in Him. If we do not believe in Jesus, then we have rejected Him. If we believe in Him, we go to heaven. If we reject Him, we do not go to heaven; instead we are condemned to eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46). That is the message of the next three passages.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. John 3:18 (NIV)

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. John 3:36 (NIV)

If we believe in Jesus Christ and ask Him to forgive our sins and take over our life, then we going to heaven. Jesus made a wonderful comment when He walked on this planet as a human. Listen to Jesus’ comment,

And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17 (NAS95S)

Notice that Jesus said He did not come to save the righteous. He did not come to forgive the sins of those who think that they are good people in this life. Such people do not think that they need Jesus Christ. They will never come to Jesus and believe in Him. Jesus came for those who know that they are sinners. Romans 3:10-12 says this about us,

. . . as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.” Rom 3:10-12 (NAS95S)

The message is clear. We sin. Romans 5:10 says that we were enemies of God before we believed and accepted Jesus Christ. Yet, God forgave us and accepted us. Ephesians 2:6 says that God has seated believers in Jesus Christ in heaven already. That does not mean we are physically in heaven now, but as far as God is concerned, we are already entitled to be there. The decision is made and it is final. We are citizens of heaven already.

Therefore, if a person who believes in Jesus Christ commits suicide, he or she is going to heaven. A believer’s entrance into heaven does not depend upon all of one’s sins being confessed. Jesus has already forgiven every sin – past, present, and future. That is the message of Hebrews 10:10.

Conclusion:

Many believe that suicide will send a person to eternal punishment. Yet, few stop to realize that if a single sin, such as suicide, could keep a person from heaven, wouldn’t lying, anger, or some other sin keep the person from heaven as well? If one sin could keep us from heaven, then we are in trouble because most people do not know when they will die and all of us sin all the time. Then none of us would go to heaven. Regarding your question about Satan. We do not need Satan to motivate us to commit suicide. Satan is not the cause of every sin we commit, including suicide.

Bible Question:

Bible Answer:

Conclusion:

Suggested Links:

To The Glory of God

Like The Master Ministries

Getting Acquainted

Connect