| A Time to Live Surviving Suicidal Thoughts |
| DISCLAIMER: This website is provided as an educational resource and should not be substituted for the diagnosis and treatment of a medical or mental health professional. |
Strategy 10: An Abundant Life*
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In John 8:12 (NKJV), Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” Answers are provided to the questions, “What will happen to me when I die?”, “Why was I created?” and “What is my purpose?” |
| "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10b NKJV |
So far, we have learned about nine tools we can implement to avoid death by our own hand. This does tend to
beg the question, “If I commit suicide, what will happen to me when I die?”
If you are not sure about your eternal destination, this is one time it is much better to be safe rather than sorry.
The worst case scenario for you is to commit suicide to achieve permanent relief from your suffering only to
condemn yourself to an eternity of unrelenting pain. Can you think of anything worse?
For those of you who are sure of your eternal destination, you may be surprised that the Apostle Paul shared
your feelings of wanting to be in Heaven rather than continue to live on earth. Now, I am not saying that Paul was
suicidal because I do not believe that to be the case. However, Paul clearly had a longing to be in Heaven. Along
my own journey, God showed me some verses in Philippians that forever changed my perspective. I will share
these with you later in this chapter.
What will happen to me when I die?
People instinctively realize that they are spirit beings. How do I know this? I know this because people have the
common knowledge that when a person dies, the physical body is typically buried or cremated, yet we still
wonder what will happen to us when we die.
We instinctively realize that our essence will not be buried with our physical body. We ask, “What will happen to
me when I die?” but what we are really wondering is, “What will happen to my spirit when my body stops
functioning?”
To understand what happens to us when we die, we must first have an understanding of the three components
that comprise each human being. According to the Bible, each person has a spirit, a soul and a body. This fact
is stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV) when the Apostle Paul says, “May your whole spirit, soul and body be
kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I think that there is a common misconception that we
are made up of only a body and a “soul,” and that most people are not exactly sure what is meant by a “soul.”
Let’s quickly review the three components:
- The Body: This is the flesh and bones you can physically touch and see.
- The Spirit: This is our non-physical being. God is a spirit being and we are created in His image, therefore we
are also spirit beings. Every person’s spirit is either connected or disconnected from God.
- The Soul: This is what makes you unique such as your personality. My counselor once demonstrated by
drawing me a picture that was divided into three parts. She labeled the sections as follows: mind, will, emotions.
While suicide stops all physical body functions, the spirit continues to live because the spirit is eternal. In other
words, we can kill our flesh and bones, but we cannot kill our spirit. From this perspective, it is actually
impossible to kill ourselves because we cannot kill the essence of our being, only the body that houses that
being. Therefore, our question should be, “What happens to my eternal spirit when my body stops functioning?”
Let’s answer that question now.
A choice of destination
Whether you choose to believe it or not, there is an eternal Heaven and there is an eternal Hell. Whether you
choose to believe it or not, there is eternal joy and there is eternal suffering. If you commit suicide, your spirit will
continue into the joys of Heaven or into the sufferings of Hell.
This is the answer for the question that every person asks. When we die, our flesh and bones are typically
disposed of in a socially accepted manner while our spirit continues on to Heaven or Hell. Now, the good news
is that you get to make the selection between these two destinations. No one will decide for you. You are
standing at a crossroads. You can choose to spend eternity in Heaven or in Hell.
“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings
and curses. Now choose life” Deuteronomy 30:19a NIV
God makes it clear that you have a choice about where to spend eternity. He even lets you know which selection
is the preferred choice by saying to choose life. Let’s look at some of the characteristics of your options.
Now that you have become familiar with some of the characteristics of your two destination options, go ahead
and complete the Destination Characteristics Worksheet.
Destination Characteristics Worksheet
After reviewing the destination descriptions, please complete this analysis worksheet:
1. What is the one thing Heaven and Hell have in common: _______________________
2. What are some of the differences between Heaven and Hell?
Heaven Hell
______________________________ _____________________________
______________________________ _____________________________
______________________________ _____________________________
3. Which do you prefer as your eternal destination: ______________________________
4. What may happen to you when you die if you have not seriously considered your destination choices?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. List three people you can approach to learn more about Heaven and Hell?
____________________ ____________________ ____________________
6. Fill in the corresponding dates you will approach each of these three individuals with your questions about
eternal destination.
____________________ ____________________ ____________________
How do I go to Heaven?
If you find this all a little confusing, I was once standing at your same crossroads. After several years as an
atheist, God presented Himself to me in such a real way that there was no doubt that He existed. One moment I
was a teenage atheist jamming to my stereo and in the next moment, I was experiencing the indisputable
presence of our Creator.
My first thought was “Wow! There is really a God and so that means there is also a Heaven. This is wonderful!”
My next thought was, “Oh, no! That means there is also a Hell and I know where I am probably going!”
I spent the next two weeks trying to learn how not to go to Hell. The good news is that God wants each of us to
know for sure how to go to Heaven. He says through the Apostle John in 1 John 5:13 (NIV), "I write these things
to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."
So, exactly how do we go to Heaven? Let me explain this in five simple steps.
1. Who are you?
- You are a spirit being housed in a physical body.
- Your physical body will die but your spirit is eternal.
- God created you to be connected to Him through your spirit.
“May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV)
2. Why will you not automatically go to Heaven?
- God is perfect and cannot be in the presence of sin.
- You have sinned.
- Sin has caused your spirit to be disconnected from God.
We already established in Chapter 3 that sin means missing the mark, that we have all sinned, and that the
penalty for sin is eternal death. Eternal death is also called eternal separation from God or Hell. Think of your
spirit as being disconnected from God. A critical thing to understand is that because God is perfect He, by
definition, cannot co-exist with imperfection.
If you are not sure if you have ever sinned or missed God’s mark for you, take this litmus test. Have you put
anything or anyone in your life ahead of your relationship with God? Have you ever told a lie (yes, the little ones
count)? Have you ever told a half-truth (this is also called a lie)? Have you ever taken something that did not
belong to you (yes, this includes things like office pens)? Have you ever looked at another person with lustful
eyes? Have you ever wanted something that belonged to someone else? These are just a few common sins. If
you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have fallen short of God’s mark for your life. In other
words, you have sinned.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 (NIV)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Roman 6:23 (NIV)
3. What are your eternal destination choices?
- If your physical body dies while your spirit is disconnected from God, then your spirit will be eternally separated
from God and you will spend eternity in Hell.
- If your physical body dies after your spirit has been connected to God, then your spirit will spend eternity with
God in Heaven.
This is a simple concept. One thing to understand is that you were born disconnected from God. It is not like you
were connected to God and then sinned for the first time and then were disconnected. The reason you were
born in a disconnected state is because of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. You are probably familiar with
their story.
Without entering into a deep theological dissertation, when God created Adam and Eve, their spirits were
connected to God. However, Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit which gave them the
knowledge of good and evil. As a result, their spirits were disconnected from God. This is not because God did
not want them to be connected anymore, but because they had committed sin. As we said before, God is
perfect. By definition He cannot coexist with imperfection.
Now, because the human spirit was disconnected from God on that first day of disobedience, every human
since then has been born with disconnected spirits. Just as Adam and Eve had the free will to make a decision
that caused them to be disconnected from God, each person since then has had the free will to remain
disconnected from God or to reconnect with His Spirit. You will make your own decision on where to spend
eternity.
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25:49 (NIV)
“so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:21 (NIV)
4. How does Jesus fit into this?
- Because there is nothing you can do to reconnect your own spirit to God, He sent His Son Jesus to make
reconnection possible.
- The penalty for sin is eternal death through separation from God.
- Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth to pay your sin debt so that you can be reconnected to God.
- Jesus took on the sins of the world, died on a cross and was raised from the dead three days later. In doing this,
He paid the penalty for every single person’s sin; thereby creating a bridge to God through Himself.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
(NKJV)
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”
Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV)
Because God loves us, He wants to make it possible to reconnect with Him so that we can spend eternity in
Heaven with Him. He made provisions through His Son Jesus Christ so that this reconnection would be
possible.
5. How do you reconnect with God, ensuring you will go to Heaven?
- To reconnect your spirit to God and spend eternity in Heaven, all you need to do is walk across the bridge
Jesus has built for you.
- To do this, you will need to acknowledge that you have sinned, ask for forgiveness, and then invite Jesus to be
in charge of your life from this day forward.
- This is known as a spiritual rebirth because your spirit, that was disconnected from God and going to Hell, is
now reconnected to God and you will be spending eternity in Heaven. When you hear people say they have
been “saved,” this is what they are talking about. They have been saved from Hell.
