Stop The World And Let Me Off
Grant Phillips
Email: Phillip5769@twc.com
Depression is an
ugly beast that rides on the backs of many people. It plays no favorites. Rich
or poor, male or female, child or adult, it doesn’t matter. Everyone, sooner or
later, smells its rancid breath. Some folks cope with it and move on, and then
there are others who cannot handle the pressure and break under the load.
My wife and I
have had the sad experience of attending two funerals of friends who could no
longer take the pressure. One of those friends took their life five years ago.
The second, who was an even closer friend, took her life last month.
The pain of loss
and tragedy was even greater this time since the young lady was like a daughter
or younger sister to my wife.
Both of these
dear souls professed being a Christian, and they both suffered tremendously from
circumstances that had arisen in their lives. I realize that you and I are
thinking that nothing is so bad that we should take our life, but you and I are
thinking rationally with sound minds. These tortured souls could see no relief.
Maybe this is
why the Lord God says to His own children:
“Trust in the
LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in
all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
“So don’t worry
about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is
enough for today.” (Matthew 6:34)
“Don’t worry
about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and
thank him for all he has done.” (Philippians 4:6)
The apostle
Peter warned us that Satan traverses the earth seeking someone to devour. He is
like a lion hunting its dinner. When he finds the herd, he zeros in on the
weakest prey and charges after it.
“Stay alert!
Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion,
looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
Life can be very
hard and is often most unfair. We can all attest to that, but a Christian has
the Lord Jesus Christ on his/her side. Sometimes we forget that. As we look
around the world today, any wise Christian can easily see the world is falling
apart around our ears, but Jesus said, “… I am with you always, even to the end
of the age…” (Matthew 28:20) He also promised three times, in the very last
chapter of the very last book of His Word that He will soon return and take us
unto Himself.
A person
choosing suicide fails to realize the effect on those they leave behind, and
they fail to consider the finality of their action. Maybe they think those they
leave behind will be better off without them. Maybe they just want out. But we
come back to one point; they are not thinking with a sound mind. A sound mind
will follow the Holy Spirit’s lead.
“You
must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he
was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a
slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled
himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore,
God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all
other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on
earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11 emphasis mine)
What is the
attitude that Jesus had? Jesus depended totally upon the Father … no matter
what.
You and I cannot
overcome the problems of this life through our own power. In this passage we
have just read, the world threw many severe problems on Jesus’ back also. He
could have said, “Forget this, I’m out of here,” but instead He suffered and
died for our sake. His victory over the grave assures us that regardless of what
we have to endure, we have victory in Him.
As we have
already heard from the apostle Peter, Satan wants to destroy anyone who belongs
to God. He hates God, and he hates us. He will wreck our lives if he can (Job
could tell us a thing or two about that) and play with our minds (Peter could
chime in here). This is why it is so very important to stay in daily fellowship
with our Father in Heaven. We must feed upon His Word and allow His Spirit to
work freely in our lives. The apostle Paul said:
“Since you have
been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven,
where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the
things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your
real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is
revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death
the sinful, earthly things lurking within you…” (Colossians 3:1-5a)
Our problems on
earth are only temporary. Eternity never ends.
“So we don’t
look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that
cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we
cannot see will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Will a Christian
lose their salvation if they commit suicide? If the individual ever called upon
Jesus to save them, nothing will separate them from the love of God.
Nothing Separates The Christian From God
“And I am
convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor
life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries
about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No
power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation
will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ
Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
Our Salvation Is Guaranteed For Eternity
“For God loved
the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who
believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
We Cannot Lose Our Salvation
“So now there is
no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
Jesus Forgave ALL Our Sins
“But if we are
living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each
other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from
ALL
sin.” (1 John 1:7 emphasis mine)
Suicide Is Not The Unpardonable Sin
Some of you may
also have a friend or family member that has chosen to take this unnatural leap
into eternity, and are wondering if this is the unpardonable (unforgiveable)
sin. It is not. This sin is unique and Jesus mentions it in Mark 3:22-30. It was
the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit’s work through Jesus Christ while He was
upon the earth, claiming that Jesus’ work was via Satan and not the Holy Spirit.
When Satan is
beating us over the head with earthly problems that seem more severe than we can
bear, we can give up or we can lean on Jesus, who suffered far more than we will
ever comprehend. Heaven is watching. Don’t let Satan win.
“Therefore,
since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith,
let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so
easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before
us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and
perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross,
disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s
throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t
become weary and give up.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Out of all the
suicides committed in this country, I don’t believe many are from true
Christians (my opinion), but nevertheless, true Christians will sometimes “throw
in the towel” and give up. Please do not allow Satan an ounce of victory. Lean
upon Jesus and ask Him to strengthen you.
Anyone who has
stood outside around a campfire on a cold night knows the farther you get away
from the fire, the colder you get. It is also true that the further we get from
God as a Christian, the more vulnerable we will be to Satan’s cold lies.
