Do Christians Who Commit Suicide Go to Heaven?
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Suicide is always a tragedy, no matter the reason. It is tragic for the perpetrator, whose suffering or decision was likely prompted by despair or deep difficulty, as well as for those loved ones left behind, who struggle with grief and a host of unanswered questions. If the person who died by suicide was a Christian, those questions can be even more troubling.
For some, one of those questions has to do with the afterlife. Many ask: Do Christians who commit suicide go to heaven? Is my loved one, who accepted Jesus Christ as their lord and personal savior, now doomed to a lifetime outside heaven because they chose to take their own life?
Thankfully, we can trust that no matter our sins — even suicide — if we believe in and follow Christ as our savior, we are guaranteed eternal life. This is made crystal-clear in Scripture, which proclaims in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Christians who commit suicide are not barred from heaven, according to God’s Word. Anyone who is in Christ when they die, for any reason, goes to heaven.
Suicide is a troubling problem in society today. It is one of the leading causes of death in the United States; suicide claimed the lives of more than 49,000 people in 2023, with one death every 11 minutes; beyond that, more than 12.8 million have reportedly “seriously thought” about suicide. It’s a problem worldwide, too, with the World Health Organization citing the loss of more than 720,000 to suicide each year and calling it a “serious public health problem.” Many choose suicide because of alarming and devastating mental health problems, while others cite chronic pain, hopelessness, and grief.
Christians are not immune to these statistics. While reports indicate strong faith significantly lowers suicide ideation and action, many of us know all too well that Christians are among those claimed by suicide. A recent Barna report indicates pastors also wrestle with depression as well as thoughts of self-harm and suicide. In 2023, almost one in five pastors (18%) acknowledged contemplating self-harm or suicide in the past year, with 1% reporting a “distressing” problem and 9% reporting an “occasional” problem.
Suicide is not the answer. As self-murder, it is a serious sin against God and violates his loving commandments.
However, the Bible is clear that sinners of all kinds are beloved by God and have a place in heaven through faith in Jesus Christ, who forgives our sins through our repentance and his tremendous and extravagant mercy and love.
Yes, Christians who commit suicide go to heaven. Let’s dive into Scripture to explore this further.
What Does the Bible Say about Suicide?
The word “suicide” isn’t in the Bible, but there are instances of suicide depicted throughout Scripture. For instance, Ahithopel was a counselor to King David who later betrayed the king and helped David’s son Absalom attempt a coup; he hanged himself in 2 Samuel 17:23. We know the defeated King Saul and his armor bearer fell on their swords (1 Samuel 31:4-5). Judas hanged himself after betraying Jesus in Matthew 27:5, and the murderous Abimelek, son of Gideon, committed assisted suicide in Judges 9:54. Several others are mentioned.
We don’t know the fate of any of these people named in the Bible. While those in the Old Testament did not have the chance to know Jesus during their life, the Apostles’ Creed tells us Jesus “descended into hell” or “to the dead,” and it is thought that Jesus shared the Gospel with those who died prior to his coming. We also don’t know the state of Judas’ faith, one of Christ’s followers who later betrayed Jesus. A person’s salvation is between them and God, period.
It is the same with us today. Someone might call themselves a Christian because they were born into a Christian family, or because they attend church. But the Bible is clear that anyone who genuinely believes in Christ is a Christian and is saved to eternal life. Jesus proclaimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
When Paul and Silas miraculously were freed from jail during the days of the early church, the trembling jailer approached them, awestruck over what he had just seen.
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” the jailer asked (Acts 16:30), and Paul and Silas responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (v. 31).
Nothing — not even suicide — can come in the way of that salvation. As Romans 8:38-39 assures us, “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Saved by Grace, Not Works
Suicide is a sin, certainly. As self-murder, it is a deep offense against God, as all sins are (Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder”). However, we must remember that there is nothing we can do that can earn our salvation, and there is nothing we can do that can take it away, either. Nothing can separate a Christian from God’s love.
Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.”
And as Titus 3:4-7 reminds us, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
Romans 11:6 puts it this way: “And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.”
God’s grace to us is what enables us to have salvation. That salvation is based on faith, not works — good or bad.
If a Christian commits suicide, their salvation remains secure.
Why Would a Christian Commit or Contemplate Suicide?
We don’t know why someone who believes in and follows Jesus would commit suicide. We do, however, know that mental illness and other life circumstances alter people’s minds and hearts in ways we cannot understand. We can trust that God understands, even if we do not, and loves us all anyway.
Jesus tells us the devil is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). The apostle Peter warns us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Many Christians have been led astray by the devil, only to return to the Good Shepherd. Many lose hope or never embrace the rest and peace our savior offers to us all.
Thankfully, our Good Shepherd welcomes us back with open arms. Like the father of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32, our Shepherd runs to us, embracing us and rejoicing over our return.
What Happens to Non-Christians Who Commit Suicide?
If someone dies — whether by suicide or any other manner — and they do not believe in Christ, the Bible tells us they are condemned to death, unlike Christians, who the Bible says are ushered into the eternal kingdom of God. However, we don’t know what happens at an individual person’s moment of death. Perhaps they chose to follow Jesus at the end, or God somehow gave them an opportunity to hear and accept the gospel at the moment of their passing. We serve the Lord of the Universe, whose vast love, ability, and power are beyond our understanding. We can still maintain hope that they could be in heaven.
If you are considering suicide, please know that your Father in heaven loves you and has a plan for your life — a plan that includes hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). He does not want you to take your own life. Psalm 139 reminds us of the amazing love and intimate knowledge God has when it comes to each one of us: “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:15-16). Allow God to number your days in his infinite wisdom, not your own faulty human wisdom.
If you are walking alongside someone contemplating or who has attempted suicide, know that the Father knows your heart and can strengthen you for your journey to love them and minister to them (Philippians 4:13).
And if you have lost someone you know or love to suicide, do not despair. God’s love transcends anything we can possibly do, now and forever.
Photo credit: Unsplash/geetanjalkhanna