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you
will be saved.” Romans 10:9 (NKJV)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)
There is so much more for you to learn about the true human condition, Heaven, God, Jesus and eternity. There
are two books by Lee Strobel that I highly recommend you read. The Case for Faith and The Case for Christ
provide easy-to-understand answers for the most-asked questions about Christianity and Jesus Christ.
I want to go to Heaven
If you have decided that you want to reconnect your spirit with God and spend eternity in Heaven, congratulations
on making this life-changing decision!
Your next steps are very simple.
1. Tell God that you realize your have missed His mark, that you have sinned.
2. Ask Him to forgive you.
3. Ask Jesus to come into your life as your personal Lord and Savior.
“But unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3b (NKJV)
“That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the
dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that
you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)
If you are not sure of how to pray or talk with Jesus, you can read these words to Him:
“Dear Jesus, I am sorry for the sins I have committed in my life. I want to live differently from now on. I ask you to
forgive me of my sins. I believe that you died to pay my sin debt so that I can be reconnected with God through
your free gift of salvation. I accept your free gift of salvation and ask you to be in charge of my life as my personal
Lord and my Savior. I ask this in your Holy Name, Amen.”
Congratulations! If you believe in your heart the things you have just said to Jesus, then your spirit is now
reconnected to God through Jesus and you will spend eternity in Heaven.
If you have chosen to not repent of your sins and ask Jesus to be in charge of your life, I urge you to learn more
about Christianity and Jesus before moving forward with any suicide plans. As I said at the beginning of this
chapter, the worst case scenario for you is to commit suicide to achieve permanent relief from your suffering
only to condemn yourself to an eternity of unrelenting pain in Hell. This is one time it is much better to be safe
rather than sorry. It is not God’s will for even one of His children to be lost to an eternal death because of sin.
Even though we choose to sin, God has provided a way for us to come back to Him.
“He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9b (NIV)
Regardless of what your decision is today, I recommend you visit Billy Graham’s web site at
www.needhim.org for additional information. If you would like to speak with someone regarding your decision
today, please contact a local Christian church for an appointment. Any pastor on staff will be happy to answer all
of your questions.
If you chose to reconnect with God today, please visit a local church this coming Sunday and tell one of the
pastor’s about your decision.
Now, we have answered the question “What will happen to me when I die?” plus addressed the choices of
eternal destination. There are two other questions that people ask themselves at some point in their lives,
especially when they are hurting emotionally. These questions are “Why was I created?” and “What is my
purpose?” Let’s answer these questions, too.
Why was I created?
Simply put, God created you to be in relationship with Him and to bring Him glory. He is our Heavenly Father and
we are His children. He watches over us with loving care.
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created
them.” Genesis 1:27 (NKJV)
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:3 (NKJV)
In dealing with my own situation, God has made me see that He has a plan for me that does not include
showing up in Heaven ahead of schedule while leaving His work unfinished. He has shown me that my
existence has a higher purpose than my circumstances may reveal to me.
The Apostle Paul is a wonderful example of a higher purpose. As he spent the last several years of his life in
prison, Paul must have wondered why God would allow him to be in jail when there was so much work to be
done telling others about Jesus Christ. In hindsight, God used Paul’s time in prison to write a portion of the New
Testament. As a result, every generation to come would learn about Jesus through Paul’s writings. I imagine it
was challenging for Paul to see God’s higher purpose in his circumstances. It is also challenging for us today
to see God’s higher purpose through our circumstances.
God does have a plan for our lives. In fact, Jeremiah 29:11(NIV) says,
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future.”
Can you just imagine how full your life would be if you knew your purpose on this earth? What it would be like to
know for sure what would happen to you when you die? What it would be like to know there is a loving God to
guide you through each day and that you would spend eternity in Heaven with Him? This is abundance! All of
this is real! All of this is available to you today! How could you ever want more than this?
It is time to find the abundance and purpose you were born to experience. And I do not mean abundance in
material things because these things pass away. Today’s department store treasures becomes tomorrow’s
garage sale specials. We frequently hear the second half of John 10:10 quoted but let’s take a look at
“abundance” in context.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that
they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 (NKJV)
Sin has caused you to be disconnected from God. This disconnection puts you on Satan’s side of the fence and
his only intention toward you is to steal, kill and destroy your life.
However, Jesus came so that you could reconnect with God and His intentions towards you are that of a loving
Father who wants only the best for you. While being disconnected from God condemns you to an eternal death,
Jesus offers life with grace, mercy, love and an eternity in Heaven.
