Question:  Hi Greg,

            My nephew committed suicide a few years ago.  My mother believes he is in hell for eternity.  What happens to a Christian if they commit suicide?  As Christians we are supposed to be ready with an answer.

            Thanks for your time.

            Harold

Answer:  Dear Harold,

            Some Christians believe that suicide is a one-way non-stop ticket to hell — that it may be the worst of all sins.  However, the Bible does not give us that direction or teaching.  Suicide is a sin, of course, but nothing gives us the indication that eternal condemnation is a certainty for those who commit suicide.

            Yes, we Christians should be ready with an answer — when the Bible supplies one.  But we should also admit that we don’t know when the Bible does not give us clear indication about an answer—which is the case here.  God alone is our judge, and he reserves that judgment to himself, without giving us all of the criteria and rationale he employs.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht