{"id":80814,"date":"2024-12-02T17:35:55","date_gmt":"2024-12-02T23:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=80814"},"modified":"2024-12-02T17:36:35","modified_gmt":"2024-12-02T23:36:35","slug":"why-does-a-member-of-the-church-go-to-hell-if-he-commits-suicide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-does-a-member-of-the-church-go-to-hell-if-he-commits-suicide\/","title":{"rendered":"Why does a member of the church go to hell if he commits suicide?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

I’m sorry to hear that you lost a friend. Such events leave everyone with many questions.<\/p>\n

Suicide is a form of murder. Instead of killing another person, the person committing suicide is killing himself. Murder is a sin. See\u00a0Why is Suicide a Sin?<\/a><\/p>\n

Sins can be forgiven, but it requires that the sinner repent of his sin. This cannot be done when you are no longer living. Of course, no one knows all the details. That is why God judges us, so I can’t make a blanket statement, but see: Can suicide be forgiven?<\/a><\/p>\n

Just because a person is a Christian, it doesn’t mean he has immunity from sin. Christians work against sin, but they do sometimes fall prey to it. See\u00a0How can a Christian sin if we are to be holy like God?<\/a> Nor do Christians get special treatment. God is an impartial judge (Romans 2:11). “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?<\/em>” (I Peter 4:17).<\/p>\n

We can pray that God finds reasons to extend mercy to your friend, but we must remember that God must also be just. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. <\/em>Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men …<\/em>” (II Corinthians 5:10-11).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 many questions. Suicide is a…<\/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-80814","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":805,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-suicide-be-forgiven\/","url_meta":{"origin":80814,"position":0},"title":"Can suicide be forgiven?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 19, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I had a friend that took some pills and committed suicide. But right before he died he asked for forgiveness. I was just wondering if that is a forgivable sin since he asked for forgiveness or even though he asked for forgiveness is he not forgiven? Answer: I am\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":3985,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-a-person-doesnt-want-to-live-why-is-suicide-wrong\/","url_meta":{"origin":80814,"position":1},"title":"If a person doesn’t want to live, why is suicide wrong?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 16, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My friend took her own life six years ago when we were both 17. She left me a note that said, \"I have so many things I want to tell you, but I don't know how to say. If we can meet each other in this world again, I\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":80814,"position":2},"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":[]},{"id":18032,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/ive-been-living-in-fear-for-11-years-i-want-to-commit-suicide-but-i-dont-know-can-you-free-me-from-my-demons\/","url_meta":{"origin":80814,"position":3},"title":"I’ve been living in fear for 11 years. I want to commit suicide, but I don’t know. Can you free me from my demons?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 28, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have been bound to fear for about 11 years now. I am originally from Africa but living in the Netherlands now. When I was in Africa, a woman threatened to deal with me spiritually. Since then, I have developed a fear for her and her family so I\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":7280,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-is-suicide-a-sin-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":80814,"position":4},"title":"Why is Suicide a Sin? (Sermon)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 10, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Job 3:1-11 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A young man asked me, \u201cWhy is suicide a sin?\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0At first it seems a strange question because the answer is so obvious. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0But the young man was struggling with how to explain this to someone he knows. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You can\u2019t turn in your\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"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":80814,"position":5},"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":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80814","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=80814"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80814\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}