Questions and Answers

What About Suicide?
By Adam Bartlett

Do you consider it wrong to Kill someone?
What is the act of 'suicide'? (Killing of one's self)
Should suicide be considered a crime the same as murder?


Are you feeling that life isn't worth living anymore? Do your problems seem too big to handle? Does it seem that no one cares? Sometimes these feelings of despair or apathy cause people to think about suicide. There is much said about this issue and it is not new, it dates back to the Bible times.

What does the Bible say:
Suicide is not a new idea. The Bible records seven suicides.

(Judges 9: 52-54) Abimelech was in despair

(Judges 16: 25-30) Samson died for a cause he believed in and for revenge.

(1 Samuel 31:4) Saul stressed out, unable to live up to certain expectations; felt rejected and a failure

(1 Samuel 31:5) Saul's armor-bearer impulse, he wanted to die with his boss. 40% of teenage suicide is impulse.

(2 Samuel 17: 23) Ahithophel was bitter because his advice was not followed

(1 Kings 16: 15-20) Zimri rebellion; Zimri had a problem with authority

(Matthew 27: 3-5) Judas was depressed, Judas felt trapped by materialism and guilt

But what does the Bible say about taking your own life?
1. God has a great plan for your life. God has created us in His image (Genesis 1: 26-27). He created us for a purpose. God has a specific plan in mind for everyone.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29: 11)
2. God's plan is for life, not death. The Bible teaches that both physical and spiritual death are the result of our sin and disobedience to God, but eternal life is a gift to those who receive it.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6: 23)
3. Jesus taught that death and destruction are the work of "the thief" (Satan). He said, "The thief comes only to steal and destroy;" (John 10:10). John 8:44 says that Satan is a "murderer" and the "father of lies". The feelings of despair that lead to suicide are caused by some of his lies.
4. Jesus wants us to have life. He said:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)
5. Life belongs to God. It is never our place to take our own life or someone else's life.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6: 19-20)

IF SUICIDE ISN'T THE ANSWER, WHAT IS?

1. The solution to despair and hopelessness is not suicide, but faith in God.
We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33: 20-22)
2. Christ promises that He will give us rest from our problems.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11: 28)
3. Tell someone. Tell your parents, your brother or sister, your teacher or school counselor, your pastor or youth minister that you are thinking about suicide. If a friend tells you that he or she is serious about suicide, then you need to tell someone who is responsible and can help.
4. Accept Christ's free gift of eternal life and salvation, if you haven't already. Romans 10:13 says: "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." John 1: 12 says: "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
5. When we accept Christ, God gives us a brand-new life and sees us as completely holy and righteous.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17) "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Feelings are not objective truth. Feelings are indicators of subjective thinking and you need to explore what thoughts you have been dwelling on that have led you to contemplate such negative, self-destructive feelings. Thinking about killing yourself is believing in the lies that Satan wants you to believe. Jesus said that Satan is the "thief that comes to kill and destroy" in John 10:9-10. The Bible also says that Satan is the author of lies. If you feel like giving up on life and so much so that you want to kill yourself, then, you are believing Satan's lies. The Bible says that "the heart is deceitful and wicked above all things". Don't be led astray by these feelings and negative thoughts.
The best thing is for you to turn to God and seek His help and guidance. You can be certain that committing suicide is breaking His commandment "to not kill". But, you can also be certain that since He has commanded you not to do this He will provide help and strength to endure and work through this trial in your life! Why not give Him a chance to turn your life around? He has much to say about your life and how He can help you.

Back to Questions and Answers

Bible Headquarters