Regarding suicide and going to hell...?

Question

Where specifically is it indicated in the Bible that someone committing suicide automatically goes to hell? To give a meaningful answer, please cite a chapter and verse.

With the varying opinions, some based on scripture, some not, I will allow this one to go to a vote, though the vote will not indicate the truth of the matter, either. I'm not trying to agree or disagree with anyone's spiritual beliefs. (While the scriptures cited and reasons given may anecdotally provide some evidence of what we're talking about here, I was not thoroughly convinced one way or the other by the answers.)

[And thank you for your words of kindness, Zina Rae.]

Answer 1

"Do not be a fool--why die before your time?" (Ecclesiastes 7:17b)

Job says, "So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life. I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity" (Job 7:15-16).

Some people believe that all who commit suicide go immediately to Hell. However, the Bible never says if this is the case. The Bible is silent on this issue. God probably did not address it in black in white for a good reason. If we knew that we would still go to Heaven if we killed ourselves, there would probably be a lot more suicides taking place than there already are. However, if we knew that all who killed themselves were automatically banished to Hell, no matter what their situation, it may be too much for the grief-stricken family and friends to bear. Murder and suicide are not unpardonable sins. The only unforgivable sins are rejecting Christ (Mark 16:16) and blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

(Mark 3:28-29 KJV) Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

All other sins can be forgiven. However, anyone contemplating suicide may be in danger of going to Hell, as their relationship with the Lord is not intact at that point. Those who would consider suicide may have a severed relationship with Christ and therefore they would enter the real Hell--which is worse than the hellish feelings they are experiencing at the moment.

It is so important to remember that God judges each of us individually, weighing all the factors of our lives, our beliefs and our motives. Each one of us is so intricate and complex, only God could really judge us in total truth, wisdom, and without favoritism. The most important truth of all, is that each one of us will stand before His throne and give account of our lives. If we lived intimately with this sobering truth, much of the sin in the church and the world, would immediately be stopped.

If you are contemplating suicide and are relying on God's grace to get you to heaven, PLEASE stop for a moment....God's grace never means that we have a free license to sin! Those who willfully sin after knowing God's grace, are in far greater danger than those who know less. Though you may feel that God is far from you right now, He is much nearer than you think. He may even be speaking to you through these words! Please open your ears and hear Him tell you how valuable your life is. You are needed on this earth and the purpose for your life has not yet been fulfilled. God loves you, and so do many people around you! God would not be God if He could not work this situation (no matter how unbearable it may seem) for His glory and for the good in your own life.

Depression is often anger, and a host of other emotions that have turned inward and become frozen. If you are carrying anger, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, frustration, jealousy, despair, worthlessness, hopelessness, fearfulness, vengeance and/or self-pity in your heart, you can turn these things over to God and begin to receive your healing right now, in faith. If you don't know how to let them go, confess it to God and ask for His help in releasing it to Him. No one can overcome these things by themselves. We all need the power of God to set us free from sinful and hopeless ways of thinking. That is why the Bible tells us that we must be "transformed, by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2)." The Holy Spirit is the only One who can help us break free and be healed of these deadly emotions.

Just as ailments in our physical body need to be treated with medicine to be healed, the same is true of our emotions. One powerful way to fight against depression, is to apply and confess God's Word as a healing balm to the places where you have been wounded. For instance, if you have unforgiveness in your heart, begin to confess God's verses for love and forgiveness, even if they don't exactly feel true right at the moment. If you feel worthless, confess the Scriptures of God's great love for you. A rote, mechanical repeating of words may not do much, but if you deliberately take these living words and hold on to them for dear life, you will have the enemy on the run. The devil simply cannot stand against the Word of God spoken in faith. God's Words are like spiritual antibiotics, destroying every germ and unclean thing in their path.

http://www.bible.com/bibleanswers_result.php?id=228

Answer 2

Commiting suicide has absolutely nothing with where you spend eternity. Nothing. I read the Bible thru every year, its not in there. Now suicide in not the answer, you have heard the old saying, God hates a coward. Not having the courage to stand up and face your problems is what God has a problem with. Suicide is a terrible sin and I don't see how a person could be saved and do such a thing. How could a person say they are a Christian and murder themselves. Almost impossible, unless of course something mentally breakes down inwhich there is nothing nobody can do about that.

Answer 3

There is nothing in the bible that indicates someone committing suicide automatically goes to hell.

