Suicide Article for Baptist Newsletter

No Right to Judge the Eternal Destiny of Those Who Take Their Own Life

By Xavier Whitford

I lost my son, Tommy, on August 18, 2014 to suicide as a result of depression. As a Pastor’s wife I have encountered all sorts of responses from people, both positive and negative.  We have received judgment from some who wonder what we did wrong or how could we not know and do something, but mostly we have received love and support.

One of the most disappointing statements we have had to deal with is that because he committed suicide he will not be with our Lord and Savior.  I understand as Christians we need to be opposed to suicide and would hope as a society in general we would be.  However, I would like to make a very important point that none of us have any right or competence to judge the eternal destiny of anyone under any circumstances, including a person who takes their own life.  It is not a Christian teaching as far as I understand that people who commit suicide are automatically condemned to hell. 

We don’t have the right to judge anything.  God alone judges everyone.  God knows why people do what they do.  God alone reads the hearts of people.  God alone will implement mercy and judgment as he sees fit.  “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). 

Is it not the Christian teaching that God has mercy on utterly everyone?  The Christian Gospel teaches God does not withhold his mercy from anyone. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed” (Psalm 34:18).  God shows mercy on everyone, and through the blood of Christ, everyone is forgiven.  “Jesus died for all of our sins – past, present and future” (Col. 2:13-14). 

The Gospel also reveals that judgment is based on whether or not we accept the mercy of God. We don’t know who accepts the mercy of God.  It is a common Christian teaching that the final judgment of a person is when they stand before God, whether or not they accept the divine mercy, whether or not they repent of their sin.  So we could say that everyone has a chance to convert in death. They have a chance to convert when they see the risen and exalted Christ.  

It is also a common Christian teaching that anyone who believes in Jesus will have eternal life.  “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  We don’t know who truly believes in Jesus in their heart.  Often times in suicide it’s the mind controlling the decision to take their own life.  So I’m very convinced, personally, that we have no right to say and proclaim judgment on anybody.

This is what I know: My son was a good hearted and loving boy to everyone who he came into contact with.  He fought a battle within his brain that he could not control.  My son did not choose to have depression just like people do not choose to have cancer.  He wanted to feel normal and be happy all the time, but that was not something he could entirely control.  My son accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior in 2009.  So I believe, personally, that my son is in heaven and is no longer in pain or suffering because we serve an Almighty God that saves those who are broken and gave his son to forgive ALL of our sins, including those we make when we are sick and not of right mind, because he knows what is in our hearts.