SUICIDE. Let me answer one of the most asked questions I get each day up front. Killing yourself does not keep you from Heaven. Killing yourself is a sin. However, the ONLY sin that leads to eternal separation from God our creator is rejecting Christ. If you have truly accepted by faith Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and you commit suicide, you will spend eternity with God our creator. The reason suicide is a sin, is because it is God who gives us life, for the purpose of serving and glorifying Him, and it is ONLY God who can say when our work here on earth is finished. Remember, if you accept Him into your heart, it is NOT your life any longer, it belongs to Him. That means it is NOT your right to end your life. That right only belongs to God.

Some may ask, what are the consequences of the sin of suicide since it ends your life? One of the consequences of all sin is it keeps us from enjoying our relationship with the Lord. Sin keeps us from being all God wants us to be. Sin keeps us from knowing the joy, the peace, the abundance the Lord promised to us in this life. Those who commit suicide have already allowed the enemy to blind them to God's love, otherwise, they would never get to such a final and dramatic end. Someone who commits this act, misses the fulfillment of God's perfect plan for their life. It is a very sad way to end this wonderful journey.

Since I am dealing with this issue today, let me speak directly to anyone who may be contemplating suicide as an answer. If you know someone who may be thinking about this as an option, please, get them a copy of this Devotional. It is God who gives us this precious gift we call life. At best, it is a very brief journey. Doing something on purpose to cut it short is the ultimate act of selfishness. Like with everything, there are always scenarios, always circumstances we can point to, but sin is sin, and no amount of justification changes that. THERE IS ALWAYS AN ANSWER OTHER THAN SIN!!!!

Dealing daily with some of the most incredible human situations you can ever imagine, I understand the pain, the difficulty, the hopelessness so many live with each day. It is always at the lowest points in our life when we have to choose. We either choose the lies of the enemy, or the truth of God. The lie says there are no options, the truth says there is ALWAYS hope in Christ! The lie says you will be better off dead, the truth says God has a plan for your life. The lie says by killing yourself you ends the pain, the truth says killing yourself ends the promise of tomorrow. The lie comes straight from the pits of hell itself, the truth from the throne room of God.

Keep the truth and promise of God's word in your heart, and the hope and love we have in Christ in your every thought. I pray that you understand I have not tried to be cold and uncaring as I wrote this today. But all too often an issue like this is glossed over. It is not fair for me to NOT tell you the truth. I will be praying today for you, that you will never even consider suicide as an option. IT IS NOT AN OPTION BECAUSE YOUR LIFE BELONGS TO GOD!!! Only God can say when it is over.

Instead of focusing on the lies of the enemy, on the pain, and the circumstances, look instead to the truth we find in God's Word, the promises and hope we have in Christ, the fact God will ALWAYS give us a path of escape. God has a wonderful and perfect plan for your life. The key is you have to be alive for that plan to unfold. Don't ever take this wonderful gift of life for granted, because it will be over soon enough. In the meantime, we need to be focused on what it is God wants from our life, what it is God wants us to accomplish each day for Him.

Let me leave with you two powerful truths from God's Word. The first is He loves you so very much. The second is He is a God of answers. Embrace His love for you today, and let Him help you find the answers to those questions you have. There is only one option if you know Christ as your savior. That is to LIVE for Him.

In his love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller