My Answer: If someone commits suicide, are they automatically condemned to hell?

Opening paragraph is at the beginning of every "My Answer" blog:

Growing up as the son of a preacher, I was never further than a question to my parents, as well as a variety of other Godly influences, from what I thought I was supposed to believe about any spiritual matter. But as time passed, I studied God's word for myself and was challenged by all of them to do so. On some questions, my personal study only reinforced what I'd heard as a child. On others, I found that I differed somewhat from what I'd been taught along the way and that my understanding of scripture lead me to a few different places. (I'm not going to tell you whether my parents and I disagree on any of these questions. If you want to know that, you've TOTALLY missed the reason for the blog series or the challenge to you behind it!) I read 1 Peter 3:15, which says, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." I felt that this directive was calling me farther past just my hope of salvation, but about anything for which I felt a conviction within my faith. So I posted a series of questions on Facebook recently, challenging Christians to not debate issues, but to search for the WHY behind their convictions to these answers. I purposefully never posted my answers till now. This blog is not THE answer. It is MY answer according to my personal Bible study. I challenge you to find yours.

There is no gray area to me in determining suicide is sin. It is self murder. The Bible is very clear on murder even to the point that it is one of the Ten Commandments listed in Exodus 20:13. To always start from a point of truth is the best way to arrive at a conclusion. So suicide is a sin.

There are seven known suicides in the Bible: Abimilech (Judges 9:54), Samson (Judges 16:29-31), Saul and his armor bearer (1 Samuel 31:3-6), Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23), Zimri (1 Kings 16:18), and Judas (Matthew 27:5). While most of these characters were in situations of disobedience at the time of their suicides, Samson was not. Some view him as a martyr even. There's no way you could use his life as a model for righteous living, but what he did was quite remarkable! He is even listed in the "Hall of Faith" in Hebrews 11.

To look at this properly, we must first look at what "saves" a person. Jesus set Himself apart from the pack in John 14:6. He is the only way to heaven and our salvation comes solely from His death and resurrection - His redeeming (buying us back) work on the cross where He paid our sin debt. And scripture teaches, I believe, that nothing can take away what He has given. Look at Romans 8:35-39. God didn't put the word "except" after the words "nothing can separate." In the original Greek the word "nothing" means NOTHING! To me, that includes suicide. To say that having sin that has not been confessed sends someone to hell, though a person has confessed belief in Christ as their Savior, says to me that sin trumps the blood of Christ. No sir! The blood trumps it ALL!

There are also those who have said that suicide must be the unpardonable sin, or unforgivable sin, spoken about in Matthew 12:31-32. Actually, if you read all of Matthew 12, you'll see that Jesus was directing His speech at the Pharisees.  This was not a simple teaching moment where he was teaching the disciples or other followers! Jesus had been doing miracles in front of the Pharisees. But instead of seeing the truth, they said that Jesus was possessed by Beelzebub, a demon. They had spoken directly against Jesus, His Spirit, and the work He had just done before them. The unpardonable sin has nothing to do with suicide.

So no, though suicide is a sin, I don't believe it automatically condemns someone to hell. But read on. There's more to this answer than where we've arrived so far.

I must also say here that the saying "Go won't give you more than you can handle" is a LIE!!! The Bible NEVER says that! While that may be a comforting thought, it has no Biblical merit. The closest thing that scripture says to this comes from 1 Corinthians 10:13. In this passage, the Bible is addressing temptation to sin and saying that God will not allow us to be tempted in ways that He will not provide a way out. But this verse, nor any other verse, says anything about mental stress, depression, or anxiety. Actually, scripture is very clear that there WILL be trouble and trials in life! But it also says, to not fear because Jesus has overcome the world and in Him, we too are overcomers!

Suicide is indeed a sin. Depression, stress, and anxiety are also indeed real. People get to the point where they feel they can't take any more. I'm one of them. In November of 2011, I had a loaded gun to my head and was locked in our master bedroom with my wife praying for me on the other side of the door. I know what that's like. But I will tell you that, no matter who you are, you are here for a God-given purpose that is designed specifically for you by God. YOU MATTER! Your life is extremely important to God's plan. But to fulfill that plan, you need to be alive. Scripture says that it is appointed for man to die. But that appointment is not our to set for ourselves. It is God's and God's alone. If things get tough, talk to someone. There IS hope!