Weekly Update |   February 2, 2023

Weekly Newsletter 02/02/2023

Shalom!

Friends, as promised, below is the article about serious issue that recently has raised some questions. May God encourage you through reading about such a difficult topic, once again, realizing that we live in a world afflicted by sin, and if it were not for Christ and His grace, we would have no nope of victory over sin.

A biblical view on suicide

News have recently spread that a prominent church minister has committed suicide. Many have been shaken. Some have been emboldened in their animosity towards the church and others have been seriously troubled. If such news brings up such questions, then this brief article aims to provide clarity on the biblical view of the problem of suicide.

Firstly, I want to underline that this article in no way intends to cause any pain or suffering to those who were close to or knew the one who passed into eternity. This is not an attempt to stain a denomination, church, or Christianity. Being a pastor myself, I understand that it’s necessary for people to hear a biblical explanation regarding such situations. I really hope that the truth will be shared and received in love (Eph. 4:15). And now, let us prayerfully consider what Scripture tells us about suicide.

1. It’s not rare for suicide attempts to often have a strong sinful foundation, meaning they don’t happen spontaneously or out of the blue. Suicide, from a biblical point of view, is unambiguously sin. And sin, as is known, is any deed committed by a person that is done against the will of God. If so, then we need to understand how temptations, desires (lusts), plans, and execution of sin arise. 

• (Jas. 1:13-15): “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. ¹⁴But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ¹⁵ Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

As we see, it’s a process! If we’re honest with ourselves, then we need to accept the reality that more often than not, we commit sin because we lost in the progression of temptation, thoughts, glances, thoughts, etc.

There are two vivid examples of this principle illustrated in the Bible by Saul and Judas. Saul took his life by falling onto his sword 

• (1 Sam. 31:4): “Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.”

Analyzing Saul’s life, we must admit, albeit sorely, that he was walking toward this end for many years. This decision was not made at a moment’s notice. Judas is in the same boat. Having betrayed the Savior, he grieved but did not repent, and ended his life, hanging himself. 

• (Matt. 27:3-5): “Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, ⁴ saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” ⁵ And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.”

Indeed, this is sad. But to the observant reader, this again is not a surprise. The Lord knew that Judas was the betrayer who was under the influence of Satan 

• (John 6:70-71): “Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” ⁷¹ He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.”

• (John 13:2): “During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him…”

• (John 17:12): “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

Perhaps there are people who may try to justify Judas, suggesting that he didn’t want to do this and that Satan or God coerced him into it. For such people there is a passage that clearly talks about Judas’s responsibility for his conscious actions that he committed 

• (John 12:6): “He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.”

He was a thief and sinfully stole for a prolonged amount of time. When we look at these facts next to Judas’s suicide, then we must admit, at least at a minimum, that the spiral down was lengthy and full of sin.

Considering these things, we can conclude that oftentimes a person who commits suicide has been going down this path for an extended amount of time. And if this is so, then it’s logical to suppose that such people do not have a truthful relationship with God, even though they may be involved in very serious spiritual work, be surrounded by very good people, but at the same time be slaves to sin.

2. Serious spiritual battles sometimes precede suicide. You may have noticed that in the first point I’ve used the word “often” more than once, but now I use “sometimes.” This is all because of what we see in Scripture. Truthfully speaking, we don’t find concrete examples in God’s Word of spiritually mature and strong people committing suicide, but there are a few situations where a spiritual person is on the verge. The prophet Elijah was God’s servant in proclaiming the truth and calling the Israelites back to worship Him. His faith was so strong and convicting that the people, after seeing the fire come down from God onto the altar, fell down on their faces and said, 

• “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God” (1 Kings 18:39). 

Jezebel heard about this victory and promised to kill Elijah the next day, so he went into the desert and asked that he might die 

• (1 Kings 19:4): “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.’”

God obviously didn’t grant his request but opened Himself to him and encouraged him to continue his prophetic ministry. We can describe this moment in Elijah’s life using the modern term “depression.” However, let’s see, did Elijah flirt with sin throughout his life? No! Looking at his ministry we see that he encountered difficulties, but we don’t see any progressing sin in his life.

