What Does the Bible Say About Suicide? Is It Forgivable?

Author’s Note:

If you are reading this and feel at risk of harming yourself right now, please pause and reach out for immediate help. You do not have to carry this alone. Call or text someone you trust. If you are in the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you are elsewhere, contact your local emergency number. While Crossroads is not a crisis line, for less urgent help (with a possible response time of 24 hours or more), you can message someone in the pop-up chat box in the bottom right of this page or schedule an appointment to process with someone at crossroads.net/talk. There is no shame in needing help. Your life matters.

What Does the Bible Say About Suicide?

Let's be clear right out of the gate: death by suicide does not automatically condemn one to hell—AND—it is a sin that is heartbreaking to God and horrific for the family and friends left behind.

If you don’t read anything else, please read the final, italicized section of this article. It was written with you in mind, by dear friends who have firsthand experience navigating the grief, questions, and pain suicide leaves behind.

As a pastor, there’s never been a time when I felt more helpless, or challenged, than when I received a call from the family member of someone who had attempted suicide. I had been a pastor for only three years or so. The person on the line had understandable concern, even desperation for someone to get through to their loved one. As I talked to them, I realized that, in their eyes, I was supposed to be that someone.

Within hours, I found myself at a local hospital, face-to-face with a young man who was convinced that his life, and the pain he was experiencing, had become too overwhelming. For the time I spent with him, we talked about his life, his faith, and his questions around what the Bible has to say about suicide. I listened, tried to encourage him, and tried to be as honest as I could about the Bible’s teachings on this very sensitive topic. I had done some training on how to listen with care to people in crisis, and one thing I had learned was that, if possible, I should get the person who is contemplating suicide to commit to a positive next step that can be done as soon as possible. He and I agreed that I would be one of his first calls after he was released from his 72-hour hold.

As the time approached, I nervously waited to hear from him, hoping that he hadn’t changed his mind about reaching out to me…or worse. Finally, his call came through, and we got to talk some more. While he still had lots of struggles and the pain didn’t disappear, I left that call hopeful for him.

That would be the last time we spoke.

Later, I received a call from his family. Through tears, they told me that the young man had died by suicide the day before. Nothing prepares you for a call like that. I felt heartbroken and bewildered, and I also felt like I had let this young man down.

If you’re reading this article and have contemplated suicide or are contemplating it now—please know that I do not share this story (or what follows) to take you on a guilt trip. That’s the last thing you need. It’s the last thing anyone needs who is dealing with a level of pain that causes them to contemplate the end of life. I only share this story to highlight one important point: death by suicide leaves deep personal and communal pain in its wake.

Suicide is a complex and personal topic. Whether you wrestle with thoughts of suicide or have lost someone to suicide, these are sensitive waters we are wading into.

My goal for this article is two-fold: to be faithful to what God and the Bible have to say about suicide, AND, of equal importance to me, to encourage those who may be contemplating suicide with a robust picture of God’s love for you and grace for your struggles.

What Does the Bible Say About Suicide? Is Suicide a Sin?

There are several instances of suicide in the Bible, with perhaps the most famous being the death of Judas after his betrayal of Jesus. The Bible makes it clear that committing suicide is a sin and is never to be emulated.

So while there is no verbatim “you should not commit suicide” verse in Scripture, over and over again, the Bible consistently elevates the sacredness and preciousness of human life. Here are just three examples:

Genesis 2:7 describes the intimacy and care with which God created human beings.

It says, “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”

From the opening pages of Scripture, human life is portrayed as sacred and personally breathed into by God. Your life is not an accident. .

In Deuteronomy 30:19, God calls His people to choose life—to trust him even when the path is hard.

He says, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.”

In Exodus 20:13, in the naming of the Ten Commandments, God declares murder as a sin.

He says, “You shall not murder.”

Suicide is self-murder.

While Biblical teaching about suicide may be captured in what I’ve written so far, there are still so many questions left unanswered. Let's look at a few of the biggest questions people ask when searching for what the Bible says about suicide:

1. What about people who are in so much mental or emotional anguish that suicide seems like the only escape?
2. Is suicide an “unforgivable sin”? Do people who commit suicide go to heaven or hell?
3. Regardless of the Bible’s stance on it, there are many families, including many Christian families, impacted by suicide. What should they do?

1) What About People In Anguish That Feel Like Suicide Is The Only Escape?

Author and psychiatrist M. Scott Peck wrote a popular book called “The Road Less Traveled,” and he opens it with this line: “Life is difficult.” To which I think we would all say “Amen!”

The difficulty of life is not evenly distributed. Because of things like abuse, chronic health challenges, and any number of other factors, we have to admit that some lives are more difficult than others. There are also some people who, for reasons not their own, are more predisposed to struggle with anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges often correlated with suicide attempts. One thing I cannot do (though I have tried!) is read another person’s mind. No one but you has a true gauge on the level of pain and difficulty you live with daily.

So what would I say to someone reading this who feels like the pain is too much to live with? For starters, I’d ask you to consider these words from the Bible’s book of Psalms:

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

Many of us were mistakenly taught that if you follow God, your life will be easy. That’s not a promise God ever makes in the Bible. In fact, Jesus said that in this world we will all experience trouble…but that when it comes, we can take heart in him. Suicide can feel like the only escape when the pain becomes unbearable. But it is a choice that closes the door on the possibility that God may still work in ways we cannot yet see. Maybe you struggle to believe in God at all, or you struggle to believe that he is good and wants good for you.

Given the pain, trauma, and brokenness in this world, I understand those doubts. We arrive at the place of doubt when everything we’ve tried to make the pain go away hasn’t worked. But doubt doesn’t necessarily indicate that faith is being lost; it is entirely possible that what feels like doubt is actually God opening up a new doorway to faith.