I will repeat the reason you were created. God created you to be in relationship with Him and to bring Him glory.
Anytime something is happening to me that I do not understand and I ask myself the question, “Why?,” I have
learned to respond immediately to my own inquiry with, “To draw me closer to God and to bring Him glory.”
What is my purpose on earth?
At the beginning of this chapter, I indicated that the Apostle Paul preferred to be in Heaven rather than stay on
earth. Here are Paul’s perspective changing words that God showed to me during one of my lowest moments:
“If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am
torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you
that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your
progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on
account of me.” Philippians 1:22-26 (NIV)
The day that God brought Paul’s words to my attention was a real epiphany! Talk about a genuine “AH-HA”
moment in my life! For the first time, I stopped feeling guilty about wanting to be in Heaven instead of on earth.
The Apostle Paul said that it is better to be in Heaven! No wonder I preferred to be there. It was also a real wake
up call to be reminded that it is more necessary for me to be on this earth at this particular time in history. Paul
realized that, while he longed to be in Heaven, his purpose on earth was to tell people about Jesus and to help
them grow in their faith.
I will spend an eternity in Heaven while there is only a limited amount of time for me to accomplish God's will on
this earth. And, by the way, this is my purpose on earth – to accomplish God’s will which is to tell others about
Jesus Christ.
This brings us back to King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. Remember what he said?
“What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun. All his days his
work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 2:22-23
(NIV)
“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This
too is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NIV)
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this
is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV)
No wonder we find so many aspects of life to be meaningless. No wonder things seem so hopeless. We live in
a world that pursues earthly things that will pass way while missing the true purpose of our creation.
We have been created to love God and be in relationship with Him. Our purpose on this earth is to tell other
people about God so that they, too, can have their spirits reconnected to Him and spend eternity in Heaven.
Several years ago while sitting in a discipleship class, a pastor asked the group a question. He said, “If God
wants you to be in Heaven, and you want to be in Heaven, then why are you still here?” Well, the class sat
silently.
The pastor pointed toward several class members making statements one at a time. Looking at one, He said,
“You are still here because you have not finished raising your children.” Then to the next one, “You are still here
because you have not finished saving for retirement.” Then the next one, “You are still here because you have
that big project going on at work.”
Well, by now, we all knew the pastor was about to make a significant point. We continued to sit silently. Then he
looked at the class and said, “The only reason you are still here is because there are people on this earth that
do not know about Jesus.”
Wow! The reason I was created is to be in fellowship with God and to bring glory to Him. The reason I am still on
earth and not in Heaven is because my life has a higher purpose on this earth than going to work, raising kids
and planning for retirement. I am here so that I can tell people about Jesus!
When everyone on earth knows about Jesus, it is game, set and match. Jesus will return and we will live with
Him for an eternity. To learn more about Jesus, you can watch “The Jesus Film” on-line for free at www.
jesusfilm.org.
Three reasons you cannot commit suicide
You are on this earth at this particular time because you have something to contribute. God knew all about your
life before you were ever born. Psalms 139:13-16 (NIV) describes how God is intimately intertwined in every
aspect of your life.
How amazing! He knows all the plans He has for you. Although Heaven is a better place than present day earth,
you cannot commit suicide for three reasons.
1. First, it is necessary that you be on earth to help the Kingdom. God has told you through Paul that it is
necessary for the Body of Christ that you remain on earth. God has told you that you are needed. Your feelings of
hopelessness and isolation are the result of years of emotional pain that needs to be healed so that you can
get on with carrying out your God given assignments.
2. Second, you do not want to show up in Heaven early. This may sound silly, but in my most desperate
moments when all I wanted was to go home to Heaven, I got a particular image in my head. It went something
like this:
I commit suicide and show up in Heaven. Wonderful! I am now in Heaven and free of pain. I walk through those
pearly gates onto the streets of gold and there stands Jesus. My heart sinks. He is not happy to see me. His
arms are folded across His chest. He is tapping one foot on the ground. He glances at the watch on His left
wrist. Then He speaks to me, “What are you doing here ahead of schedule? Do you have any idea of many
things you did not complete?”
Now, I do not know what actually happens when you show up in Heaven ahead of schedule. Since God
promises that there will be no suffering, I imagine I would be welcomed with open loving arms. My imaginary
scenario is just my own fear playing out in my head. I do know that when I arrive in Heaven, I want to hear Jesus
say “Well done, good and faithful servant” Mathew 25:23 (NKJV) I want my arrival in Heaven to be the joyous
occasion that I have been awaiting. Because I love Jesus, I want Him to be pleased with the way I have lived my
life. There are several Bible passages that talk about living a life worthy of the calling you have received. This is
my great desire, to live my life worthy of the call God has given me.
