It's My Life?

With all the hype surrounding the story of Brittany Maynard, an Oregon cancer patient who chose to end her life on November 1st with a lethal dose of sedative, the issue of legalized suicide has been thrust into the limelight.  I have an extremely strong opinion on this matter, but my personal thoughts are not in question.  The issue of suicide, government-sanctioned or otherwise deserves serious consideration.  With this in mind, what does the Bible have to say about suicide?

The most obvious question is “Does suicide break God's law?”  To my mind, the answer to this question is clear.  Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder.”  As it is defined as the murder of oneself, God clearly does not condone suicide.

One might counter this command with a statement like this: “It's my life shouldn't I have the right to end it?”  Is it, I wonder actually your life?  You and I, like every other human, were brought to life through no action of our own; you didn't bring your life into existence, didn't earn it, didn't ask for it and cannot replace it.  Based on these criteria, I would suggest that “your life” does not actually belong to you.

Let me use a crude example.  Your life is a bit like a borrowed car.  Imagine that you borrow a friend’s car.  You use it as if it were yours; ideally, you put fuel in it, you take care of it as if it were yours.  You do not by any means have the right to sell it.  Your friend would be understandably upset if you carelessly wreck the car.  If you willfully destroy it, you could be criminally liable for the damages.

We cannot do anything about growing old and eventually dying.  We have limited power against disease and accidental death, but we can only delay our death at best.  The Bible sums up the way we should treat our bodies in 1st Corinthians 6:19-20 when it says this: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

I can see two reasons someone could choose to end their own life.  In the case of Brittany Maynard, she wanted to avoid the pain that her condition would cause her and her family as her terminal cancer proceeded.  Far more commonly, a person will commit suicide during a time of depression.  If either of these situations describes you, I understand how you feel.  I have a severe disability myself, and I have dealt with depression.  I have felt the temptation to end my own life.  I have gone so far as aiming a loaded gun at myself during a particularly dark time.  By the grace of God, and with the support of my family and friends, I made it through.

Now, to the most difficult part of this entry.  I had originally intended to complete this entry in November.  I was working on this post late in the night on November 19.  I intended to finish it the next day, but as some of you know, my brother-in-law committed suicide on November 20.  Out of sensitivity to my wife, I chose to delay this entry.

I find myself wishing I would have finished the entry on that night; maybe, just maybe, he would have read it and changed his mind.  Now, I will never know.  If you are considering suicide, I urge you to find another answer.  No matter how bad you think things are, there is hope.  No matter who you are and what your situation is, someone other than you will be hurt by your choice.  Maybe you don't have any family or friends.  Maybe there is no one who will miss you.  In that case, consider the police officer who will find your body.  Think of the paramedics who have dedicated their lives to saving others.  Think of the coroner and detectives who will be forced to investigate the circumstances of your untimely death.  All these people that you don't even know will lose just a bit of hope.

Finally, to the last part.  What if a friend or family member has killed themselves?  Some people will tell you that God cannot forgive this person.  From my understanding of the Bible, there is no reason to believe this.  The only death that is truly eternally significant, from the Biblical perspective, is the death of Christ.  In Hebrews 10:5-18, the writer unequivocally states that by this one sacrifice, “He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”

If your friend or family member was seeking Christ, they will not be turned away.  If they were not, let me encourage you with these verses:

“He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just.  A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.”
Deuteronomy 32:4

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9

You can trust that God will always make the right decision.  He is the only one who knows all the facts, including the thoughts, attitudes, and desires of your loved one.  You can confidently leave your loved one in His hands; I urge you to put yourself there as well, as I have.

Find the Cost of Freedom

In Numbers 28 & 29, the line-up of sacrifices the Israelites were required to offer on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis is given.  When everything is totaled, the numbers are shocking.  Here is a table with the numbers of animals sacrificed and today's approximate market value.

Lambs	Bulls	Rams	Goats	Total
1093	113	37	30	1273
$218,600	$565,000	$14,800	$9,000	$807,400

So, all these sacrifices were offered; all these animals were killed, day after day,  year after year.  With all of these sacrifices happening, we could assume that forgiveness for sin was happening, right?  Well, there's a bit of a problem with that.  In Hebrews 10:4, it says this; “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins”.  In fact, animal sacrifices are simply a reminder of the fact that we all are guilty of breaking God's laws.

So what hope of salvation did these early Israelites have?  If the animal sacrifices were not capable of taking away their sin, then how could they find forgiveness?  The answer to that question is actually simple, though it seems complex.  The death of Jesus bought forgiveness for everyone who has ever sinned, from Adam and Eve, all the way down to those of us ask God's forgiveness today.  As I have mentioned before, one of the attributes of God is the fact that He exists outside of the universe.  Because he exists outside of the universe, He is not bound by time, as we are.

As it reminds us in 1 Peter, 1:18-20, this is the way that we are saved; it is not with perishable things such as silver or gold, with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world to be the sacrifice for all the sins of humanity.  This is why in Isaiah 53:6, the writer can truthfully say that “the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

What a powerful statement this is; there is no person who has ever lived that was beyond the power of forgiveness, if only he or she asked for it.  How many of us needlessly carry around burdens of guilt, over sin that we can be forgiven for.  Though there was an incredible cost for our freedom, we need pay nothing for it.  For us, the cost of freedom is $0.

No Problem, Mon

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8-9

This is a very simple idea; so simple in fact that it is easy to forget all about it.  I wonder how many people take the time to do an inventory of the past day and confess to and ask forgiveness for their sins?  If God already knows everything, He surely knows what our sins are, far more clearly than we do; why does He want us to confess our sins to Him?

Confessing our sins does not benefit God; it benefits us.  It does not change God, it changes us.  All sin is evil; from simple lies of convenience to murder.  This is the bad news.  The good news is, there is no sin that God cannot and will not forgive when we sincerely seek forgiveness from Him.  God is infinite; His ability to forgive is infinitely greater than our ability to sin.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord.  “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
Isaiah 1:18

No matter how badly you think you have failed; no matter how far you think you have strayed from the path that God has set for you, He is willing and ready to take you back if you will just return to Him.  Think of the story of the so-called “Prodigal Son”.  After he had lost all his money, this young man returned home in shame, intending to beg his father to take him back as a hired servant.  As he was nearing home, his father saw him from a distance.  This father, who had every right to be angry and berate the son for his foolish behavior, forgot his pain, forgot his pride, even forgot his dignity, and ran to his son.  God is just like the father in the story.  Just as the father in the story bore the cost of his son's failure, God has paid the cost for us.

This is what God says; “If you confess your sins, I am faithful and just and will forgive all of your sins and purify you from all unrighteousness.”  This is the most incredible invitation that anyone could ever receive.  Take the simple step and that this invitation today.