I have been contemplating writing on this subject for a few weeks but after reading arisensleeper’s blog “There Is No Time” I decided to take the plunge and do it.
His blog is about two young people who chose death as the answer to their pain. One killed herself using a razor blade, the other killed himself using drugs. Both committed suicide but one may have even been a Christian. His blog focused on the fact that these pointless deaths could have been avoided if Christians got serious about what Christ called us to do instead of just playing church and preoccupying ourselves with religious activities and endless debates while the world is going to hell in a hand basket.

My blog is taking a bit of a different path. I want to talk about the problem of Christians committing suicide. It is one of those topics we would rather just sweep under the rug and not address. It is embarrassing and gives the unsaved world a message that violates everything we preach about. Then there is the question of whether the act says they didn’t really possess a saving faith in Christ but that is not an issue I care to address in this blog.

It seems contradictory to even use the word suicide and Christian in the same sentence. After all Christianity is all about hope and suicide is all about hopelessness. Most Christians would never want to admit they have ever contemplated suicide since they became a believer. Even so, I have no doubt that there are some Christians reading this blog who are right now walking through times of intense trial and are flooded with feelings of being so overwhelmed and weary that death almost seems like it could be a welcomed and viable solution. They are exhausted from praying non-stop, reading the bible and making positive confessions to themselves. They are under attack and have been fighting dark thoughts with all their strength but answers still seem to evade them as they walk through their season of despair. They look back over the years at the countless choices they have made that have ended badly and realize they don’t have a clue how to fix what is broken. Confusion leads to a kind of decision paralysis which begins to creep into their thoughts making it almost impossible to move left or right. In desperation they ponder if death itself wouldn’t be a better answer than being stuck motionless in the same depressing spot! After all they reason, absent from the body is present with the Lord but deep within they know that even pondering death as a solution to problems is contemplating suicide. Suicide doesn’t solve problems. it only creates more problems for the ones left behind to pick up the pieces.

Death by suicide through any means is giving in to what feels like a hopeless solution. It is a dark thought planted in the mind by the devil. He is the one who deposits these lies and deceit into the mind, falsely presenting them as a way to find peace but he has never been a source of peace. He dwells in darkness and chaos and comes with nonstop condemnation. Satan has only one agenda that is to steal, kill and destroy hope in any who would listen to him by turning them away from hope in God. Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death”. When we are paralyzed because of meditating on self-condemnation for our sins and bad choices of the past, it will always lead to contemplation of death. It may shock you but actually, DEATH IS THE ANSWER! Not our physical death but a dying to the selfish carnal nature in us that is so weak and prone to sin.
That is the nature that the devil condemns, tempts and constantly tries to seduce to sin so that he can heap on more condemnation.
Death is the solution because it is only by death to our old man that life in our new man can come forth. The verses goes on to say “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Christianity began with the physical death of Jesus but the end was His resurrection from death delivering life eternal to all those who put there trust in all He accomplished with His death. His shed blood paid the price for all of our sins and bad choices so that we could walk free in the power of His resurrection life. Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death.

Christian suicide is a problem created by embracing wrong thinking. Wrong thinking is the result of believing the lies and condemnation of the devil instead of believing what God has said about our sin.

So let’s revisit the problem of Christians walking through difficult times of intense trial and feeling so overwhelmed that death almost seems a welcomed and viable solution. How do we change the mindset from condemnation and despair to deliverance and victory in the midst of fiery trials? How do we restore hope to one who is feeling hopeless?
The first thing is to come out of denial and face facts. Jesus never promised us that we would live a life free of trial and tribulations. In fact He warned us in John 16:33, “In this world you will have tribulation” but went on to say “but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world”. The word also tells us not to look at persecutions as if some strange thing were happening to us. These things are commonly being experienced by our brothers and sisters in the world. He promised us He will never allow us be tested beyond what we can bear but with the trial will provide a way of escape that we will be able to bear it. That escape by which we can bear it is not death but power to overcome. We also have to face facts that it is no odd thing for a Christian to feel week and tired in the midst of trials. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Actually it is not until we experience weariness and weakness that we can truly experience His strength. Our weakness forces us to depend upon Him and His word promises us that His grace is sufficient for us. His power is actually perfected in our weakness. Trials and tribulations are allowed in our lives for a purpose. They are like an oven that burns off the fleshly impurities so that what is pure and Christlike in us can show forth to His glory. Only when we allow them to do what they are intended to do can we learn to stop depending on our own strength and abilities so that we can be powerfully used by the Lord.

In my opinion criticizing Christians for feeling weak, tired and weary is counter-productive. It is only feeding into the problem. We must understand that these feelings are the result of still walking in these weak flesh and blood bodies. The way to access the power we need to get the victory is revealed in the word of God. The answer definitely is not suicide. Death by suicide is a coward’s solution which is no solution at all because it only gives the devil glory. The answer is in a different kind of death. A kind of death where we find life and strength. " I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20

It is not until we learn to die that we can learn to live. The old man so used to controlling us by pain and pleasure will not give in easily to the surrender of power to our new man where the Holy Spirit lives and reigns. That is why we must learn how to exercise our free will to recon our old man dead, crucified with Christ. This is not easy but is the only way to be free from slavery to our sinful nature so that we can walk in the power that Christ died to deliver to us.

Living a crucified life with Christ is the only solution to the problem of Christian suicide. May a message of the hope that we have in Him overflow until all know that He is the answer to all of life's difficulties no matter what comes our way.

In Him,
kogfamily

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