3. Third, Jesus has promised you an abundant life. In John 10:10b (NKJV), He says, “I have come that they may
have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” This verse has always been the proof that there is more
to this life than the misery I have experienced. This verse is the proof that there is hope for my life. There is also
hope for your life! Give Jesus the opportunity to help you experience the abundant life He died to give you.
There is plenty of time to be in Heaven. We will be there for all eternity. Until then, there is work to be done. It is
time to heal from our past hurts so that our lives can become everything God planned.
In my case, those past hurts have turned out to be part of what God has planned for me. If only one life is
touched in a positive manner because of my past suffering, then it has all been worthwhile. There is no telling
how God will use you to touch the lives of other people. Make a commitment today to finding out what God has
planned for you.
The whole duty of man
We have come full circle. Toward the end of his life, King Solomon shared his wisdom with the world. He had
learned that loving and respecting God and doing as He asks is our entire duty on earth. Life is not about
making money, climbing corporate ladders, getting married, having children or getting a retirement time-share
vacation package.
You may be surprised to know that King Solomon penned the words that were adapted to the musical group
The Byrds’ popular 1965 song “Turn, Turn, Turn.” See if these verses sound familiar:
It is time for you to learn to survive your active suicidal thoughts. It is time for you to heal from your underlying
emotional wounds. It is time for you to live the abundant life Jesus died for you to experience. It is time to make a
one-year commitment to turn, turn, turn your life around.
Let’s now learn more about making this one-year commitment.
beg the question, “If I commit suicide, what will happen to me when I die?”
If you are not sure about your eternal destination, this is one time it is much better to be safe rather than sorry.
The worst case scenario for you is to commit suicide to achieve permanent relief from your suffering only to
condemn yourself to an eternity of unrelenting pain. Can you think of anything worse?
For those of you who are sure of your eternal destination, you may be surprised that the Apostle Paul shared
your feelings of wanting to be in Heaven rather than continue to live on earth. Now, I am not saying that Paul was
suicidal because I do not believe that to be the case. However, Paul clearly had a longing to be in Heaven. Along
my own journey, God showed me some verses in Philippians that forever changed my perspective. I will share
these with you later in this chapter.
What will happen to me when I die?
People instinctively realize that they are spirit beings. How do I know this? I know this because people have the
common knowledge that when a person dies, the physical body is typically buried or cremated, yet we still
wonder what will happen to us when we die.
We instinctively realize that our essence will not be buried with our physical body. We ask, “What will happen to
me when I die?” but what we are really wondering is, “What will happen to my spirit when my body stops
functioning?”
To understand what happens to us when we die, we must first have an understanding of the three components
that comprise each human being. According to the Bible, each person has a spirit, a soul and a body. This fact
is stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV) when the Apostle Paul says, “May your whole spirit, soul and body be
kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I think that there is a common misconception that we
are made up of only a body and a “soul,” and that most people are not exactly sure what is meant by a “soul.”
Let’s quickly review the three components:
- The Body: This is the flesh and bones you can physically touch and see.
- The Spirit: This is our non-physical being. God is a spirit being and we are created in His image, therefore we
are also spirit beings. Every person’s spirit is either connected or disconnected from God.
- The Soul: This is what makes you unique such as your personality. My counselor once demonstrated by
drawing me a picture that was divided into three parts. She labeled the sections as follows: mind, will, emotions.
While suicide stops all physical body functions, the spirit continues to live because the spirit is eternal. In other
words, we can kill our flesh and bones, but we cannot kill our spirit. From this perspective, it is actually
impossible to kill ourselves because we cannot kill the essence of our being, only the body that houses that
being. Therefore, our question should be, “What happens to my eternal spirit when my body stops functioning?”
Let’s answer that question now.
A choice of destination
Whether you choose to believe it or not, there is an eternal Heaven and there is an eternal Hell. Whether you
choose to believe it or not, there is eternal joy and there is eternal suffering. If you commit suicide, your spirit will
continue into the joys of Heaven or into the sufferings of Hell.
