Expert: Rev. Robert Woods - 8/4/2009

Question
An acquaintance who was a long time member of a Free Will Baptist Church committed suicide. Funeral services were held at the funeral home chapel but the burial was at his church. Not being close to the family I hesitate to ask them why but was wondering if it had anything to do with the beliefs of the church regarding suicide.

Answer
Blessings and thank you for your question.

I could not find any official documentation on suicide and Free Will Baptists.  However, let's look at the traditional baptist view of suicide.

Suicide, though it is a grave sin, does not necessarily mean the forfeiture of one's salvation. It is sometimes said that taking one's own life is "the unpardonable sin," since there is no opportunity for repentance after death (on the unpardonable sin see Mark 3:28-30-definitely not suicide). No Christian believer in his right mind will take his own life-a life redeemed by Christ-but there may be cases in which due to a variety of circumstances-such as stress, worry, anxiety, and the like-when even a Christian, out of his right mind, might do this extreme thing. Suicide is definitely wrong; however, we may believe that Christ's death can cover such a person's death and allow him to enter heaven.

My wife and I adopted a child many years ago.  We love her just as we love our other 2 children.  Can you imagine that we would stop loving her just because she did something wrong or was disobedient to us?  When you are saved, you are adopted into the family of God.  You must, out of your love for God, try to live a Godly life.  Acts of sin or rebellion will take away the joy of salvation.  When David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed, he lost the joy of his salvation.  When he wrote Psalm 51 about it, he said, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation." He had no joy, because he had rebelled against God.  He did not lose his salvation, only the joy of it.  Jesus said in John 10:29 that "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand."  Once you belong to God, you can never be taken away.  

In the American System of justice, often a person who commits suicide is considered insane.  In many cases, this is true.  If someone does not know right from wrong, and does not realize what he is doing, he cannot deliberately sin. Therefore, he cannot be held accountable for his actions.  He has no guilt for what he has done.  Some know exactly what they are doing and deliberately sin and kill themselves.  The Bible is not clear about the result of suicide.  However, since we believe that once you are saved - you are always saved, suicide would not keep you from your salvation.


2.  One thing to consider.  The family may have no idea why.  There may have been circumstances that would point to a reason or even a note to explain.  But, you can never truly know why.