Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
Does suicide send you to hell?
Suicide is a very controversial subject as well as a very misunderstood one. Most of the common beliefs surrounding it are based on false doctrines that have been accepted as right for a long long time.
If you are reading this article, it is likely for one of three reasons. 1) You are considering it and want to know if you will go to hell. 2) You know of someone who committed suicide and you want to know if there is any hope they went to heaven. 3) You have seen a discussion on the subject and now are curious as to what the truth is. ... If you are considering taking your own life, I ask you to read this article to the end.
The common belief that suicide will send you directly to hell stems from the logic that it is a sin and if your last action is a sin, you cannot possibly repent of it, and so you will go to hell. This logic is based solely on the doctrinal beliefs that it is unforgiven sin that sends you to hell, and the reason Jesus died is so we can be forgiven for our sins. Both of which, believe it or not, are false. Not only are they false, but they are extremely simple to prove false using simple scripture and simple logic. If you want to see that proof, please read this article. The Truth of Salvation
The truth is, their are 19 "Primary Verses" that tell us 'how' we are saved. All 19 scriptures say we are saved by believing in Jesus. There is not a single primary verse in the entire Bible that tells us we are saved by any other means. When you really look at those "19 primary scriptures on salvation", you find there are specific things you need to believe to be saved.
1) You must believe that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.
2) You must believe that Jesus died to save us.
3) You must believe that God raised Jesus from the dead.
4) You must believe those three things enough that you are willing to tell someone "Jesus is Lord" and mean it in your heart.
Anyone who fully believes those four things is saved. It doesn't matter if they have done any good deeds, have been baptized by water, or anything else. Anyone who believes those things in their heart is saved.
The problem is that most churches today seem to mix up salvation and relationship. They seem to combine them and that is not what scripture actually supports. That is what bad interpretation supports.
First we must be saved. The world does not know Jesus because it does not believe in Him. Only those who know Jesus can possibly have a relationship with Him. When you first become saved, you know Him but you do not have personal relationship with Him. That relationship is built upon by praying, reading His word, and doing good things for Him. But you cannot even build a relationship with the Lord until first you meet Him. So first you must be saved. Only then can you build a relationship with Him.
If you want to truly understand salvation even better than many pastors, I would suggest you read the first three articles in this link... Understanding Salvation
So as I have said, and those articles prove out, we are saved through believing in Jesus and nothing else. The sins we commit separate us from God in our personal relationship with Him and do not send us to hell. So if our sins do not send us to hell, then it doesn't matter if suicide is a sin or not, it cannot send a true believer to hell.
If someone is not a believer and they die, whether it is by suicide or any other death, they are going to hell. If someone is a true believer and they commit suicide, they are still going to heaven. So in short, suicide does not send you to hell. If you have a loved one who was a true believer who became overwhelmed and took their own life, be assured, they will be in heaven.
However, this is not giving anyone the okay to take their own life!
Why We Should NOT Commit Suicide!
Believe me when I tell you, I know how hard this life can be. I know what it is like to consider ending it all. Even as a child, I was never a happy kid. I had a loving mother and 5 brothers, but I was never happy inside. I was saved as a teenager in 1982, but I was never truly taught how to build a relationship with the Lord. I slowly fell into sin again. As a young adult, I did some really stupid things that even today, a few decades later, I struggle to forgive myself for. I threw away some of the best friends anyone can ask for. For thirty years I lived in sin and was absolutely miserable. Many times I rode the edge of suicidal and at one point I even figured out a plan how to do it and suffer the least amount of pain. Near the end of 2017, God drew me back to Him and opened my eyes in a way I never thought possible. Since then I have spent more hours studying the Bible than I can add up. Many nights I have stayed up until the wee hours of the morning studying, even though I had to be at work in the morning. I have created this website for the Lord and have written over one hundred articles for Him along with several books. I am married, have three step-kids and two grandkids. All of whom I love very very much. Today I am still not happy.