This is the answer for the question that every person asks. When we die, our flesh and bones are typically
disposed of in a socially accepted manner while our spirit continues on to Heaven or Hell. Now, the good news
is that you get to make the selection between these two destinations. No one will decide for you. You are
standing at a crossroads. You can choose to spend eternity in Heaven or in Hell.
“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings
and curses. Now choose life” Deuteronomy 30:19a NIV
God makes it clear that you have a choice about where to spend eternity. He even lets you know which selection
is the preferred choice by saying to choose life. Let’s look at some of the characteristics of your options.
Heaven
- - Eternal:
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to life eternal." Matthew 25:46
(NIV)
- No Death, Mourning, Crying or Pain
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he
will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:3-4 (NIV)
- Hell
- - Eternal:
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to life eternal." Matthew 25:46
(NIV)
- Torment, Agony, Can see into Heaven
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich
man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham
far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and
send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in
this fire.' ” Luke 16:22-24 (NIV)
Now that you have become familiar with some of the characteristics of your two destination options, go ahead
and complete the Destination Characteristics Worksheet.
Destination Characteristics Worksheet
After reviewing the destination descriptions, please complete this analysis worksheet:
1. What is the one thing Heaven and Hell have in common: _______________________
2. What are some of the differences between Heaven and Hell?
Heaven Hell
______________________________ _____________________________
______________________________ _____________________________
______________________________ _____________________________
3. Which do you prefer as your eternal destination: ______________________________
4. What may happen to you when you die if you have not seriously considered your destination choices?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. List three people you can approach to learn more about Heaven and Hell?
____________________ ____________________ ____________________
6. Fill in the corresponding dates you will approach each of these three individuals with your questions about
eternal destination.
____________________ ____________________ ____________________
How do I go to Heaven?
If you find this all a little confusing, I was once standing at your same crossroads. After several years as an
atheist, God presented Himself to me in such a real way that there was no doubt that He existed. One moment I
was a teenage atheist jamming to my stereo and in the next moment, I was experiencing the indisputable
presence of our Creator.
My first thought was “Wow! There is really a God and so that means there is also a Heaven. This is wonderful!”
My next thought was, “Oh, no! That means there is also a Hell and I know where I am probably going!”
I spent the next two weeks trying to learn how not to go to Hell. The good news is that God wants each of us to
know for sure how to go to Heaven. He says through the Apostle John in 1 John 5:13 (NIV), "I write these things
to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."
So, exactly how do we go to Heaven? Let me explain this in five simple steps.
1. Who are you?
- You are a spirit being housed in a physical body.
- Your physical body will die but your spirit is eternal.
- God created you to be connected to Him through your spirit.
“May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV)
2. Why will you not automatically go to Heaven?
- God is perfect and cannot be in the presence of sin.
- You have sinned.
- Sin has caused your spirit to be disconnected from God.
We already established in Chapter 3 that sin means missing the mark, that we have all sinned, and that the
penalty for sin is eternal death. Eternal death is also called eternal separation from God or Hell. Think of your
spirit as being disconnected from God. A critical thing to understand is that because God is perfect He, by
definition, cannot co-exist with imperfection.
If you are not sure if you have ever sinned or missed God’s mark for you, take this litmus test. Have you put
anything or anyone in your life ahead of your relationship with God? Have you ever told a lie (yes, the little ones
count)? Have you ever told a half-truth (this is also called a lie)? Have you ever taken something that did not
belong to you (yes, this includes things like office pens)? Have you ever looked at another person with lustful
eyes? Have you ever wanted something that belonged to someone else? These are just a few common sins. If
you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have fallen short of God’s mark for your life. In other
words, you have sinned.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 (NIV)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Roman 6:23 (NIV)
3. What are your eternal destination choices?
- If your physical body dies while your spirit is disconnected from God, then your spirit will be eternally separated
from God and you will spend eternity in Hell.
- If your physical body dies after your spirit has been connected to God, then your spirit will spend eternity with
God in Heaven.
This is a simple concept. One thing to understand is that you were born disconnected from God. It is not like you
were connected to God and then sinned for the first time and then were disconnected. The reason you were
born in a disconnected state is because of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. You are probably familiar with
their story.
Without entering into a deep theological dissertation, when God created Adam and Eve, their spirits were
connected to God. However, Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit which gave them the
knowledge of good and evil. As a result, their spirits were disconnected from God. This is not because God did
not want them to be connected anymore, but because they had committed sin. As we said before, God is
perfect. By definition He cannot coexist with imperfection.
