Is Suicide a sin?

No, read it again, I said:

 

Huh??

If a trial is so much that a person resorts to suicide, that person's trial was more than they can stand... period!

The Word of God promises God will not allow that much of a trial in our lives.

Why is there no record of Paul committing suicide? Surely his trials were more than any on this BB can say we have ever been through.

 

Does God chastise those he loves? Does he do it when we have sin in our lives?

If there is such a thing as unintentional sin, and God chastises us for sin, then we have a situation where God chastises us for no good reason. That makes God capricious, arbitrary and cruel. God is none of those.

 

Just because God promises he will not give us more than we can bear, that does not mean we will willingly bear it.

People can fail at going through trials - it's their own weakness and sin. So suicide is a sin, but Christians do sin. This just means that the Christian did not bear up under the trial for whatever reason.

What you and SFIC seem to be saying is that since God promises he won't give us more than we can bear, then all Christians can bear all things without fail. But we fail in other areas all the time, so why not in this one?

No one is justifying suicide here -- it's a sin. But Christians sin and this happens to be one of those sins.

 

God is not a liar, the trial would not have been more than one could bear … we are not to judge… that person may have chose to sin instead of facing that trial. The question is, that we can not know, is did that person have faith that his sins were forgiven?

Paul chose not to commit that sin, others he fell on; I would not compare myself to Paul’s righteousness.

 

Hasn't this thread gone on long enough? It's past the 20 page limit.

 

No, it makes God holy. And God is holy. God does chastise us for sin. Even if we unintentionally sin.

Let's say you go to a bank and fill out papers for a new account, or possibly a loan and when you are through, you mistakenly put that pen in your pocket and carry it out. The next time you see that pen, the Spirit reminds you where you got that pen and tells you you have to 'take it back' while the flesh may tell you, 'it's only a pen.'

When the Spirit tells you you have taken that pen and reminds you that it belongs to the bank, that is when the chastening begins.

 

Suicide is a sin of selfishness. With that I agree.

Sin in our lives means that we go to Hell when we die unless...

Christ's blood covers that sin. In that case, a Christian who commits suicide, or any sin, is covered even though they are wrong.

 

Yes. That's what I'm saying. Then, and only then, does the chastening begin. It doesn't begin when you accidentally walk out with the pen. It begins if you ignore the Spirit and don't return the pen.

 

1 John 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

Could John have been speaking of unintentional sin here?

I am reminded of the passage in Joshua 20 that speaks of the cities of refuge that were set up for safety for the one who accidentally killed another; that that one might be safe from the avenger of blood. If one could make it to one of the 6 cities of refuge, one would find safety.

Now, even though murder is sin, there was a place of refuge for those who murdered unintentionally. Since heaven is a place of rest and safety, can it be said that one who intentionally kills oneself will find refuge there?

 

But, regardless of when the chastening begins, one has still stolen that pen.

 

SFIC, what I'm getting from your posts here is that you do not apparently believe that intentional murder can be forgiven.

 

Marcia,

A good tree cannot produce evil fruit.

If I murdered someone esle and asked God to forgive me and truly meant it, was truly repentent, yes, God would forgive me.

But I could not ask Him to forgive me if I killed myself.

A good tree cannot produce evil fruit.

 

Good luck in getting a straight answer...

 

Care to share where this is in Scripture? I didn't know that an apple can be "evil".

 

Matthew 7:18-20 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

 

Gotcha. I don't read the KJV (HCSB mainly), and it usually refers to "bad" fruit.

At any rate, this is salvation by works. If you feel suicide is the "other" mortal sin besides blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, you hold to a view that is not biblical.

 

It is not holding to salvation by works.

Jesus said those words. Now, Psalm 92:12 - 14 show us that we are trees and we bring forth fruit.

If a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, and suicide is a fruit not of God, suicide must be evil and from satan. Therefore, how can a Christian produce that evil fruit of suicide if Christ said 'A good tree cannot produce evil fruit'?

 

So Standing Firm, are you saying then that a person who commits intentional murder, suicide, lies, continues in homosexuality, etc, simply wasn't saved at the start with?

 

BINGO! Give the woman a kewpie doll!