Here are more examples of mature yet desperate people under the weight of their life situations. Moses once prayed like this to God, 

• “I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. ¹⁵ If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness” (Num. 11:14-15). 

Moses was in a difficult situation so he considered death as a solution to his problems. Jonah is also an example of one who was disappointed and upset 

• (Jonah 4:8): “When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, ‘It is better for me to die than to live.’”

Considering these facts and the seriousness of suicide, we must be careful in coming to conclusions and making judgments about suicide. This is probably why very few talk about or write about such topics. Why? Perhaps because doing so can lead a person to either justify the sin or judge others.

3. How does the Bible present suicide from a theological point of view? It is sin that is explicitly forbidden by God (Exod. 20:13): “You shall not murder.” It is that which a person does without faith (Rom. 14:23): “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” If it is so, then Scripture clearly condemns this act.

The Bible talks about suicide like another expression of an egoistic life in comfort, self-love, the satisfaction of one’s own desires, and the search for joy. You may say that suicide is painful and unpleasant, but a person chooses to go down this path to run away from other pain or discomfort, which have overcome their fear of death. In this way, it is still one striving to find joy, which in other people is expressed in juxtaposition, the desire to protect their life. The Gospel provides us another quality source of joy, God Himself and His forgiveness, His acceptance, and His fellowship.

It may not be totally clear how suicide is the seeking of joy, but it is so. It promises a person that their problems, pain, and misery will cease, and in turn they will find joy, albeit false joy. In this moment, a person may not even completely clearly understand everything, 

• “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Rom. 7:15).

Where is the cure for this mistaken thinking, and does it even exist? It’s interesting to note how Christ would sometimes take very uncomfortable topics and unpack their essence using very clear and understandable examples.

• “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. ²⁵ For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:23-25).

This passage deals with two important concepts:

1. A person’s soul is so valuable and important that it would be foolish for one to gain the whole world but destroy their soul. Christ is talking about the importance and value of the human soul. Many people who consider suicide (perhaps even some reading this article) underestimate the worth of their soul!

2. Christ is the value for which we must be ready to sacrifice anything (Luke 9:24): “Whoever loses his life for my sake…” Meaning that if Christ does not become the hidden treasure in the field for which a person sells everything they own – (Matt. 13:44): “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” – then the Gospel is not able to save this person from suicide. This truly Christian understanding is what fills one’s life with purpose and confidence 

• (Rom. 14:7-9): “For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. ⁸ If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.”

Only in a saving relationship with Christ can we have confidence and the forgiveness of sins:

• (Acts 4:12): “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

• “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).

This passage reminds us about the glory of Christ and the glory which every believer will obtain. Oh how wonderful would it be for such passages to hold those back who are considering suicide as a solution to their problems. No! Understanding the glory of Christ right now and our future glory are the key to being freed from thoughts about suicide.

And finally, one more important note about suicide. May these words disturb those who may be considering such thoughts! 

• “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15). 

This passage reminds us that if a person is living in constant hatred (with the desire to kill), which in the original Greek points to a continuous action, then one does not have eternal life in themselves! It’s important to point out that this passage is not saying that you are no longer a child of God if the thought of hatred towards your neighbor has ever crossed your mind. But if a person experiences continuous thoughts of hatred, then perhaps this is a signal that there may not be salvation. Run to God and most definitely do not seek justification for your terrifying decision!

Continue supporting the churches working among the people who have suffered from the war in Ukraine: https://gfchurch.com/ukraine/

The Scripture memory text – Acts 17:29

“Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.”

Below are the services and meetings for this weekend:

Thursday (6:30 PM) – Children’s Bible School (open to all but required for parents), followed by Bible Study (Proverbs) for the whole church at 7:30 PM.

Saturday (9:00 AM) – Women’s prayer breakfast (cafeteria)

Sunday services:

• – Worship Service in Russian at 9:00 AM

• – Worship Service in English at 11:15 AM

On behalf of the elders of GFC

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