Suicide

The following blog speaks to another important issue in the world that requires that the Church must address. A friend on Facebook posted this article from CNN, which reports that more women in Japan die from suicide than from COVID-19. Also, a lot of Pastors commit suicide. Here is an article about this topic which gives us some things we can do to ease our Pastor’s burdens and here is a sermon given by Scott Pauley of Faith For The Family which discusses how to pray for our Pastors.

People may believe that if you commit suicide, you will go to hell, but as video 1 from the Gospel Coalition and video 2 from The 700 Club discuss, it is only those that do not receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Jim Denison also has a paper on this topic, some of whose points I either want to comment on or link to. Please pause reading this discourse and read the article I linked to above.

First, let’s consider the key Scripture that Jim writes about concerning “eternal Security. Here is what the Amplified Classic Bible says in 1 John 5:13, which is what I understand to be the key verse in this disposition. Yes, other Scriptures were mentioned, and we’ll get to those in a minute. But let’s stop and look at this one first. It says, “I write to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God (in the peculiar services conferred by Him on men), so that you may know (with settled and absolute knowledge) that you (already) have life, yes, eternal life.” (1 John 5:13, AMPC).

This makes a HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE difference. Jim, I know, has good intentions, but I wanted to draw it out for everyone so that all may know what this Scripture is really saying so that some don’t think themselves immuned. This discourse is an encouragement to the one who is considering suicide, the one who is going through life’s challenges thrown at them through their loved one’s suicide, and a survivor of suicide. However, I realize that some may be reading this that looks for a license to do anything they want to do. Therefore, I am mixing hope with warning.

To the categories mentioned above, I say this:

• 1. If you are considering suicide, don’t let this beat you down more. As was established in the links above, if you are a Christian, you are not going to hell. But if you are not, click this link and give your life to Christ.
• 2. If you are a person who has had a loved one commit suicide, don’t let this get you depressed either, please! I fully intend to both encourage those who need it and to warn those who need it in the same blog. If your loved one knew Jesus, that person went to heaven.
• 3. To you who tried to commit suicide, here is a testimony of someone who has been in your shoes.
• Also, click here for an online counselling site that can help you or ask your Pastor (if you are a believer in the Lord) for any recommendations.
• If you have not received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, again, click here, or you can even call CBN’S prayer line at (1800) 700-7000. They will pray with you and may even have some resources and counselling they recommend. God bless!

Back to the topic of losing your salvation. Let’s talk about the Bible’s doctrine concerning the loss of salvation. In Acts 20:28, Paul says (KJV), “I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole council of God.” This is essentially under the insiration of the Holy Spirit, the whole Word of God.

What is a mature child of God? Romans 8:14 answers this for us, and I’ll be quoting from The Passion Translation: The mature children of God are those that are led by the impulses of the Holy Spirit (Emphasis added). I’m sure that many of you have brushed off a nudge of the Holy Spirit even being believers. I have. Well, not putting her on an idolatrous pedistal or anything, but the book and movie Unplanned not only is a lesson on the lies of Planned Parenthood and the Abortion Industry, but it shows us the importance of obedience. It is a sermon of its own. What might have happened if Abby hadn’t paid attention to the unveiling of the truth which the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) has tried so hard to keep veiled?

I confess that even I need to heed God’s message through His saints no matter how it comes, rather that be through the story of a beautiful salvation experience, or the warning of my Grandma, or the preaching of my Pastors or someone on YouTube or other sources, or just the reading of God’s Word and what the Lord through the Saints of old learned and said.

You can backslide (Ezekiel 33:18, see this link from openBibleInfo). Here are a few signs of a hard heart, according to Pastor Shane Idleman of Westside Christian Fellowship:

• 1. We don’t want to talk about faith and politics.
• 2. We don’t like being challenged, we are always right and we’re proud of it.
• 3. Love and compassion have vanished (even in believers who have a hard heart).
• 4. Sin is mastering you.
• 5. Pride is thriving in you, not dying.

The remedy is this:

1. The heart of stone must become a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).
2. Measure yourself up with Christ and see how you measure up if you are self-righteous!

The reason to guard your heart is to protect your anointing. Pastor Shane Idleman says, “Sin fascinates then assasinates you, but holiness keeps the guardrail up.” Selah!

On being thankful, Life.Church in its Stay Positive series and Holly Furtick of Elevation Church both had profound insights as to the cure for complaining. Please watch their messages concerning this very thing.

Please post your feedback in the comments below or take the survey, so I will know how to go from there. God bless!