a. Is the sin of suicide unforgivable?
The only “unforgivable” sin mentioned in the Bible is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Jesus says in Matthew 12:31-32, “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come.” Jesus says that any sin, including taking your own life, is forgivable. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for all sin of all people for all time – past, present and future sins. The Bible instructs us in 1 John 1:9 to confess our sins, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” However, failing to confess sins does not mean we are not forgiven. Those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior from sin, trusting His death and resurrection as the payment for our sins, are given eternal life freely. No sin, in type or quantity, will negate the fact that we are justified by the substitutionary death of Christ. Suicide, while a very serious offense, will not keep the believer in Christ from their heavenly home because eternal life is a gift from God received by faith and not dependent upon our deeds whether good or bad. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 speaks of our status upon death , "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--for we walk by faith, not by sight--we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord." Remember too that all humanity will be held accountable for their deeds and all will be judged by Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). However, this judgment is not to determine entrance into heaven or hell, but rather a reckoning to all persons by their Creator.
b. How can you say you are sorry when you are dead from suicide?
Obviously you cannot say you are sorry after committing the sin of suicide. However, saying you are sorry for sin is not what John 1:9 asks of us. Rather confession, that is, telling on ourselves, brings forgiveness. In other words, we admit to God that we sinned and fell short of the mark. Those who commit suicide will give an account before Christ for this sin, just as all persons will give an account of their lives before Christ. An example of a believer in Messiah who committed suicide is King Saul who intentionally fell on his own sword to end his life (1 Chronicles 10:4). Another example is Judas (Matthew 27:3-5), although it is difficult to determine whether or not he became a believer in Christ because he repented of his betrayal of Christ prior to having hung himself in guilt.
The only “unforgivable” sin mentioned in the Bible is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Jesus says in Matthew 12:31-32, “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come.” Jesus says that any sin, including taking your own life, is forgivable. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for all sin of all people for all time – past, present and future sins. The Bible instructs us in 1 John 1:9 to confess our sins, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” However, failing to confess sins does not mean we are not forgiven. Those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior from sin, trusting His death and resurrection as the payment for our sins, are given eternal life freely. No sin, in type or quantity, will negate the fact that we are justified by the substitutionary death of Christ. Suicide, while a very serious offense, will not keep the believer in Christ from their heavenly home because eternal life is a gift from God received by faith and not dependent upon our deeds whether good or bad. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 speaks of our status upon death , "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--for we walk by faith, not by sight--we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord." Remember too that all humanity will be held accountable for their deeds and all will be judged by Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). However, this judgment is not to determine entrance into heaven or hell, but rather a reckoning to all persons by their Creator.
b. How can you say you are sorry when you are dead from suicide?
Obviously you cannot say you are sorry after committing the sin of suicide. However, saying you are sorry for sin is not what John 1:9 asks of us. Rather confession, that is, telling on ourselves, brings forgiveness. In other words, we admit to God that we sinned and fell short of the mark. Those who commit suicide will give an account before Christ for this sin, just as all persons will give an account of their lives before Christ. An example of a believer in Messiah who committed suicide is King Saul who intentionally fell on his own sword to end his life (1 Chronicles 10:4). Another example is Judas (Matthew 27:3-5), although it is difficult to determine whether or not he became a believer in Christ because he repented of his betrayal of Christ prior to having hung himself in guilt.
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