Loss of a loved one......?

Question

I'd consider myself a relatively religous (christian) person. I have recently been dealing w/ the loss of a relative (due to suicide) now, I believe in forgiveness of sins, I don't necessarily think suicide= hell, but I don't know waht to think when it's my family member. he wasn't the most religious by any means, he screwed up numerous times in his life, and I didn't even get to see him again to ask if he asked god for fogiveness. I feel if he did that much then maybe he's sitting at the right hand of god. what do you think? do you believe in heaven and hell, and do you believe that suicide or not, he could still wind up in heaven. Please remember, this is a death of a family member and rude/crude comments are not necessary during this grieving process; have respect for my question just like I would have respect for any of yours.

Thanks for the comments.

Answer 1

This would be just second guessing and we just don't know. One thing you can be sure of is God never makes mistakes. The important thing now is for those who remain. I hope this gives you and your loved ones some food for thought. The wisest man that ever lived said that at funerals wisdom is to be had. May the Lord grant you the peace that passes understanding.

Answer 2

flowergal104,
first of all, I am sorry that your relative committing suicide. I know how you are feeling. I lost my cousin to suicide. Let me say this, we do not, nor can we know the heart or mind or God. If your relative accepted Christ as his personal savior then yes I am sure that you will see him/her in heaven. I am also sure that God would have forgiven him/her if asked for fogiveness. Sometimes, pressure causes us to do things that we would not normally consider doing, and we sometimes think that suicide is the only way out. Only God knows, and yet family members are always left to wonder why. I want you to know that I will be praying for you during this time of grief.

Robin.

Answer 3

I believe in heaven and hell. I believe that suicide or not, he could still wind up in heaven. Suicide does not automatically equal hell...that is true. God is merciful and forgiving. I am a Christian. I'm sorry for the pain and suffering that is going on in your life. There is a reason and plan for everything as everything is done for His glory and by His will. We don't know why things happen the way they do, but He does...take comfort in Him. Remember to keep in the word as God loves you more than you can comprehend. I have also lost a loved one to suicide.

Answer 4

I am very sorry over the loss of your loved one. Indeed this must be a painful time for you. We don't go to Heaven because of what we do or don't do. You go because Jesus brought you there. No one knows the heart of any other person. You just have to rest in the knowledge that God is merciful and forgives us of all our sins, past, present and future. suicide is especially painful for those left behind, but it is not the unpardonable sin. People who commit suicide are very distressed individuals and not thinking with a clear mind. I do not believe this would send a person to hell. Rejecting Christ is the way to hell. If you are not sure if your loved one accepted Christ then pray for God to give you peace about this situation. That is what I had to do about my dad when he died. I felt tormented thinking he may be in hell, when I prayed about it God set me free from the torment. God Bless and if you can't sleep at night ask Jesus to give you rest. He did that for me and He will for you too.

Answer 5

Baha'is believe that the hour of our death is appointed by God. If one chooses to take their life before that hour, however, it does not mean they will not be able to draw near to God. It just means their journey towards God in the next world is going to be a bit more difficult. It is like a child in the world of the womb entering this world before it has fully developed his/her body. The child can still live and progress, but he/she will be physically handicapped. Your family member who chose to leave this world early without fully developing his/her spiritual arms and legs, though spiritually handicapped, will still be able to draw close to God.

I offer this Baha'i Holy Writing as a means to find some comfort during this difficult time:

“The inscrutable divine wisdom underlies such heart-rending occurrences. It is as if a kind gardener transfers a fresh and tender shrub from a narrow place to a vast region. This transference is not the cause of the withering, the waning or the destruction of that shrub, nay rather it makes it grow and thrive, acquire freshness and delicacy and attain verdue and fruition. This hidden secret is well-known to the gardener, while those souls who are unaware of this bounty suppose that the gardener in his anger and wrath has uprooted the shrub. But to those who are aware this concealed fact is manifest and this predestined decree considered a favor. Do not feel grieved and disconsolate therefore …”

Answer 6

I am very sorry that you are going through this. The Bible says that all who have received Jesus as their personal savior are forgiven of past, present and future sins. The sin of suicide goes against the commandment, "You shall not murder." But Christians' sins have been paid for by the blood of Christ. He died for ALL sins. So I would think that you should have hope that your relative investigated this before he took his life. I know I sure would. You can be sure that if he genuinely reached out to receive Jesus that he is in heaven with him right now.

Answer 7

First of all I am deeply sorry for your loss.

My grandmother committed suicide when I was young, and she wasn't all that "religous" either. And I had trouble understanding why and..well you know all the questions... You have to realize that no man is the judge, and no one knows the grace and mercy of God. You don't know what might have happened in those last few seconds of life. God can give you peace through this situation. I pray you find that peace. Be blessed.

Answer 8

Yes, I believe in Heaven and Hell, I also believe that God can do all things including forgiving and that he does the Judging. I am certainly glad that I nor anyone else can judge your loved one. If he has ever been saved, I believe he is in heaven now. I wish I could be of more help.but I don't know what else to say, except to say God bless you and your family. I recently lost my mother and I believe she is now with my dad and also with God and Jesus.

Answer 9

I believe in heaven and hell. Suicide is a very difficult thing to judge. Is a person fully whole when they destroy the temple of God? I have a difficult time believing that they are wholly aware of what they are doing. I believe there is a very real mental illness when a person seeks to destroy themselves.

God forgives. God is merciful. God is Love. Have peace that God is in control of all of this, and knows intimately the deepest reason for his actions. Please turn your very real grief over to Jesus, release all your sorrow into His care.

Peace.

Answer 10

As you say, suicide is ont what sends anyone to hell. A person commits suicide because they are emotionally and mentally desperate. Of course God does ont want us to take that way out - we do lots of things that are not God's choice for us. But if he ever put his faith in Christ for His forgiveness, Christ at the time knew about the future suicide. It was covered too.
Consecuences? of course: for those who he left behind, the anguish they feel. For himself? He lost priceless opportunities to serve God in this life through his suffering.
But forgiven? Yes, of course.