In my own life, and in the lives of so many people I know, I’ve seen that when people speak honestly with God about their doubts, they find him drawing near. God doesn’t meet them with judgement, but with love and grace. He is truly close to the brokenhearted.

If you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts, and need God to draw near to you, I’d invite you to take a small step of faith by saying these words to him right now:

God, I’m doubting, I’m hurting, and I don’t want to keep living. You say you’re close to people who feel this way, and if that’s true, I’m asking you to come close to me now.

I trust God enough that if you pray that prayer, he will respond. It doesn’t mean that He will snap his fingers and make every hard thing go away. Rather, He promises to be with us through it all. His love for you is unending, and his desire is for your flourishing.

2) Is Suicide An “Unforgivable Sin”? Do People Who Die By Suicide Go To Heaven Or Hell?

Families often ask me, "Did my loved one go to heaven?" Others wonder, "Will I go to hell if I commit suicide?" or, “Does God forgive suicide?” If those are questions you're carrying, you're not alone.

These questions most often arise from people who were raised in Catholic or more traditional churches. And while it is true that those churches have historically written about the grave nature of suicide, the way churches think about it today looks different. I think it is safe to say that all Christian churches agree on these things related to suicide:

• Suicide is not God’s will for human life. Life is sacred and entrusted to us.

• Mental illness affects how much control a person actually has in that moment. We do not treat clinical depression the same way we treat premeditated violence.

• The mercy of God is wider than we imagine. If what saves us is something Jesus already did, not something we do right before we die, then despair does not outrun grace. So does God forgive suicide? Yes. We need not feel hopeless about the eternal salvation of those who die by suicide. God says that only one sin is unforgivable—blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. (That concept could take a whole other article to explain, but the premise is that the only sin that is unforgivable is rejecting Jesus as God, which is to reject his life, death, resurrection, and the gift of his forgiveness.)

Please hear me clearly, though. Suicide is never a small thing. It matters deeply spiritually, relationally, and eternally, which is why we speak of it with both seriousness and mercy. God is the ultimate judge, not me, nor anyone else.

3) There Are Many Families Impacted By Suicide. What Should They Do?

I’ll answer this question by sharing a final and more personal story. I’ve only officiated one funeral of a person who died by suicide. It was a young man whom I personally knew and deeply cared about. I loved him and his family. I’m still in his family’s life, and they are in mine.

This young man was horrifically abused as a child, and that trauma, once it began to reveal itself, caused him immense emotional pain. As a church, we prayed and fasted for his healing. He had moments and seasons of incredible progress and strength, a strength that to this day still impacts many people who’ve experienced similar trauma. Yet, despite all the prayers and progress, he died by suicide.

I saw his family wrestle with every emotion imaginable, from the guilt of “is there one more thing we could have done?” to the deep sadness over the moments they’d never get to share with him: college graduation, getting married, the birth of new family members, and so many more.
Despite experiencing unspeakable tragedy, this family has found a way to help other families who’ve faced similar grief and loss.

I want this family to have the last word. As a pastor, I have walked with many through the aftermath of suicide, but this mom and dad speak with credibility and care that was hard-earned. I pray their words touch you, whether you are considering suicide or are experiencing it’s effects in your life.

“We echo Chuck’s earlier point. Life is hard. Our son’s short life faced more pain and hardship than most adults face in an entire lifetime. We understand pain. And yet, we also know the truth that no pain lasts forever. Things will change. Suicide takes away that hope and possibility. Our hearts are shattered by our son’s death. We believe that God weeps over our son’s pain and also ours.

For all of us who knew and loved him, the day of his death is a demarcation line in our lives. Everything is understood in terms of before he died and after he died. Our lives are forever changed, and our grief will never end.

Research shows that the majority of suicidal crises are acute periods of 10 minutes or less. If a person can make it through that short acute period, it doesn’t mean that their pain is gone. It simply means they have had time for their strong emotions to pass. Life will still be hard, but they are still alive. And with that life comes hope.

We believe in the infinite love and mercy of a good God. We believe God opened his arms to our son and cried over the pain of his life. God’s will did not include childhood sexual abuse and subsequent suffering for our son or anyone else. We believe our son is with God and is at peace. While that brings us some comfort, the truth remains that we desperately wish he were still here with us. We miss him beyond words, and our family will never be the same without him.

Your life matters so much more than you can possibly realize. Stay here. Reach out for help. There are better days ahead.”

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More Resources:

To read about a personal struggle with suicide and faith, click here.

If you are reading this and feel at risk of harming yourself right now, please pause and reach out for immediate help. You do not have to carry this alone. Call or text someone you trust. If you are in the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you are elsewhere, contact your local emergency number. While Crossroads is not a crisis line, for less urgent help (with a possible response time of 24 hours or more), you can message someone in the pop-up chat box in the bottom right of this page or schedule an appointment to process with someone at crossroads.net/talk. There is no shame in needing help. Your life matters.

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Disclaimer: This article is 100% human-generated.

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At Crossroads, we major on the majors and minor on the minors. We welcome a diverse community of people who all agree that Jesus is Lord and Savior, even if they view minor theological and faith topics in different ways based on their unique experiences. Our various authors embody that principle, and we approach you, our reader, in the same fashion. You don't have to agree with every detail of any article you see here to be part of this community or pursue faith. Chances are even our whole staff doesn't even agree with every detail of what you just read. We are okay with that tension. And we think God is okay with that, too. The foundation of everything we do is a conviction that the Bible is true and that accepting Jesus is who he said he is leads to a healthy life of purpose and adventure—and eternal life with God.