Answer 4

properly, first, the folk who jumped from 80 flooring up surely weren't picking to die; dying replaced into at that element a digital inevitability, and drawing near. they only chosen between one dying and yet another one. leaping replaced into not extra suicide than watching for the flames. And in a state of terror, all reason replaced into in all probability suspended; perchance they theory there replaced into some risk they had make it. (bear in suggestions the thoughts of folk clutching their handbags or briefcases on the way down? i don't assume that replaced into fairly theory out.) basically God is accustomed to somebody's coronary heart, and that i would not presume to tell somebody that their relative who's devoted suicide is now burning in hell-- this is slightly presumptuous. i've got faith suicide is a sin, and that the well worth of a guy or woman's existence is purely properly-known to God. not even the guy who's laid low with end-degree maximum cancers particularly is accustomed to what the next day brings. to decrease short their existence beforehand is to think of that they comprehend better than God. Who is accustomed to no count if the entire purpose of their lifestyles comes right down to a minimum of one pivotal 2nd, one that they might pass over in the event that they killed themselves?

Answer 5

I'm not completely positive on this fact but i'm almost positive that this is something to keep children from being stupid. Now i'm not saying to go kill yourself either... It is wrong to destroy Gods perfect creation and i'm almost sure that theres no way to ask for forgivness once your dead either so either way.... heres what i looked up for ya though..In response to suicide: The Bible describes two believers who committed suicide: King Saul and Judas. For sure Judas went to hell. Peter said about him in Acts 1:16-18:

and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus--he was one of our number and shared in this ministry." (With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.

This Scripture implies that Judas was not saved.

The other story is about King Saul. He was fatally wounded in battle, so to avoid torture he killed himself. From David's words about Saul, it appears that Saul went to heaven. He says, 2 Sam 1:23 "Saul and Jonathan--in life they were loved and gracious, and in death they were not parted..." We know that Jonathan was godly, so if Saul and Jonathan were not parted in death, this would mean Saul is with Jonathan in heaven. I should also note that this passage may simply mean that they died together in battle, not necessarily that they are still with each other in death. At any rate, Saul killed himself only because he was trying to avoid torture, and he was going to die soon anyway.

Mary, the way I explain suicide is this: I tell believers to fear God enough not to take the risk. You could lose your soul by committing suicide, so it's better to simply play it safe and trust God to make you happier. I lean to the idea that most, if not all, cases of suicide lead to damnation. I wouldn't bet on anyone going to heaven who committed suicide. I think the odds are against the person. Besides, suicide is the ultimate statement of unbelief. People commit suicide because they don't have faith that God will help them, and we are saved by faith.

Answer 6

There is no verse that says that. People use the story of Judas hanging himself. You see, Judas took judgment upon himself, and committed suicide. He chose to live out eternity separate from God. He did not ask for forgiveness, rather he was remorseful, and he judged himself. Separation from God is hell.

Answer 7

In the early Christian Church, back when it was a Roman cult, as long as they needed matyrs, suicide was okay.
By the 6th century, the Donastic Sect figured they'd prefer to go to heaven sooner rather than later.
The church lost so many believers that St. Augustine had to come out against suicide.
Me, I prefer Dorothy Parker's quip-
"Guns aren't lawful.
Nooses give.
Gases smell awful.
You
might as well live!

Answer 8

My Bible says very clearly in 1st Cor 3:16 "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy which temple ye are."

Romans 12:1 "I Beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy, and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

Examples in the bible when King Saul who had the Spirit of God taken away and had an evil spirit fell on his sword and the bible says in 1st Chronicles 10:13 "So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking council of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it; And inquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse."

With out the Spirit of the Lord you will have nothing but the Spirit of death of suicide instead of the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Suicide is nothing more but the spirit of demons in people. When they don;t have Christ they have demons and bad ones.

Answer 9

There's a lot of problems with the question.

First, people differ in what they think hell is. Technically, it is the grave, and everyone goes there.

Secondly, suicide is not singled out as even being a sin in the o.t.

Sin in the N.T. is where one violates love for another.

The ultimate sin in the N.T. has to do with not believing "in" Christ; rejecting him. So the one who committs suicide hasn't done anything "exceptional" to have him condemned in regards to eternity.

.

Answer 10

Let me tell you something, It was during the Dark Ages in which priests were the only ones who could read made this one up. They told everyone how wonderful Heaven is and people thought their lives were bad so they thought they ought to skip this life and go to a paradise. The Church was losing money rapidly, they decided to make suicide a sin so they could actually keep their flock alive.

The answer is money is the reason why suicide became a sin.

I'm just saying the ugly truth... Christianity has a pretty ugly history if you look closer..

Answer 11

It does not. It is a logical arguement that does not go far enough.

1- suicide is a form of murder
2- murder is a sin
3- (ther error) since the killer has not repented prior to death, the killer is subject to God's punishment


According to Scripture, all sin for all time was paid for by Jesus. Thus it is entirely possible, even likely, that God would count all the killers sins, including this final one, as atoned for.