“Suicide doesn’t get the last word. I won’t let it.”
These are the words Pastor Jarrid Wilson’s wife, Juli Wilson, wrote on her Instagram after the tragic news of her beloved husband’s death by suicide the night before #WorldSuicidePreventionDay – a topic that Jarrid and Juli have passionately tried to bring awareness to, especially within the Christian community. Here is her post in full:
Jarrid was known for shining a light on this topic and was open about his own struggles. He and his wife founded Anthem of Hope in 2016, a nonprofit that aims to break down the stigma that surrounds mental illnesses, and gives resources for the church to assist those dealing with depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide.
One of Jarrid’s last tweets addresses this:
However, the heartbreaking reality of his decision to take his life has caused confusion amongst many professing believers and has raised deeply important questions that I believe need to be addressed.
What happens to people who take their own life? Do they go to hell? Does God approve of suicide? Was Jarrid even “saved”?
These are just a few questions I’ve seen on the internet. These are not easy questions and suicide is certainly not an easy topic, as it has affected the majority of us in one way or another- whether it be our own depression or someone dear to us. And though some people have been vile, full of condemnation and truly cold-hearted with their comments and opinions regarding his death, others have genuine concerns and are seeking answers.
So, I’m here hopefully to shed light on the unfortunate theological confusion surrounding the conversation of suicide that has happened since these events. As for those who are stuck in their closed-minded ways, what I’m about to share will most likely be “heretical” or “from the devil” – but if you are in that camp, this message is not for you. It is for those who are desperately seeking answers to the truth in hopes that God has a better plan for the universe than what is being portrayed within most evangelical communities.
So first, let’s just go ahead and get the most common question out of the way before we dive into deep theology:
Why would Jarrid, or anyone else take their own life? Isn’t that selfish?
Well, I can’t answer why he did it, no one can. It doesn’t help to seek logical answers to psychological problems. But I’m actually going to let Jarrid answer this, since he perfectly stated this in a 2018 blog post he wrote titled, “Why Suicide Doesn’t Always Lead to Hell.” The full article can be read here. He said:
“As terrible as it sounds, mental health issues can lead many people to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do if they didn’t struggle. If you don’t believe me, I’d encourage you to get to know someone with PTSD, Alzheimer’s, or OCD so that you can better understand where I’m coming from. As someone who’s struggled with severe depression throughout most of my life, and contemplated suicide on multiple occasions, I can assure you that what I’m saying is true.”
Unfortunately, there is such a lack of understanding of what mental illnesses do to the human body. Instead, many Christians treat it as the “unpardonable sin”.
But I truly believe the issue stems from a much deeper problem that I will be addressing, which leads me to the next major questions:
What happens to people who commit suicide? Do they go to hell?
Again, I will first quote from Jarrid’s blog, as he challenged this exact idea. He said:
“The reality is, you wouldn’t dare say that someone who died of cancer is going to hell just because of their illness would you? I hope not. Then please don’t assume someone who died of suicide via severe depression is going to hell either. Both are illnesses. Both can lead to death. The deciding factor for someone entering heaven vs. hell in regards to Christianity is this: Knowing Jesus as your personal Lord and savior. And guess what? There are many who know Jesus as Lord yet still suffer with an illness such as severe depression and other mental health issues.”
He then later concludes with the following:
“Stop telling people that suicide leads to hell. It’s bad theology and proof one doesn’t understand the basic psychology surrounding mental health issues. In closing, we must understand God hates suicide just as much as the next person. Why? Because it defies God’s yearning for the sanctity of life. But while suicide is not something God approves of, no mess is too messy for the grace of Jesus. This includes suicide.”
YES Jarrid, absolutely! There is truly no mess too messy for Jesus, and that certainly includes suicide.
To add to this message, Jarrid also preached a sermon back in 2017 about how God’s grace is fully sufficient – also titled “No Mess is Too Messy.” I encourage you to watch it in its entirety when you get the chance:
In his sermon he says, “I need you to understand that there is nothing in your life that you could do, or did do, or will do, that is too far gone for the reach of Jesus’ grace… Jesus doesn’t care where you’ve been, Jesus doesn’t care where you are right now or the things you may do in your future, His grace is sufficient for ALL things… Nobody is too far gone.”
