All language subtitles for 0728(1)

Hello and welcome to Asking the Top
Questions, the podcast where we

explore some of the other questions
about faith, life and God.

I'm Anita and I'm truly grateful you're
here with me today.

Today's question is a heavy one, but an
important one.

Would God send a Christian who dies by
suicide to hell?

If this question has touched your mind
or heart at any point, or you've lost a

loved one to suicide, or you're walking
through a place of pain, confusion, I

want you to know you are not alone.

This episode is a safe space for you.

Let me start by saying something very
important.

This is one of the most painful and
deeply misunderstood questions in

Christianity.

But I'll respond with full honesty and
compassion.

No. I do not believe that God
automatically sends a Christian to hell

die by suicide.

That belief misrepresents both God's
character and the depth of suffering

people silently endure.

That said, I also believe that this is a
deeply complex issue with grey areas

that we may not fully understand until
the day we meet God.

But let's walk through this together,
not with fear, but with grace and truth.

First, what is suicide?

Suicide is the act of intentionally
causing one's own death.

It is a complex and deeply personal
issue, often arising from a combination

psychological, social, and biological
and environmental factors.

You might be thinking,

But doesn't the Bible say, thou shalt
not kill?

Yes, in Exodus 20 verse 13, God says,
you shall not murder.

But this commandment isn't a
condemnation of people suffering from

illness or despair.

Many people who die by suicide were
battling conditions like major

bipolar disorder, PTSD, schizophrenia.

Substance use disorders.

These are real medical conditions just
like cancer.

But they affect the mind and emotions
instead of the body.

And people don't go to hell for dying of
cancer.

So why would they for dying from
depression?

More importantly, suicide does not erase
the grace of Christ.

We all fall short. We break commandments
in thought, word and deed.

But we are not saved by perfection.

We are saved by grace through faith.

Romans 8 verse 1 says, There is no
condemnation for those who are in Christ

Jesus. Let that sink in.

No condemnation. None. Not even for our
darkest struggles.

Another area that we also have to
consider is that suicide is

not always a simple choice in the way
many people think.

It is not always a cold -blooded logical
choice.

It's often the result of unbearable
emotional torment, a crisis of the soul.

In 1 Samuel 16 verse 7, thankfully, the
Bible reminds us,

the Lord sees not as man sees.

Man looks at the outward appearance, but
the Lord looks at the heart.

God sees beyond the action.

He sees the agony that led to it.

And Psalm 34 verse 18 says, The Lord is
close to the brokenhearted and saves

those who are crushed in spirit.

Another verse I love so much is John 11
verse 35.

Jesus wept.

This confirms that God understands our
sorrow more deeply than we ever could.

Moreover, when Jesus died on the cross,
he said, it is finished. You can find

that in John 19 verse 30.

That means the price for all sin, past,
present and future was

paid in full.

Suicide, tragic as it is, does not undo
the salvation a person has received by

faith in Christ.

Romans 8 verse 38 to 39 promises us, For
I am convinced that neither

death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the

nor any powers, neither heights nor
depths, nor anything else in all

will be able to separate us from the
love of God that is in Christ Jesus our

Lord. And that includes death by
suicide.

To dig deeper into this question, I have
to ask,

meet up with some fellow Christians to
pick their brain

concerning what they think.

Their responses moves me and I think
they will speak to you too.

So I'll be reading out the first
response.

I think this question is a tricky one.

And I'm trusting the Holy Spirit to help
me here.

Can God send a Christian who dies by
suicide to hell?

First, I want you to know that God loves
everybody and is merciful.

Now, there are different ways people can
die.

One of them is suicide.

Suicide is self -destructive and before
someone reaches that point, they may

have come to a place where they no
longer see hope.

They cannot see hope. They are
exhausted, heartbroken, unhappy and sad

and have decided to take their own
lives.

They lack the strength to carry on.

It is not a sin to lose hope. It is not
a sin to want to give up. The Bible says

hope defied makes the heart sick.

When a man's heart is sick, it brings
depression.

It takes the mercies of God to deliver
someone from depression.

When you see someone who is depressed,
anxious or facing difficulties and they

come out of fits to testify, it is by
the mercies of God.

Not everyone manages to come out of it.

So the people who don't make it through
are just like those with cancer. Some

beat cancer, some don't.

Some survive certain internal diseases
while others do not.

Beating cancer and various ailments does
not make you superior to those who do

not. It is simply an act of mercy.

Therefore, if someone took their own
life, It indicates they've reached a

where they can no longer see the light.

Their heart is broken.

They are in pain.

That state is not a sin.

It's just that their mind is clouded.

So clouded they can't even hear the
voice of God.

But if that societal person is a
Christian, it means that before God,

person is righteous.

The person is not righteous because they
sin or they do not sin.

The person is righteous because of what
Jesus did.

They had the righteousness of God in
Christ Jesus.

And as far as I'm concerned, Jesus died
for their past, present and future sins.

He has already died for sin because he
doesn't want you to go to hell.

