E.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It brings no comfort to the suffering soul.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
If one takes their own life, then one’s unendurable physical or emotional pain is taken away immediately. If God wishes to punish them for wanting some ‘morphine for the soul’, then he is not really a loving God, is He? The Bible says that He does not allow believers to suffer in life more than they can endure, yet obviously from the fact that many Christians have taken their lives, or tried and were unsuccessful, means that He pays no heed to their unbearable situation, otherwise He would intervene! No wonder many Christian, including myself, have a hard time with the absolute statement that “God is love”.<\/p>\n\t
Answer:<\/h2>\n
Your mistake is assuming that consciousness ceases at the end of life. Jesus taught that our existence and awareness continues past the point of death. “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom<\/em>” (Luke 16:22-23). Suicide is a form of murder. Murderers will end up in torments. Therefore, the person who commits suicide to escape imagined pain in this life replaces it with eternal pain in the next. Such brings no comfort to the suffering soul.<\/p>\nYour second mistake is assuming the right to accurately judge the situation. We don’t allow the victim of a crime to judge a crime because they are too closely involved. We know they cannot see the situation clearly. The person contemplating suicide is acting as both the victim, the judge, and the executioner in his own life’s situation. Yet you have the disrespect to charge God as being unloving because He disagrees with your view of your own situation. There are many examples in the Scriptures where God’s people thought the situation to be hopeless and gave up — but they were wrong! “And he prayed that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!’<\/em>” (I Kings 19:4). The remainder of I Kings 19 shows just how wrong Elijah was.<\/p>\nYou misquote I Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.<\/em>” God’s promise is access to avenues to escape sin.<\/p>\nGod does not promise a life free from suffering here in this world. Satan remains active and suffering will occur.<\/p>\n
“For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps<\/em>” (I Peter 2:20-21).<\/p>\n“For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin<\/em>” (Hebrews 12:3-4).<\/p><\/blockquote>\nThere are Christians who have fallen to Satan’s schemes. Being a Christian doesn’t make us immune to sin. The fact that Christians sin isn’t a reflection on God’s strength but on the Christian’s weakness.<\/p>\n
“But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises<\/em>” (Hebrews 10:9-12).<\/p><\/blockquote>\nYou need to get out of your self-pity party. There is real work to do and a world falling under the power of Satan. Sitting on your hands moaning “Woe is me” isn’t helping others or yourself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: In\u00a0your sermon on suicide, you state: E.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It brings no comfort to the suffering soul. If one takes their own life, then one’s unendurable physical or emotional pain is taken away immediately. If God wishes to punish them for wanting some ‘morphine for the soul’, then he is not really a loving God, is He?…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[39],"class_list":["post-22130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-suicide"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":50964,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/my-cousin-repented-just-before-he-died-of-a-drug-overdose-is-he-in-heaven\/","url_meta":{"origin":22130,"position":0},"title":"My cousin repented just before he died of a drug overdose. Is he in heaven?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My cousin recently committed suicide by drug overdose but by the time we got to him, he was lying on the floor still conscious. He repented then died a few minutes later. Is he in heaven? Please help. Answer: \"Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":83941,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-samson-commit-suicide\/","url_meta":{"origin":22130,"position":1},"title":"Did Samson commit suicide?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: The following is taken from a long letter that mostly complains that a response to a question about suicide was not kind enough. The issues raised were already addressed in \"I believe your article on suicide is unfair.\" The author of this complaint did read the answer, but it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":93335,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/suicide-is-a-very-complicated-issue\/","url_meta":{"origin":22130,"position":2},"title":"Suicide Is a Very Complicated Issue","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Kevin Rutherford Suicide is a very complicated issue. It is one that we cannot be flippant about and careless with. This discussion should always be accompanied by caution, compassion, and care. If anyone reading this article has come to such a condition that you have had thoughts of suicide,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":80814,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-does-a-member-of-the-church-go-to-hell-if-he-commits-suicide\/","url_meta":{"origin":22130,"position":3},"title":"Why does a member of the church go to hell if he commits suicide?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 2, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have lost a friend by suicide.\u00a0 Why does a member of the church go to hell if he commits suicide?\u00a0 For many people, you can't know for sure, but I think you should. Answer: I'm sorry to hear that you lost a friend. Such events leave everyone with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37758,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-physician-assisted-suicide-a-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":22130,"position":4},"title":"Is physician-assisted suicide a sin?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is physician-assisted suicide, otherwise known as medical aid in dying or death with dignity, a sin? What if the person is severely suffering from a terminal illness? If I was suffering I would want to eliminate my suffering. Answer: Throughout mankind's history, God has demanded that life be respected.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54207,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-find-your-article-on-why-suicide-is-a-sin-to-be-completely-unsympathetic-and-untrue\/","url_meta":{"origin":22130,"position":5},"title":"I find your article on why suicide is a sin to be completely unsympathetic and untrue","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 15, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I feel compelled by God to send you these words of enlightenment. As a Christian person who suffers from deep depression (on medication and under a doctor's care), I find\u00a0your article to be completely unsympathetic and untrue. There are many, many other Christian writings out there that contradict what\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22130\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}