Some Christians believe that if you are not happy, you are not doing something right. That's not true and its simply not logical. If you had to be a perfect Christian to be happy, no Christians would be happy.
As I write this, I look through my life and cannot find anywhere I have not failed. I have failed as a friend, as a husband, as a step-father, in my career, financially, as a pet owner and any other aspect I can think of. I do not have great physical health, I am not good looking, I do not have a single friend anymore and my wife has lost her love for me. I get very few visitors to my site and nobody (not even my own family) reads my books or even cares that I wrote them.
Every night when I get in bed, I ask God to take me home in my sleep. Every morning I wake up depressed that He did not give me my request. I have spent the last so many years begging God to help me succeed in my life in some way. He ignores me. But taking the matter into my own hands and ending my own life is not the answer!
Because I have studied the Bible so in-depth, I have learned things that most Christians do not realize. Many Christians think that when we die, we go to heaven and spend our eternity flying around with a harp in our hands praising God. That's not even close to what happens. In fact, we do not even spend eternity in heaven.
At the end, after the millennial kingdom, is the day of judgment when all the unsaved are judged, then cast into the lake of fire. It is during this time that this earth passes away and God gives to us a new earth. Then he places a new Jerusalem on the new earth. What a lot of people dont realize is that this is where many of our rewards will come in and we will live new lives in our glorified bodies.
On the new earth we will spread out and create new nations and new cities. There will be kings and servants and laborers and artists. There will be leaders and worship leaders. Entertainers and many other careers and positions.
Those who live in sin and skip by and are saved because they believe but do not focus on serving the Lord will be the servants and laborers. Those who live their lives for God and earn great rewards will be given a position they enjoy much more and will be served by servants.
Remember something very important. Whatever position you are given will be according to the rewards you earn in this life. Whatever position that is, it is for all eternity. There is no hope of climbing up the ladder because there is nobody coming up behind you to take your place.
Now you might be thinking that nobody would be a servant in heaven but the truth is there will be many. We are all given different rewards according to our works in this life.
I am not saying that we wont all be happy. We will all be happy. Every single one of us. What most dont realize is that there is a difference between being happy, and enjoyment. A poor person can be happy but not enjoy their lives. A rich person can do all kinds of fun things and enjoy their life immensely, but not be happy. We will all be happy on the new earth. There will be no tears. But there is nothing in scripture that says we will all enjoy the new earth as much as everyone else. Those who gain great rewards will have much more opportunity to enjoy their eternal lives. Those who slide into heaven by the skin of their teeth will be servants and laborers and not have as much opportunity to enjoy their eternal lives.
Again, these lives will be forever. Not just a few years and then you die. There is no death on the new earth. There will be no moving up. What you receive in your rewards will be according to what you earned. The only place to earn those rewards is here in this life.
Those who suffer the most in this life and keep their faith will earn greater rewards. Those who live their every hour to serve the Lord will earn greater rewards. Those who take the easy way out? They will not receive all those rewards that they could have had if they just hung in there.
I know you may be miserable in this life. I am miserable in this life. The apostles suffered. They died horrible deaths. They were crucified, stoned to death, stabbed, boiled in oil and suffered many other terrible things. Jesus Himself did not have it easy. He was literally tortured before He died. Early on His own brothers did not believe in Him. Throughout His ministry He had the highest authorities hating Him.
Our rewards are not for this world or this life. In this life, our place is to suffer through tribulations for Him and keep faith. Our place is to give the world an example of love and forgiveness for others and to tell them about Christ.
Stay strong in this life. Do not let the enemy tear you down in this life. Do not give into his desires to remove you from the equation. Because that is what suicide is. You are removing yourself from the plan and giving God one less servant to preach His gospel. One less tool to use. You are doing the devils work if you commit suicide.
Instead, we should stand up. When the devil knocks you down, stand back up. Let him know that he cannot beat you so long as you have Christ in your heart. Continue to serve the Lord and earn your rewards.