Now, because the human spirit was disconnected from God on that first day of disobedience, every human
since then has been born with disconnected spirits. Just as Adam and Eve had the free will to make a decision
that caused them to be disconnected from God, each person since then has had the free will to remain
disconnected from God or to reconnect with His Spirit. You will make your own decision on where to spend
eternity.
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25:49 (NIV)
“so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:21 (NIV)
4. How does Jesus fit into this?
- Because there is nothing you can do to reconnect your own spirit to God, He sent His Son Jesus to make
reconnection possible.
- The penalty for sin is eternal death through separation from God.
- Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth to pay your sin debt so that you can be reconnected to God.
- Jesus took on the sins of the world, died on a cross and was raised from the dead three days later. In doing this,
He paid the penalty for every single person’s sin; thereby creating a bridge to God through Himself.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
(NKJV)
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”
Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV)
Because God loves us, He wants to make it possible to reconnect with Him so that we can spend eternity in
Heaven with Him. He made provisions through His Son Jesus Christ so that this reconnection would be
possible.
5. How do you reconnect with God, ensuring you will go to Heaven?
- To reconnect your spirit to God and spend eternity in Heaven, all you need to do is walk across the bridge
Jesus has built for you.
- To do this, you will need to acknowledge that you have sinned, ask for forgiveness, and then invite Jesus to be
in charge of your life from this day forward.
- This is known as a spiritual rebirth because your spirit, that was disconnected from God and going to Hell, is
now reconnected to God and you will be spending eternity in Heaven. When you hear people say they have
been “saved,” this is what they are talking about. They have been saved from Hell.
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you
will be saved.” Romans 10:9 (NKJV)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)
There is so much more for you to learn about the true human condition, Heaven, God, Jesus and eternity. There
are two books by Lee Strobel that I highly recommend you read. The Case for Faith and The Case for Christ
provide easy-to-understand answers for the most-asked questions about Christianity and Jesus Christ.
I want to go to Heaven
If you have decided that you want to reconnect your spirit with God and spend eternity in Heaven, congratulations
on making this life-changing decision!
Your next steps are very simple.
1. Tell God that you realize your have missed His mark, that you have sinned.
2. Ask Him to forgive you.
3. Ask Jesus to come into your life as your personal Lord and Savior.
“But unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3b (NKJV)
“That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the
dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that
you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)
If you are not sure of how to pray or talk with Jesus, you can read these words to Him:
“Dear Jesus, I am sorry for the sins I have committed in my life. I want to live differently from now on. I ask you to
forgive me of my sins. I believe that you died to pay my sin debt so that I can be reconnected with God through
your free gift of salvation. I accept your free gift of salvation and ask you to be in charge of my life as my personal
Lord and my Savior. I ask this in your Holy Name, Amen.”
Congratulations! If you believe in your heart the things you have just said to Jesus, then your spirit is now
reconnected to God through Jesus and you will spend eternity in Heaven.
If you have chosen to not repent of your sins and ask Jesus to be in charge of your life, I urge you to learn more
about Christianity and Jesus before moving forward with any suicide plans. As I said at the beginning of this
chapter, the worst case scenario for you is to commit suicide to achieve permanent relief from your suffering
only to condemn yourself to an eternity of unrelenting pain in Hell. This is one time it is much better to be safe
rather than sorry. It is not God’s will for even one of His children to be lost to an eternal death because of sin.
Even though we choose to sin, God has provided a way for us to come back to Him.
“He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9b (NIV)
Regardless of what your decision is today, I recommend you visit Billy Graham’s web site at
www.needhim.org for additional information. If you would like to speak with someone regarding your decision
today, please contact a local Christian church for an appointment. Any pastor on staff will be happy to answer all
of your questions.
If you chose to reconnect with God today, please visit a local church this coming Sunday and tell one of the
pastor’s about your decision.
Now, we have answered the question “What will happen to me when I die?” plus addressed the choices of
eternal destination. There are two other questions that people ask themselves at some point in their lives,
especially when they are hurting emotionally. These questions are “Why was I created?” and “What is my
purpose?” Let’s answer these questions, too.
Why was I created?
Simply put, God created you to be in relationship with Him and to bring Him glory. He is our Heavenly Father and
we are His children. He watches over us with loving care.
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created
them.” Genesis 1:27 (NKJV)
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:3 (NKJV)
In dealing with my own situation, God has made me see that He has a plan for me that does not include
showing up in Heaven ahead of schedule while leaving His work unfinished. He has shown me that my
existence has a higher purpose than my circumstances may reveal to me.
