In part one, I spoke on an actual incident of suicide and how I feel along with a quick opinion on mental health. For this post, part 2, I want to focus on my personal experience and a belief that is very important to me.
I am not sure where this started, but I remember growing up and hearing that, "those that commit suicide will not go to Heaven!" So, naturally I believed it until I had someone close actually commit suicide. My world fell apart because like I had always heard, they could not go to Heaven. I was both heartbroken and mortified to be young and wrestle with this belief. Well, again, this statement came up as I read comments posted to Facebook about this students suicide. Once I read that, all this emotion came rushing back. The difference is now I know that statement is untrue. How do I know this? Because the ones that say that people who commit suicide don't go to Heaven have no biblical proof to back them up. Heaven is a biblical and spiritual place that a lot who are called followers of Christ believe they will end up. So why do they believe is someone takes their own life, that the person will not end up in Heaven? The answer I have received is that "Suicide is an unforgivable sin." To which I say, "I have to disagree, and here is why."
- How are we to know what happens once we die? Sure, the belief that we go before our creator who sits in a judgment seat is backed by scripture. But have any of us ever been there before? The account that John gives in the Book of Revelation is astounding (Here).
- Jesus himself spoke of only one eternal sin. Mark 3:28-29 says, "I tell you the truth, all sins that people do and all the things people say against God can be forgiven. But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of a sin that continues forever.” No where in this passage does it include suicide.
- But suicide is the ultimate act of defiance against God! True. To waste the life that God gave you is a HUGE act of defiance and selfishness. But let me ask you this. Did you ever defy your parents? What would have been a HUGE example of defiance to our parents? Would they still love us even though they may have been very hurt or disappointed? Now multiply that level of love by infinity and you have the love of God and his forgiveness. 1John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
So, can someone who commits suicide enter into Heaven? I would like to think so. I believe that once we see the greatness of God on that throne. We lose ourselves in his awesomeness and have no choice but feel the full weight of our mistakes. At that point we cannot deny that this is our last choice. I would like to think that Jesus loves us enough to give us that one last chance before we choose to go north or south. But I implore you not to wait until you are at deaths door. Make a choice now to take the road that leads to our eternal life with our divine creator.
No matter what you have done in the past, you have a spotless future. Do all you can to keep your present and future as clean as possible. Believe it or not, in all of our mistakes God has been there watching us. Are you dead now? Nope, that's because God has plans for you. Don't waste this time that we have.
Oh, and if you are worried that you have sinned the unforgivable sin. Let me tell you, that if you ARE worried about it, you haven't.
“Fear that one has done so is probably a good sign that one hasn’t, for full-fledged apostasy is a defiant rejection of everything Christian and lacks the tender conscience that would be worried about such an action.” - Apologetics Study Bible
One final link "What is the Unforgivable Sin?"
No comments:
Post a Comment