The New Earth
If you are reading this article, it is likely for one of three reasons. 1) You are considering it and want to know if you will go to hell. 2) You know of someone who committed suicide and you want to know if there is any hope they went to heaven. 3) You have seen a discussion on the subject and now are curious as to what the truth is. ... If you are considering taking your own life, I ask you to read this article to the end.
The common belief that suicide will send you directly to hell stems from the logic that it is a sin and if your last action is a sin, you cannot possibly repent of it, and so you will go to hell. This logic is based solely on the doctrinal beliefs that it is unforgiven sin that sends you to hell, and the reason Jesus died is so we can be forgiven for our sins. Both of which, believe it or not, are false. Not only are they false, but they are extremely simple to prove false using simple scripture and simple logic. If you want to see that proof, please read this article. The Truth of Salvation
The truth is, their are 19 "Primary Verses" that tell us 'how' we are saved. All 19 scriptures say we are saved by believing in Jesus. There is not a single primary verse in the entire Bible that tells us we are saved by any other means. When you really look at those "19 primary scriptures on salvation", you find there are specific things you need to believe to be saved.
1) You must believe that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.
2) You must believe that Jesus died to save us.
3) You must believe that God raised Jesus from the dead.
4) You must believe those three things enough that you are willing to tell someone "Jesus is Lord" and mean it in your heart.
Anyone who fully believes those four things is saved. It doesn't matter if they have done any good deeds, have been baptized by water, or anything else. Anyone who believes those things in their heart is saved.
The problem is that most churches today seem to mix up salvation and relationship. They seem to combine them and that is not what scripture actually supports. That is what bad interpretation supports.
First we must be saved. The world does not know Jesus because it does not believe in Him. Only those who know Jesus can possibly have a relationship with Him. When you first become saved, you know Him but you do not have personal relationship with Him. That relationship is built upon by praying, reading His word, and doing good things for Him. But you cannot even build a relationship with the Lord until first you meet Him. So first you must be saved. Only then can you build a relationship with Him.
If you want to truly understand salvation even better than many pastors, I would suggest you read the first three articles in this link... Understanding Salvation
So as I have said, and those articles prove out, we are saved through believing in Jesus and nothing else. The sins we commit separate us from God in our personal relationship with Him and do not send us to hell. So if our sins do not send us to hell, then it doesn't matter if suicide is a sin or not, it cannot send a true believer to hell.
If someone is not a believer and they die, whether it is by suicide or any other death, they are going to hell. If someone is a true believer and they commit suicide, they are still going to heaven. So in short, suicide does not send you to hell. If you have a loved one who was a true believer who became overwhelmed and took their own life, be assured, they will be in heaven.
However, this is not giving anyone the okay to take their own life!
Why We Should NOT Commit Suicide!
Believe me when I tell you, I know how hard this life can be. I know what it is like to consider ending it all. Even as a child, I was never a happy kid. I had a loving mother and 5 brothers, but I was never happy inside. I was saved as a teenager in 1982, but I was never truly taught how to build a relationship with the Lord. I slowly fell into sin again. As a young adult, I did some really stupid things that even today, a few decades later, I struggle to forgive myself for. I threw away some of the best friends anyone can ask for. For thirty years I lived in sin and was absolutely miserable. Many times I rode the edge of suicidal and at one point I even figured out a plan how to do it and suffer the least amount of pain. Near the end of 2017, God drew me back to Him and opened my eyes in a way I never thought possible. Since then I have spent more hours studying the Bible than I can add up. Many nights I have stayed up until the wee hours of the morning studying, even though I had to be at work in the morning. I have created this website for the Lord and have written over one hundred articles for Him along with several books. I am married, have three step-kids and two grandkids. All of whom I love very very much. Today I am still not happy.
