Depression is an ugly beast
that rides on the backs of many people. It plays no
favorites. Rich or poor,
male or female, child or adult, it doesn’t matter. Everyone, sooner or later,
smells its rancid breath. Some folks cope with it and move on, and then there
are others who cannot handle the pressure and break under the load.
My wife and I have had the
sad experience of attending two funerals of friends who could no longer take
the pressure. One of those friends took their life five years ago. The second,
who was an even closer friend, took her life last month.
The pain of loss and tragedy
was even greater this time since the young lady was like a daughter or younger
sister to my wife.
Both of these dear souls
professed being a Christian, and they both suffered tremendously from
circumstances that had arisen in their lives. I realize that you and I are
thinking that nothing is so bad that we should take our life, but you and I are
thinking rationally with sound minds. These tortured souls could see no relief.
Maybe this is why the Lord
God says to His own children:
“Trust in the LORD with all
your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do, and
he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
“So don’t worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough
for today.” (Matthew 6:34)
“Don't worry about anything;
instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all
he has done.” (Philippians 4:6)
The apostle Peter warned us
that Satan traverses the earth seeking someone to devour. He is like a lion
hunting its dinner. When he finds the herd, he zeros in on the weakest prey and
charges after it.
“Stay alert! Watch out for
your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for
someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
Life can be very hard and is
often most unfair. We can all attest to that, but a Christian has the Lord
Jesus Christ on his/her side. Sometimes we forget that. As we look around the
world today, any wise Christian can easily see the world is falling apart
around our ears, but Jesus said, “… I am with you always, even to the end of
the age…” (Matthew 28:20) He also promised three times, in the very last
chapter of the very last book of His Word that He will soon return and take us
unto Himself.
A person choosing suicide fails
to realize the effect on those they leave behind, and they fail to consider the
finality of their action. Maybe they think those they leave behind will be
better off without them. Maybe they just want out. But we come back to one
point; they are not thinking with a sound mind. A sound mind will follow the
Holy Spirit’s lead.
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling
to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a
slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled
himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore,
God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all
other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on
earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11 emphasis mine)
What is the attitude that
Jesus had? Jesus depended totally upon the Father … no matter what.
You and I cannot overcome the
problems of this life through our own power. In this passage we have just read,
the world threw many severe problems on Jesus’ back also. He could have said,
“Forget this, I’m out of here,” but instead He suffered and died for our sake.
His victory over the grave assures us that regardless of what we have to
endure, we have victory in Him.
As we have already heard from
the apostle Peter, Satan wants to destroy anyone who belongs to God. He hates
God, and he hates us. He will wreck our lives if he can (Job could tell us a
thing or two about that) and play with our minds (Peter could chime in here).
This is why it is so very important to stay in daily fellowship with our Father
in Heaven. We must feed upon His Word and allow His Spirit to work freely in
our lives. The apostle Paul said:
“Since you have been raised
to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where
Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things
of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real
life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is
revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death
the sinful, earthly things lurking within you…” (Colossians 3:1-5a)
Our problems on earth are
only temporary. Eternity never ends.
“So we don’t look at the
troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.
For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will
last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Will a Christian lose their
salvation if they commit suicide? If the individual ever called upon Jesus to
save them, nothing will separate them from the love of God.
Nothing Separates The Christian From God
“And I am convinced that
nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about
tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power
in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will
ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ
Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
Our Salvation Is Guaranteed For Eternity
“For God loved the world so
much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him
will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
We Cannot Lose Our Salvation
“So now there is no
condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
Jesus Forgave ALL Our Sins
“But if we are living in the
light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the
blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from ALL
sin.” (1 John 1:7 emphasis mine)
Suicide Is Not The Unpardonable Sin
Some of you may also have a
friend or family member that has chosen to take this unnatural leap into
eternity, and are wondering if this is the unpardonable (unforgiveable) sin. It
is not. This sin is unique and Jesus mentions it in Mark 3:22-30. It was the
sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit’s work through Jesus Christ while He was
upon the earth, claiming that Jesus’ work was via Satan and not the Holy Spirit.
When Satan is beating us over
the head with earthly problems that seem more severe than we can bear, we can
give up or we can lean on Jesus, who suffered far more than we will ever
comprehend. Heaven is watching. Don’t let Satan win.
“Therefore, since we are
surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip
off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us
up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by
keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.
Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the
hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give
up.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Out of all the suicides
committed in this country, I don’t believe many are from true Christians (my
opinion), but nevertheless, true Christians will sometimes “throw in the towel”
and give up. Please do not allow Satan an ounce of victory. Lean upon Jesus and
ask Him to strengthen you.
Anyone who has stood outside
around a campfire on a cold night knows the farther you get away from the fire,
the colder you get. It is also true that the further we get from God as a
Christian, the more vulnerable we will be to Satan’s cold lies.
Grant Phillips
Email: Phillip5769@twc.com
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html