I couldn’t agree more! This is Biblical! Jarrid clearly understood the sufficiency of God’s grace – that it is NOT dependent on what we do, but is solely dependant on who God IS!
So is suicide a sin? Absolutely. But God’s grace covers all sins.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. – 2 Corinthians 12:9
Jarrid goes on to say, “There is NOTHING in this world that is too far gone for the reach of Jesus. If there is something in this world that is too far gone for the reach of Jesus, then Jesus is not who he claims to be, and my friend, Jesus is who He claims to be.”
However, though many Christians would readily accept the above statement, most don’t take it to its logical conclusion. You see, I don’t believe we’re actually asking the right question, in fact, this is where Jarrid and I have a much different opinion. I believe the true root of the problem is the doctrine of “hell” altogether…. because if no one is too far gone or out of the reach of Jesus, and if He truly loves all people and can accomplish anything He wants, then how would anyone’s final destiny EVER be in an eternal hell?
Was Jesus not able to reach them?
At what point does God stop showing his grace? When does his mercy ever run out? When does God ever stop UNCONDITIONALLY loving his creation? When does He cease being the father of ALL?!
At death…
At least, that’s what the modern-day church has convinced people to believe. We have been told that somehow God’s character changes the moment someone dies. Forget about how “his mercies are new every morning” or that his “love never fails,” the church has convinced people that God’s love IS conditional, and that sole condition is that you must “accept” Christ as your savior in THIS lifetime, or else you will burn in hell forever.
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23
No my friends, I am here to proclaim the GOOD NEWS of the gospel: that Jesus Christ is Lord over all and he will sit on the throne after he has made ALL THINGS NEWS! One day, every knee will bow and EVERY tongue will proclaim that He is LORD! Everyone will swear their allegiance and all creation will proclaim the goodness of the one true God. Though the wages of sin is DEATH, Christ’s successful work on the cross has defeated both sin and death. Death is not the end, for Christ has undone the work of Adam! (Romans 14:11, Isaiah 45:23, Philippians 2:10-11, Psalm 135:6, Colossians 1:20)
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned…. So then, just as one trespass brought condemnation for ALL men, so also one act of righteousness brought justification and life for ALL men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. – Romans 5:12-20
The same ALL who were condemned are the same ALL who will be justified. Now, take note of how the word “all” is being used in the following passage:
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.
He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross. – Colossians 1:15-20
The same “all things” God created are the same “all things” that will be reconciled, all thanks to what Jesus did on the cross!
So at this point, if you’ve never heard of Universal Reconciliation or this type of theological conclusion before, you might be thinking to yourself, “Well, you’re just cherry-picking the Bible. All people can’t be saved because the Bible clearly says some people will end up in Hell.”
I would then ask you, “Which Bible?”
You see, the message of God’s unfailing grace will never be fully understood without reading it in its proper context and with an accurately translated Bible. We will never be able to grasp the fullness of God’s grace or understand his plan for the universe – which involves perfect justice, healing, and reconciliation for all creation – if we are relying on mistranslated Bibles.
“But God is JUST. The Bible is clear that there is judgment for sin!“
Of course God is JUST and HOLY and we will give an account of our lives and be judged accordingly! But judgment is NOT “hell” – a pagan concept that entered the church and was spread by catholicism and fear-mongering tactics. The early church did NOT teach this, read: Universalism, the Prevailing Doctrine of the Christian Church During Its First Five Hundred Years for historical proof. The wages of sin has always been DEATH – it was never hell. You won’t even find the concept of hell in the Old Testament ONCE, not even in the translations that do contain the word “hell” other than the KVJ. And the meaning of the Greek word used for punishment is “correction” – see below or read a full study here:
Sadly, I believe this doctrine has brought so much pain, depression, and psychological torture to those who take the finality of hell seriously. How can someone ever fully enjoy life if they believe that the majority of everyone they interact with is going to end up burning in hell for all eternity? It is a doctrine that enables Christians to subconsciously believe that it is their duty to save the entire world – a weight that no one was ever created to carry. Ask anyone who takes ministry seriously and they will say they have felt this weight.