That's why he came to die for you. So if
he died for the person, why send the

person to hell?

The person is eternally loved, eternally
saved.

And how they live their life now, what
God is going

to do is not necessarily how they died,
but

how they lived their life.

So what we should all be concerned about

It's not just how the person died, but
the life the person lived.

The life they lived while they were on
earth.

Did they live a life that glorified God?

Did they fulfill purpose?

These are the things we should be
worried about.

Of course, the person took their life
for a reason.

But I don't think God will send you to
hell because you took your life.

What will take you to hell is bigger
than why you killed yourself.

Wow.

Wow. I believe that that was an
extremely powerful response.

And we should never underestimate the
power of grace.

God's grace and God's mercy.

And remember his promise not to allow
anything.

Separates us from the love of God.

Let's be mindful of that. Okay, let's go
straight to the second letter.

When you first asked me this question,
it didn't make sense that a Christian

would descend to hell for suicide.

It seemed harsh.

But I am always cautious when it comes
to the issues of God because I still

remember the God of the Old Testament.

He was fiery and fierce.

Lot's wife turned back and became a
pillar of salt and there was no mercy.

But in New Testament, God operates in
the dispensation of grace.

Moreover, the first thing that
determines whether you are going to

your works but your faith.

I remember the thief on the cross next
to Jesus.

He had no time to do good works.

He simply believed.

Jesus said, today you will be with me in
paradise.

That thief didn't have time to repent of
every single sin, but his faith saved

him. So what's crucial is your faith and
accepting Jesus into your heart.

Profound. I appreciate our emphasis on
the fact that we are in a dispensation

grace and that entering heaven is not
about your works, but about your faith.

Now I'll read the last letter.

I believe only God can judge the real
situation and the believer's intent.

Suicide is wrong and is considered self
-murder, so it is regarded as a sin.

However, scripture points to God as the
ultimate judge, not humans.

So only he can judge this.

The Bible was clear on this.

Exodus 20 verse 13 says, You shall not

commit murder, which is often known as
unjustified,

deliberate homicide.

But that said, Matthew 12 verse 31 to 32
allows that no sin is

unforgivable.

except unbelief that is seen against the
Holy Spirit.

So Matthew 12 verse 31 says, Therefore I
say to you,

every sin and blasphemy, every evil,
abusive, injurious speaking, or

against sacred things will be forgiven
people, but blasphemy against the Holy

Spirit will not be forgiven.

Whoever speaks a word against the Son of
Man will be forgiven.

But whoever speaks against the Holy
Spirit by attributing the miracles done

me to Satan will not be forgiven, either
in this age or in the age to come.

Okay, so this response, like the others,
was also perfect.

If you remember in the beginning of the
podcast, I initially defined suicide as

the act of intentionally causing one's
own death, which qualifies it as murder.

A sin.

Murder is a sin.

However, what distinguishes it from
murder in a broader sense

are the underlying factors leading to
it.

Immeasurable pain, feelings of
hopelessness, depression.

PTSD, and mental illnesses generally.

And as such, I maintain that the

discourse on suicide is, you know,
surrounded by gray

areas. But thankfully, God has
expertise, you know, in both judging

And loving.

In breaking and putting back together.

Broken things.

But if you've ever lost someone to
suicide. Understand this.

The Bible says God is love.

He is compassionate. He is kind.

He is not unreasonable.

So let your heart be at peace.

That the fate of your loved one who died
in faith.

is in the hands of a fair and just God.

But if you are going through so much and
you are considering suicide, I want to

speak directly to you. Don't.

Please don't.

God says in 1 Corinthians 10 verse 13, I
will not let you be tested

beyond what you can bear.

I will provide a warehouse.

Also in Hebrews 13 verse 5, God says, I
will never leave you nor forsake you.

So you don't have to carry this burden
alone. Talk to someone. Reach out.

Also there are some resources that are
available 24 -7 for you in the UK.

We have the Samaritans. You can reach
them on 1 1 6 1 2 3

it's free and confidential you get to
you know pour out your

heart to someone who cares who is ready
to listen to your every word

you can also reach out to self just text

85258

All of these details will be listed in
the description below.

Also, you know, lean on trusted friends,
lean on family, counselors or

your church family.

You don't have to do this alone.

This question we explore today, you
know, it has revealed the

deep tension between the pain of this
life.

And the hope of our faith.

But notice. God is not afraid of your
questions. God is not afraid of the

questions. God is not afraid of the
complex decisions.

And his love is bigger than your pain.

So if you ever felt like giving up. Your
story is not finished.

You have purpose.

You are loved beyond measure.

And God's grace, it reaches your deepest
valley.

You know, the deepest valley of your
heart.

With that being said, with that being
said, thank you for

being here today and for having the
courage to ask the tough questions.

If this episode has touched you, please
subscribe and share it with someone who

might need to hear this message.

Our next episode will explore another
big question.

If God loves me, why does he feel so far
away?

Until then, remember, you are loved, you
are seen, and you are never alone.