The Christian life involves struggle and suffering (Matthew 5:10-12; Romans 8:17-18; James 1:2)
When someone experiences serious trials, as people often do in this fallen world, they feel abandoned by God. Scripture gives numerous examples of people—including our Lord—who struggled with such feelings (1 Kings 19:4; Psalm 22:11; Isaiah 53:10; Lamentations 1:12; Jonah 2:1-5; Matthew 27:46; Hebrews 11:35-40).
The apostle Paul struggled with profoundly disappointing circumstances and anguished over personal struggles with sin to the point where he “despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8). He found that the effect of these times of intense personal despair was a deepening dependency on Christ.
But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. . . . On him we have set our hope (2 Corinthians 1:9-10 NIV; see 4:7-12).
God suffers with us as we struggle. He knows that as co-sufferers we come to know Him better in the middle of our pain. Our Redeemer uses the pain and struggles of a fallen world to draw us closer to Him.
Genuine Christians commit serious sins. They occasionally commit suicide.
Suicide is an unusual sin, an act of despair so final there is seldom any possibility for it to be repented in this life. It ignores scriptural testimony that others suffered, continued to fight on, and received the reward for their faithfulness both in this world and the next.
In 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 the apostle acknowledges that when genuine believers sin, their salvation remains, but they suffer loss at the judgment seat of Christ. (See the article What will happen at the judgment seat of Christ?)
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire (NKJV).
However, in spite of losses incurred, no child of God is beyond the redemptive power of Christ’s blood and our heavenly Father’s love. “He himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (3:15).
