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QUESTION 62:

If a Christian, not in the Assembly fellowship, professes to be saved and commits suicide does he have eternal life.? If yes: What about: 1 John 3:15? (to be answered later)

ANSWER:
This is a difficult question and I can only give you what I believe harmonizes with Scripture, since there is direct answer to give.

I have known one Christian personally who had a good clear testimony of salvation that committed suicide, I believed that he possessed eternal life as a gift from God and eternal life is the kind of life one has to have to get into heaven. It was also noticeable that this person¢s mentality changed a year or so before, and seem to cause his action. It must be understood that a Christian that does so, is not properly balanced mentally at the time. If this is so, suicide cannot keep such a person out of heaven. So the problem is, does the person really have eternal life? Only the Lord really knows, but to be sure if they do, then they are in heaven.

I don't believe we have anything in the scriptures that says a person that commits suicide cannot go to heaven. It is wrong, but again, every sin is wrong in the sight of God. Apart from the blood of Christ sin would keep us all out of heaven. Moses was a murderer and David was guilty of adultery and scheming the murder of a man and we have no doubt that they are in heaven. It appears that Samson may have engineered his own death, and yet he is listed in Hebrews 11: as a man of faith. Lot most certain committed some heinous sins, and he is listed as a righteous man in 2 Peter 2: All sin is sin, and no sin can keep a born again person out of heaven. Thanks be to the blood of Christ.

Jonah wanted to die. Elijah sat under a juniper tree and requested death. Job desired death, these are would be cases of suicide that never happened. It is sad indeed that a real Christian would get to the frame of mind to take his/her life, but it happens.

Dear reader, what about you? Do you have eternal life? Have you ever repentance of your sins and trusted Him. 1 John 5:11-12 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

All comments and questions to: Harold Smith

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Updated July 2009, by Shelly Allen