Thankfully this doctrine is easily discredited if one is willing to question and take the time to study. I encourage you to start with the following article: Eternal Torment: Godly Love?
Now, let’s bring this all back to the main question: What happens to people who commit suicide?
“If people don’t go to hell, then you believe everyone just automatically goes to heaven? “
Absolutely not. You must be saved. But the question is, can a person come into relationship with Jesus and be saved after death? Does death limit the power of God? Clearly NOT! Christ defeated death. Not only did Paul believe people can be saved after death, but he believed they must. But not through coercion. God declares that ALL will eventually come to repentance in the future ages to come. So if you are seeking an in-depth look at this question, I also highly recommend watching the following YouTube vid, “Paul believed you can get saved after you die” by Santo Calarco.
So now that we’ve addressed the root of the issue, on to the next question:
Was Jarrid even “saved”?
The answer to this question depends on the true definition of what it means to “be saved”, and what are we saved from?
Humans can not judge a man’s salvation, but we can know a follower of Jesus by their fruits. When looking at Jarrid’s life, and rereading his tweets, blogs, and listening to his sermons, it’s evident that he clearly loved Jesus, loved his wife and two boys, and passionately loved people. I, of course, did not know him personally, I had no idea how much he was struggling, but I wholeheartedly agree with his wife when she says that his “life’s work has lead thousands to the feet of Jesus.”
That being said, I believe there are a lot of Christians who don’t understand what it means to be “saved” – since most believe that we are saved from hell. However, the Bible clearly teaches Christ came to save (Greek “sozo”: to heal) us from sin itself. It has a connotation of being made whole/well.
An angel from the Lord came to (Joseph) in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, because he will save (sozo – heal) his people from (Greek apo – to separate from) their SIN.” – Matthew 1:20-21
Notice how it does NOT say: The child will be named Jesus, “because he will save his people from the punishment of their SIN.”
It DOES say: The child will be named Jesus, “because he will save his people FROM their SIN.”
Also, an important consideration of sozo conveyed in the Greek is that many of the verses about being “saved” are written in the Greek present progressive verb tense, unlike how it is translated in most English Bibles. However, in literal translations, you will see that it is an ongoing action. Here are a few examples:
John 10:9: “I am the door; if EVER anyone may be entering through me
he shall be being saved (made whole) and shall be entering and shall be
coming out and shall be finding pasture” (MLT).
Acts 2:21: “And it shall be [that] everyone who EVER should be calling
on the name of [the] Lord shall be being saved (made well)” (MLT).
Acts 16:31: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be being
saved, you and your household” (MLT).
Rom. 10:9: “That if EVER you should be avowing with your mouth
Jesus is Lord and should be believing in your heart that God rouses him
out of the dead ones, you shall be being saved” (MLT).
So Jarrid, along with the rest of us, are being saved. We are in the process of being HEALED from our sins. It is a process that will not be complete until the consummation of the ages:
“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam ALL die, so in Christ ALL will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him.
Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put everything under His feet.”Now when it says that everything has been put under Him, this clearly does not include the One who put everything under Him.And when ALL THINGS have been subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put all things under Him, so that God may be ALL in ALL.” – 1 Corinthians 15:20-28
One day, we all will be saved/healed from our sins and God is going to be ALL in ALL. There are actually three phases to salvation…1) when Jesus died on the cross, we were all included in justification (saved objectively), 2) we are being made whole (process of being saved,) and 3) we will be saved when we are made completely whole in heaven, being set free from this current limited life. That is our ultimate salvation.
“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” – 1 Corinthians 15:50-54
So, wrapping up everything we’ve discussed, though Jarrid did not share the same theological conclusions as me, he clearly loved Jesus and desired to point as many people as he could towards Christ’s redeeming grace. Jarrid understood that the grace of Jesus never fails – that there is NO mess too messy for Him. His Grace IS sufficient for ALL things, and that absolutely includes suicide, no exceptions! This we can most definitely agree on. Jarrid is saved!
To end, I will leave you with something profound that Jarrid’s wife shared, she said, “You (Jarrid) always said “Hope gets the last word. Jesus gets the last word”.
I believe this is the message that Jarrid would want us to remember:
Jesus gets the last word.
Click here to see more of Jarrid Wilson’s inspirational tweets and quotes.