Starise Posted December 1, 2022 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 13 Topic Count: 280 Topics Per Day: 0.20 Content Count: 13,179 Content Per Day: 9.52 Reputation: 13,751 Days Won: 149 Joined: 08/26/2020 Status: Offline Share Posted December 1, 2022 1 hour ago, Not of the World said: Yes, my son's 18 year old friend committed suicide this past May. I have been privy to a handful of these sorts of things over the years with people we either knew or knew of. Truly sad. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
com7fy8 Posted December 2, 2022 Group: Senior Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 41 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 873 Content Per Day: 0.45 Reputation: 520 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/05/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted December 2, 2022 "nor give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:27) I would not trust any excuse to commit suicide. The Bible does not name any excuse for this. So, it is wise not to accept any, because a false excuse for suicide can be place for the devil in our thinking and feelings. And it could keep a door open for you to someday excuse killing your own self. Instead, trust God to change us to be and love like Jesus so we are strong and guided by God so we do not sin like that. And what others do does not decide what is right or wrong or true about God's word. For example, if I know someone who is good to me and talks God's word, I might assume he or she must be a mature Christian, when the person isn't. And then . . . when the person kills oneself . . . this could trick me into thinking a mature child of God can commit suicide. But Hebrews 12:4-14 guarantees how our Father corrects His children. If a child of God is submissive to our Father, God will develop that person so he or she does not get into major sinful stuff. And as the person matures to be like Jesus, we see how Jesus faced severe pain and loss, and used His troubles for loving. Also, our Apostle Paul suffered being stoned and beaten and other things. He did not kill himself. And here is what he shares > "For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you." (Philippians 1:23-24) So, love motivated Paul to stay here in order to help people. Plus, Jesus left Heaven itself in order to come here to reach us and save us. And Paul and Jesus suffered a lot, in order to love and bless people here on this earth. And Jesus does say > "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (in 2 Corinthians 12:9) So, in my opinion, it is not mature to keep a door open for suicide, by maintaining excuses for suicide and even enforcing doctrines that guarantee Heaven after a person kills oneself. Because, among other things, Jesus guarantees that if we obey Him > "you will find rest for your souls." (in Matthew 11:28-30) So, I would not commit to or feed on what has people doing something else. But we need to trust in Jesus and keep with Him so we grow in Him and His "rest for your souls" which we have while we obey Him. And my opinion is if we are investing and maturing in this . . . Jesus will keep us from suicide and depression. His strength makes us even immune against cruel and sin-sick emotions and feelings, and we grow in His immunity almighty. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." (Ephesians 6:10) What people do does not decide what is true, about this. And we can minister what can keep suicide from happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne Posted December 2, 2022 Group: Royal Member Followers: 16 Topic Count: 108 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 3,831 Content Per Day: 1.28 Reputation: 4,823 Days Won: 2 Joined: 03/31/2016 Status: Offline Share Posted December 2, 2022 38 minutes ago, com7fy8 said: "nor give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:27) I would not trust any excuse to commit suicide. The Bible does not name any excuse for this. So, it is wise not to accept any, because a false excuse for suicide can be place for the devil in our thinking and feelings. And it could keep a door open for you to someday excuse killing your own self. Instead, trust God to change us to be and love like Jesus so we are strong and guided by God so we do not sin like that. And what others do does not decide what is right or wrong or true about God's word. For example, if I know someone who is good to me and talks God's word, I might assume he or she must be a mature Christian, when the person isn't. And then . . . when the person kills oneself . . . this could trick me into thinking a mature child of God can commit suicide. But Hebrews 12:4-14 guarantees how our Father corrects His children. If a child of God is submissive to our Father, God will develop that person so he or she does not get into major sinful stuff. And as the person matures to be like Jesus, we see how Jesus faced severe pain and loss, and used His troubles for loving. Also, our Apostle Paul suffered being stoned and beaten and other things. He did not kill himself. And here is what he shares > "For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you." (Philippians 1:23-24) So, love motivated Paul to stay here in order to help people. Plus, Jesus left Heaven itself in order to come here to reach us and save us. And Paul and Jesus suffered a lot, in order to love and bless people here on this earth. And Jesus does say > "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (in 2 Corinthians 12:9) So, in my opinion, it is not mature to keep a door open for suicide, by maintaining excuses for suicide and even enforcing doctrines that guarantee Heaven after a person kills oneself. Because, among other things, Jesus guarantees that if we obey Him > "you will find rest for your souls." (in Matthew 11:28-30) So, I would not commit to or feed on what has people doing something else. But we need to trust in Jesus and keep with Him so we grow in Him and His "rest for your souls" which we have while we obey Him. And my opinion is if we are investing and maturing in this . . . Jesus will keep us from suicide and depression. His strength makes us even immune against cruel and sin-sick emotions and feelings, and we grow in His immunity almighty. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." (Ephesians 6:10) What people do does not decide what is true, about this. And we can minister what can keep suicide from happening. I don't believe that anyone here has made excuses for suicide. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted December 2, 2022 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,996 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,693 Content Per Day: 11.68 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted December 2, 2022 We don't know what a person has gone through and we do not know their heart. So we give that person to God who knows that person. