There are those who believe that suicide is an unforgivable sin. I mean, how can it not? You can't repent afterward, and that's how we get forgiveness, isn't it? Well, no. That's not. We get forgiveness by faith in the shed blood of the Lamb, and once that work is begun, it can't be terminated (Php 1:6). Still, suicide is not a good option. It's not recommended. Don't do it. Unless ...
As it turns out, there is one, single, particular sense in which suicide is not only a good option, it's the best. Humans, you see, start life spiritually dead. That's why Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). When we are born again, our lives are changed -- new (2 Cor 5:17). We are baptized into Christ's death and raised to new life in Him (Rom 6:4-8). Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). Paul wrote, "I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me" (Gal 2:20). So Christians are uniquely called to ... commit suicide, to die to self. "Those who belong to Christ Jesus," Paul wrote, "have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there" (Gal 5:24-25). Christ paid for our sins so that we would die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Peter 2:24). Our fundamental mode of worship is to present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God (Rom 12:1). Because you belong to Christ, "you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col 3:3). "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead ..." (Col 3:5).
No, we're not talking about physical suicide, about terminating life. We are talking about being dead to sin and alive to Christ. We are talking about a new life where self is set aside in favor of loving God and loving those around us. In a very real sense, the Christian life begins with death -- death of self, death to sin, death to the old man. We are to die daily and "do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves" (Php 2:3). Ironically, it is only in this death -- death to self and sin -- that we can finally, truly live.
4 comments:
Is it really suicide though? We are only capable of doing so if we are first made alive. And we know our good works are empowered by God, thus the good work of dying to self is only possible through the loving grace of God. We are killing the old man, the old flesh. So it's more of murder?
I have heard of physical suicide, emotional suicide, financial suicide, relationship suicide, career suicide, and now spiritual suicide. This is the only beneficial suicide--one that brings life rather than death. It’s odd to say, but this focus on death and dying is such an encouragement to me today!
In the sense that suicide is self-murder. ("Suicide" comes from Latin "sui" -- "self" -- and "caedere" ("cide") -- to kill.)
I see David’s point, though--there are actions in this process of death/new life that God performs on us that would be “murder,” i.e. He puts to death the old man through the New Birth. Yet we choose to die to self, i.e. “suicide.” It’s both “suicide” and “murder,” as I see it--us cooperating with the Holy Spirit in our sanctification. It might just be semantics (but some of us love semantics :).
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