Can someone who has committed suicide go to heaven?

I know suicide is wrong, obviously, as it' a killing...but do you think God looks at that diferently when one takes their own life? Does it say anything in the Bible about that?

The Bible is very clear about how we get to heaven—through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by acknowledging that He died for our sins and rose from the dead so that we can live forever with God the Father. Key verses include John 3:16, John 5:24, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 10:27-29, 1 John 5:11-13. The Bible also teaches that nothing (that means nothing, not even suicide) can separate us from God once we are a Christian (Romans 8:37-39) and that we can know that we are saved beyond any doubt (I John 5:13).

Simply stated: suicide is not what determines whether a person gains entrance into heaven. If an unsaved person commits suicide, he is simply expediting his eternity in hell for rejecting Christ (not for committing suicide). Jesus died for all of our sins. If a true Christian, in a time of spiritual attack and weakness, commits suicide, that would still be a sin covered by the blood of Christ.

However, suicide is not what God wants for anyone. Our God loves us very much (John 3:16). He created us in His image (Genesis 1:26-27) and for a purpose (Jeremiah 29:11, John 10:10b).

Jesus tells us that death and destruction are the work of Satan (John 10:10a) and that many of the feelings of despair that lead to suicidal thoughts are caused by sin. The Bible records seven instances of suicide:

1. Abimelech lacked personal identity (Judges 9:52-54).
2. Samson died for a cause he believed in and for revenge (Judges 16:25-30).
3. Saul was stressed out, unable to live up to certain expectations; felt rejected and a failure (1 Samuel 31:4).
4. Saul's armor-bearer on impulse wanted to die with his boss, King Saul (1 Samuel 31:5); note: 40% of teenage suicide is impulse.
5. Ahithophel was bitter because his advice was not followed (2 Samuel 17:23).
6. Rebellion; Zimri had a problem with authority (1 Kings 16:15-20).
7. Depressed, Judas felt trapped by materialism and guilt (Matthew 27:3-5).

The reasons these men took their own lives are many of the reasons people today feel as if there is no hope and that by taking their own lives they can escape.

However, we can find hope in God! Once we accept Christ as our Savior, we are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and the things of this world that cause so much pain have no hold on us if we give our pain over to God. Jesus Himself tells us to bring our burdens, however severe, to Him and He will give us rest because He cares for us (Matthew 11:28). He also tells us that nothing can snatch us out of the Father’s hands, not despair or guilt or lack of identity or suicide (John 10:27-29).

Submitted by: Gerry Singleton