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOrangeCat Posted December 2, 2022 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 5 Topic Count: 57 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 1,430 Content Per Day: 0.27 Reputation: 1,865 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/24/2009 Status: Offline Share Posted December 2, 2022 15 hours ago, Omegaman 3.0 said: Do I want my final act on earth, to be one of rebelling against God, the one sin in my whole life, that I never get to confess as sin and repent of, after the fact? I somehow have a hard time imagining myself, having just offed myself, entering into the presence of the Lord and hearing: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ This is pretty much how I look at it as well. While I do share the belief that they're not in their right mind and feel that God takes that into account, faith without works (action) is dead. Suicide is an act that says you don't trust God to make it better in His own time and don't trust that He has a plan and a purpose. In closing I do feel that there's a certain danger to the topic because a lot of Christians who ask it are essentially seeking "permission" (I don't think that's the case here, mind), and maybe this is why the Bible is silent on the matter. Fear of Hell may well be all that keeps some suicidal Christians from taking their own lives. Even if God does forgive them that uncertainty has surely been a safety net for some and will continue to be. I'd rather not be the person who told a suicidal Christian that they'd be forgiven for suicide and in so doing destroy something that was keeping them from doing it. Even if God would forgive a suicide that doesn't mean it's okay, and the Bible does in fact tell us that God's grace is not license to sin (Romans 6:1-2, Hebrews 10:26-29). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not of the World Posted December 2, 2022 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 86 Topics Per Day: 0.14 Content Count: 1,060 Content Per Day: 1.74 Reputation: 456 Days Won: 1 Joined: 10/12/2022 Status: Offline Author Share Posted December 2, 2022 9 hours ago, existential mabel said: God doesnt give us anything more than we can bear. I don't believe that's biblical, but I may be mistaken. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not of the World Posted December 2, 2022 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 86 Topics Per Day: 0.14 Content Count: 1,060 Content Per Day: 1.74 Reputation: 456 Days Won: 1 Joined: 10/12/2022 Status: Offline Author Share Posted December 2, 2022 Well, let's take my son's 18-year-old friend, for example. He had previously been baptized but had expressed his skepticism in God to me. I spoke to him numerous times for hours about God, the Bible, and how God loves us and wants us to live lives that make him proud to call us his children. Anyway, he shot himself in the head this past May. It's my hope and it is my believe that Jesus did save him because I know that he was, at heart, I nice person who was deeply troubled, primarily because of his divorced parents. Frankly, his father was USELESS and is himself "lost". His mother is just plain EVIL and crazy. Anway, supposing that Jesus saved him, is he then "good to go" (so to speak) or is it possible that he still has (or had) more things to learn in Heaven? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marathoner Posted December 2, 2022 Group: Royal Member Followers: 17 Topic Count: 74 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,562 Content Per Day: 7.14 Reputation: 13,736 Days Won: 100 Joined: 05/24/2020 Status: Online Share Posted December 2, 2022 31 minutes ago, Not of the World said: Well, let's take my son's 18-year-old friend, for example. He had previously been baptized but had expressed his skepticism in God to me. I spoke to him numerous times for hours about God, the Bible, and how God loves us and wants us to live lives that make him proud to call us his children. Anyway, he shot himself in the head this past May. It's my hope and it is my believe that Jesus did save him because I know that he was, at heart, I nice person who was deeply troubled, primarily because of his divorced parents. Frankly, his father was USELESS and is himself "lost". His mother is just plain EVIL and crazy. Anway, supposing that Jesus saved him, is he then "good to go" (so to speak) or is it possible that he still has (or had) more things to learn in Heaven? Thank you for sharing the motivation behind this topic, my friend. It's best if we learn as much as we possibly can before rendering judgment of any kind. Even knowing what we do now, it's not our place to presume the will and purpose of the Lord. I've shared my conviction that each of us, no matter how long (or briefly) we remain in this world, has an appointed time known only to the Almighty. Indeed, there are many things in this existence which are a mystery to us. The hidden things are just that --- hidden to us --- and I understand that some rely upon religion to provide answers to what is otherwise unknowable. I wasn't reared with religion of any kind so it's a simple matter for me to say, "The Lord is judge, not man." Where scripture is silent, I remain silent as well. Unless we know the heart of another and see through their eyes, how can we possibly know enough to judge righteously? All the posturing in the world amounts to nothing without love. But the Lord knows and sees all things, and He also knows the heart, so let us refrain from canned answers which only amount to our opinion. We don't know, do we? I know a man who suffered horrendous things to the degree that he couldn't bear living another day. But he couldn't see because of his predicament, and he didn't know the will and purpose of God for it was hidden from him. This was no fault of his own. Like all of us, he saw darkly and knew only in part. The Lord was moved for his sake even after more than one failed attempt at ending his life. It's our place to be kind and merciful to the suffering. The Lord is the judge, not man. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnR7 Posted December 2, 2022 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 49 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 2,907 Content Per Day: 1.27 Reputation: 614 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/03/2018 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/06/1952 Share Posted December 2, 2022 1 hour ago, Not of the World said: I know that he was, at heart, I nice person who was deeply troubled, primarily because of his divorced parents. My son did not smoke, drink or take drugs until I remarried. That was when all of that started. He was very close to a degree in electronic engineering, in his senior year when he dropped out of college. Because his friends mother got him started on drugs so she could buy them for herself. She died within a year of doing that. I stayed single for 17 years to give him every chance and every opportunity I could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your closest friendnt Posted December 2, 2022 Group: Royal Member Followers: 18 Topic Count: 7 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 7,974 Content Per Day: 2.42 Reputation: 2,790 Days Won: 3 Joined: 06/05/2015 Status: Offline Share Posted December 2, 2022 19 hours ago, Not of the World said: By the way, if this topic is considered taboo or controversial I will understand if management prefers to delete this thread. Either way, thanks in advance. I do not believe that suicide is a crime.... A sin yes, but not against God, but against those who gave you life and all those who have contributed to helping in this life... A believer in Jesus does not go to Hell on account of suicide...he is refusing to live in this world because he wants to live with Jesus... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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