Suicide - Part 2

(This is the second half of my writing on suicide.) 

My son came home from school the other day and said the following:  "Dad, a kid told me today that if someone commits suicide they will not go to Heaven, even if they have Jesus in their heart.  Is that true?"

Without hesitating, I told my son "No, that is not true.  That kid is wrong."

I've heard this idea expressed many times.  And I've never agreed with it.  Not one bit.

Here are my thoughts on it ...

1).  I believe suicide is outside of God's will and, therefore, sin.

2).  When Jesus becomes our Savior and Lord, He handles the payment for our sin and forgives us for all of it.  This includes future sin.

3).  Obviously, someone who kills himself or herself does not have time to pray about it and make things right with God.  But if that person is a member of God's family, they are secure in their salvation.  God does not kick His children out of His family when they stumble and fall.  Once that person is truly saved by grace, they will always be saved.  No sin, including suicide, will change that.

4).  God is the Judge of who goes to Heaven and who does not.  He alone is qualified to make that call.  And not once in the Bible does God come remotely close to declaring suicide an unforgivable sin that blocks anyone's entrance into Heaven.

5). The sin that keeps people out of Heaven is this: Saying "No thanks" to Jesus Christ's offer of salvation.

That's what I believe.

Suicide does not take away a person's salvation and does not keep a person out of Heaven.