Can a Christian who commits suicide enter heaven?
An anonymous listener asked: “I've had two pastors tell me that professing Christians who commit suicide will not go to heaven. Is that true?”
I’ll start at the beginning with this truth: suicide is sin. It is the unjustified act of taking a life. And by the way, that’s true even in places where the government has legalized assisted suicide. Life is precious and God is the giver of life.
That said, if a person is truly saved, heaven is their guaranteed, eternal home. Even if your final act on earth was to commit a sin, that sin would not ban you from heaven. We certainly want God to find us faithful when He comes or when we die, but our faithfulness is not the reason God saves us. He saves us because of His faithfulness.
Just to be clear, this would apply to all sin, not just suicide. For example, if a young teenage believer was speeding, got into an accident and died, he would still go to heaven. Even though his final act was breaking the law, that sin does not exclude him from heaven. Every sin a believer commits, past, present and future, is covered by the blood of Christ and forgiven.
Colossians 2:13–14 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross (ESV).
God’s forgiveness of our sin is not permission to sin. Sin causes us to lose our full reward in heaven. So my admonition to you and all who read this is to live for Christ all the way to the end, so as to receive from him the commendation: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Thanks for your question,
Stephen
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[Note from Wisdom: Valerie - we are thankful that you took the time to comment, but we believe our position to be true. Even if a Christian's final act in this world is a sin, that sin would not result in losing salvation.]