CovenantInBlood said:
I would ask, however, whether you believe suicide can be forgiven by God under any circumstance? Is it possible that a child of God could fall into such depths of despair because of the devil's lies that he commits suicide?
I find that an interesting question and one that is not so easy to answer. I remember some years ago when I was a young deacon in the church I made a visit to an elderly member who was in the hospital. He had just finished reading from his bible when I entered the room and he asked me if I thought someone could commit suicide and still go to heaven.
His question caught me off guard. My first thought was "no" because like you I believed that God would not allow one of His children to fall that deep into despair without providing a way of escape.
Then he asked me "What about Samson who is listed with the patriarchs of faith in Hebrews 11?"
Then he opened his bible and read portions of the book of Judges to me...
"Then Samson prayed to the LORD, 'O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes' (Judges 16:28)."
"Samson said, 'Let me die with the Philistines!' And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more as he died than while he lived." (Judges 16:30).
It made me think. There may be circumstances that would bring someone to the point of committing suicide. In Samson's case it wasn't because of a lack of faith. It was in fact because of his faith in God to restore his strength one more time so that he could have revenge on the Philistines for taking out his eyes. You may chose to excuse him because he was punishing the wicked Philistines but none the less he did commit suicide.
Wes
