Suicide is defined as the premature self-killing of an individual. There are several biblical examples of suicide: Judas (Matt. 27:5) Saul (1 Sam. 31:4) Samson (Jud. 16:28-30) Abimelech (Jud. 9:50-51).
There are several arguments sometimes used to support suicide from the Bible. Since there are biblical examples for suicide, some claim that this sets precedence for its practice today. Also it is believed that people have the right to determine their own destiny. It is their life. Some believe that if a believer commits suicide, that believer will not lose their salvation, but will just home to be with the Lord sooner.
If a person is the cause of hardship, financial burden and personal sacrifices of the family then they sometimes believe that suicide can solve all their problems. Suicide provides immediate relief from life’s problems such as terminal illness.
However, the examples of suicide in the Bible do not warrant its practice any more than adultery in the Bible warrants adultery. Suicide really demonstrates a lack of faith in the promises of God (1 Cor. 10:13; Phil. 4:6-7; 4:13, 19). It is God who has a plan for each person’s life and destiny. People are individually accountable to God for their actions (Eph. 1:11; 1 Cor. 3:10-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10; Rev. 20:11-15; 1 Sam. 2:7). Suicide is an act of self-indulgence and self-pity that cuts short God’s plan for a person’s life. It is an attempt to gain immediate relief apart from the will of God (1 Cor. 10:13). In Exodus 20:13, suicide could be classified as another form of murder, in this case, self murder.
Perhaps the most critical argument against suicide is that it irrevocably determines a person’s destiny. The suicide of a believer means that they will no longer fulfill the will of God in their lives. Suicide of an unbeliever eternally determines their eternal destiny in eternal judgment (Heb. 9:27; Rev. 20:11-15). Suicide is not an example of self-sacrifice, but an act of selfishness. It is another form of premeditated murder (Exo. 10:13). It is in direct contrast to Christ’s death on the cross and His sacrifice for others (Eph. 5:28-29, 33; Matt. 22:39).
There is a radical difference between suicide and Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself on the cross for the sins of others (Phil. 2:5-9, 2 Cor 5:21). One is an act of selflessness and the other an act of selfishness. It is saying I don’t believe God’s promises so I will end my life prematurely. It can be viewed an act of pride by saying that “I am the only person in the world in which the promises of God don’t apply.”
In summary, suicide minimizes the value of human life. God considered human life important in two ways: 1) He created it, 2) He sent His Son to give His life for those who would lose their lives because of sin (Rom. 3:23; 6:23).