Some Christians believe that if you are not happy, you are not doing something right. That's not true and its simply not logical. If you had to be a perfect Christian to be happy, no Christians would be happy.
As I write this, I look through my life and cannot find anywhere I have not failed. I have failed as a friend, as a husband, as a step-father, in my career, financially, as a pet owner and any other aspect I can think of. I do not have great physical health, I am not good looking, I do not have a single friend anymore and my wife has lost her love for me. I get very few visitors to my site and nobody (not even my own family) reads my books or even cares that I wrote them.
Every night when I get in bed, I ask God to take me home in my sleep. Every morning I wake up depressed that He did not give me my request. I have spent the last so many years begging God to help me succeed in my life in some way. He ignores me. But taking the matter into my own hands and ending my own life is not the answer!
Because I have studied the Bible so in-depth, I have learned things that most Christians do not realize. Many Christians think that when we die, we go to heaven and spend our eternity flying around with a harp in our hands praising God. That's not even close to what happens. In fact, we do not even spend eternity in heaven.
At the end, after the millennial kingdom, is the day of judgment when all the unsaved are judged, then cast into the lake of fire. It is during this time that this earth passes away and God gives to us a new earth. Then he places a new Jerusalem on the new earth. What a lot of people dont realize is that this is where many of our rewards will come in and we will live new lives in our glorified bodies.
On the new earth we will spread out and create new nations and new cities. There will be kings and servants and laborers and artists. There will be leaders and worship leaders. Entertainers and many other careers and positions.
Those who live in sin and skip by and are saved because they believe but do not focus on serving the Lord will be the servants and laborers. Those who live their lives for God and earn great rewards will be given a position they enjoy much more and will be served by servants.
Remember something very important. Whatever position you are given will be according to the rewards you earn in this life. Whatever position that is, it is for all eternity. There is no hope of climbing up the ladder because there is nobody coming up behind you to take your place.
Now you might be thinking that nobody would be a servant in heaven but the truth is there will be many. We are all given different rewards according to our works in this life.
I am not saying that we wont all be happy. We will all be happy. Every single one of us. What most dont realize is that there is a difference between being happy, and enjoyment. A poor person can be happy but not enjoy their lives. A rich person can do all kinds of fun things and enjoy their life immensely, but not be happy. We will all be happy on the new earth. There will be no tears. But there is nothing in scripture that says we will all enjoy the new earth as much as everyone else. Those who gain great rewards will have much more opportunity to enjoy their eternal lives. Those who slide into heaven by the skin of their teeth will be servants and laborers and not have as much opportunity to enjoy their eternal lives.
Again, these lives will be forever. Not just a few years and then you die. There is no death on the new earth. There will be no moving up. What you receive in your rewards will be according to what you earned. The only place to earn those rewards is here in this life.
Those who suffer the most in this life and keep their faith will earn greater rewards. Those who live their every hour to serve the Lord will earn greater rewards. Those who take the easy way out? They will not receive all those rewards that they could have had if they just hung in there.
I know you may be miserable in this life. I am miserable in this life. The apostles suffered. They died horrible deaths. They were crucified, stoned to death, stabbed, boiled in oil and suffered many other terrible things. Jesus Himself did not have it easy. He was literally tortured before He died. Early on His own brothers did not believe in Him. Throughout His ministry He had the highest authorities hating Him.
Our rewards are not for this world or this life. In this life, our place is to suffer through tribulations for Him and keep faith. Our place is to give the world an example of love and forgiveness for others and to tell them about Christ.
Stay strong in this life. Do not let the enemy tear you down in this life. Do not give into his desires to remove you from the equation. Because that is what suicide is. You are removing yourself from the plan and giving God one less servant to preach His gospel. One less tool to use. You are doing the devils work if you commit suicide.
Instead, we should stand up. When the devil knocks you down, stand back up. Let him know that he cannot beat you so long as you have Christ in your heart. Continue to serve the Lord and earn your rewards.
The New Earth
