Dear Reader,

We address a subject that is becoming more and more important to us, because so many are being affected by it. Of necessity, I must speak to survivors, and families of those who have succeeded in committing suicide, and I trust that these few minutes spent together may help in some way.

Permit me to say first that I believe that all human life is precious, and worth living until God Himself says, “It is enough!” I believe that God Himself, as well, does not desire death for any individual, except that it is the door by which we leave existence in one world, and enter existence in another. The Bible tells us that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, Ezekiel 18:23, and goes on in that same chapter, verse 32, “that He has no pleasure in the death of him who dies.”

Death has come to the human family and creation because of the entrance of sin onto the stage of human existence. The fact of death itself, therefore, is reason to believe that there is something better for us, even though death itself is a transfer agent.

For reasons known only to Himself, God has decreed that He will inhabit the bodies of those persons who give Him room in their lives. (Revelation 3:20) He has declared through the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 3:16 that our physical bodies become the temple, or dwelling place, of the Spirit of God. He then goes on in verse 17 of that same chapter to say that if any man defile that temple, God would destroy that man. The word “defile” can also be translated “destroy”, making the verse say, ” If any man destroy the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” (KJV). As far as I can tell, this is the strongest verse I know of that speaks against suicide. If we look at the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament, we see that Commandment # 6 says, “Thou shalt not kill”, (KJV). In other translations, for example, the New International Version, the verse reads, “You shall not murder”, which would include self-inflicted murder, in my understanding.

One may ask, and rightfully so, “What will happen to a person in eternity who has committed suicide?” Some other things enter that scenario, things like how cognizant was the person, and how fast did the suicide take place. To illustrate, if a person was able to deliberately choose death by a gunshot, the chances of repentance drop to zero. If, on the other hand, there were some moments, however fleeting, between the attempt and actual death, certainly God would be keen to hear a whispered prayer of repentance, however brief. And since He alone knows the details of each case, He alone can make the judgment. We do know that there is absolutely no chance of changing the place of eternal abode once death has shut the door on our earthly existence.

Which leads me to the real reason for writing this article. If you are the one contemplating suicide, and believe that it is the only way out of the struggle you find yourself in, please get help. Jesus says in His Word, the Bible, that He has come that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10). Find a person who is a true Christian, and ask them to help you with your problems. If they cannot help you, e-mail back to me, or call on the telephone at 717-597-3635, or visit the web sites listed at the end of the article to find help. Your life is valuable to God; don’t destroy it!!

Focus on the Family at: www.family.org

Christian Light Bookstore at: www.christianlight.org

Thanks for reading,
Pastor Ritchey