Create Your Account and begin asking questions today, for free! Or you can login if you already have an account.
What are some verses about suicide and if you go to hell for committing it
Extra Question Details:
I have a young lady in my Sunday School Class that is a freshman in high school. Her aunt just committed suicide and she thinks she is condemned to hell. I asked her if she had a relationship with Jesus and she said she went to church with her parents, but the parents passed away. This girl has been though so much tradgedy, I wanted to give her some hope.
Bible Answers to this Question
Below are Biblically Researched Bible Answers
Community Answers
The most notable verses are found in 1 Corinthians 3: 16, 17... Do you not know you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God (which you are) is holy. Small Christians use these to say suicide is unforgivable. This whole chapter has nothing to do with suicide whatsoever. The churches of the Corinthians are in my opinion, no different than the churches of today. There are so many factions, too many saying that all others are hell bound because they don't worship the way we do. The Apostle Paul was saying that these attacks on each other could spiritually damage someone and God was not going to let this go without impunity. Some churches say that it is hellish to have electric guitars in worship services. Good luck with them finding verses to back that up! But, however trivial some of these attacks are, someone can be seriously hurt by them. These attackers are defiling the temples of God, so Paul writes. Jesus Christ said in John 15:13, No one has greater love than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends. This is of itself premeditated suicide to protect ones friends; such as a soldier jumping on a hand grenade to protect others. There is a verse most preachers void comment on, 1 Corinthians 9:14,15... Even so the Lord has commanded to those who preach the Gospel, to live of the Gospel. But I did not use any of these things that it should be so with me. For it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my glorying of none effect. The Apostle Paul would rather kill himself than to take gratuity for preaching the Gospel to the Corinthians. What your friend is asking is why would anyone just give up on life? Tell her not to judge her Aunt without knowing every facet of the matter. She may never find out if her Aunt was taking medication that could cause such a thing or she might had such depression brought on by food or water or any number of reasons that made her leave of her ordinary senses. All suicides are complicated and exasperating on close friends and relatives. Yes, I can show a lot of scriptures about this but I hate long comments. Please explain this verse to her, 2 Corinthians 13:14... The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you, Amen. God Bless
Thank you very much for the information. It sure helped with that first verse in knowing where people come up with that hell penalty on suicide. This young lady was not sure of her aunt's salvation. She told me she did leave a suicide letter, so maybe that will give them insight as to whether she truy had a relationship with Jesus. I appreciate your input and God Bless You!
Dear Jeanette, I lift up a prayer for you in a situation where you will need both compassion and wisdom. What follows is not so much 'answers' or 'advice', but rather some comments and observations which may help with the questions your young lady has in her time of grief.
Was her aunt a true born-again Christian who believed and accepted Jesus the Christ? If not, then death at ANY time would have sealed her fate: judgment and hell. Suicide would simply seal that fate earlier than a death after a normal lifetime. If her aunt was a true Christian then I have to agree with Jerry Stone above that the matter is too complex and clouded for us as mere humans to give a final answer. My personal belief is that the atoning work of Jesus on the cross covers all sin; even suicide. But the act itself is so willful and rebellious that it causes me to doubt the reality of that person's salvation in the first place. Yet again, the matter is too clouded to say for sure.
When you say "...but the parents passed away.", I assume you mean that it was the young lady's parents who died. As difficult as this is for a young person to handle, it does bring into sharp focus that everyone is going to die---including she herself.
There is nothing that can be done about her parents or her aunt. They are gone and their fate will be decided by how they reacted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ---either to salvation or judgment. The "hope" you have to give to her is the simple Gospel of eternal salvation through Jesus. Bringing her to the foot of the cross should be your top priority with her.
I hope this helps. God bless you and her.
First I want to thank you for the prayers. I need them and so does this young lady. The first thing I asked her was if her aunt had a relationship with Jesus and she said she did not know for sure. The parents I was referring to are the aunt's parents, the girl's grandparents. The grandparents took this girl to church and she lived with them until they passed. She told me her aunt went to church some with the girl's grandparents but stopped going when they passed. I told her that I believed there was a chance she was not in hell like she has been told. Your comments have helped me tremendously. This young lady has a very strong faith, especially under her circumstances. She does live with her Mom now, but it is not a good situation. She has two younger brothers that she cares for and takes on a lot of responsibility with them. She amazes me, but that is just God working in her life despite her problems. Thank you so much and God bless you!