The Apostle Paul is a wonderful example of a higher purpose. As he spent the last several years of his life in
prison, Paul must have wondered why God would allow him to be in jail when there was so much work to be
done telling others about Jesus Christ. In hindsight, God used Paul’s time in prison to write a portion of the New
Testament. As a result, every generation to come would learn about Jesus through Paul’s writings. I imagine it
was challenging for Paul to see God’s higher purpose in his circumstances. It is also challenging for us today
to see God’s higher purpose through our circumstances.
God does have a plan for our lives. In fact, Jeremiah 29:11(NIV) says,
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future.”
Can you just imagine how full your life would be if you knew your purpose on this earth? What it would be like to
know for sure what would happen to you when you die? What it would be like to know there is a loving God to
guide you through each day and that you would spend eternity in Heaven with Him? This is abundance! All of
this is real! All of this is available to you today! How could you ever want more than this?
It is time to find the abundance and purpose you were born to experience. And I do not mean abundance in
material things because these things pass away. Today’s department store treasures becomes tomorrow’s
garage sale specials. We frequently hear the second half of John 10:10 quoted but let’s take a look at
“abundance” in context.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that
they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 (NKJV)
Sin has caused you to be disconnected from God. This disconnection puts you on Satan’s side of the fence and
his only intention toward you is to steal, kill and destroy your life.
However, Jesus came so that you could reconnect with God and His intentions towards you are that of a loving
Father who wants only the best for you. While being disconnected from God condemns you to an eternal death,
Jesus offers life with grace, mercy, love and an eternity in Heaven.
I will repeat the reason you were created. God created you to be in relationship with Him and to bring Him glory.
Anytime something is happening to me that I do not understand and I ask myself the question, “Why?,” I have
learned to respond immediately to my own inquiry with, “To draw me closer to God and to bring Him glory.”
What is my purpose on earth?
At the beginning of this chapter, I indicated that the Apostle Paul preferred to be in Heaven rather than stay on
earth. Here are Paul’s perspective changing words that God showed to me during one of my lowest moments:
“If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am
torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you
that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your
progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on
account of me.” Philippians 1:22-26 (NIV)
The day that God brought Paul’s words to my attention was a real epiphany! Talk about a genuine “AH-HA”
moment in my life! For the first time, I stopped feeling guilty about wanting to be in Heaven instead of on earth.
The Apostle Paul said that it is better to be in Heaven! No wonder I preferred to be there. It was also a real wake
up call to be reminded that it is more necessary for me to be on this earth at this particular time in history. Paul
realized that, while he longed to be in Heaven, his purpose on earth was to tell people about Jesus and to help
them grow in their faith.
I will spend an eternity in Heaven while there is only a limited amount of time for me to accomplish God's will on
this earth. And, by the way, this is my purpose on earth – to accomplish God’s will which is to tell others about
Jesus Christ.
This brings us back to King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. Remember what he said?
“What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun. All his days his
work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 2:22-23
(NIV)
“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This
too is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NIV)
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this
is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV)
No wonder we find so many aspects of life to be meaningless. No wonder things seem so hopeless. We live in
a world that pursues earthly things that will pass way while missing the true purpose of our creation.
We have been created to love God and be in relationship with Him. Our purpose on this earth is to tell other
people about God so that they, too, can have their spirits reconnected to Him and spend eternity in Heaven.
Several years ago while sitting in a discipleship class, a pastor asked the group a question. He said, “If God
wants you to be in Heaven, and you want to be in Heaven, then why are you still here?” Well, the class sat
silently.
The pastor pointed toward several class members making statements one at a time. Looking at one, He said,
“You are still here because you have not finished raising your children.” Then to the next one, “You are still here
because you have not finished saving for retirement.” Then the next one, “You are still here because you have
that big project going on at work.”
Well, by now, we all knew the pastor was about to make a significant point. We continued to sit silently. Then he
looked at the class and said, “The only reason you are still here is because there are people on this earth that
do not know about Jesus.”
Wow! The reason I was created is to be in fellowship with God and to bring glory to Him. The reason I am still on
earth and not in Heaven is because my life has a higher purpose on this earth than going to work, raising kids
and planning for retirement. I am here so that I can tell people about Jesus!
When everyone on earth knows about Jesus, it is game, set and match. Jesus will return and we will live with
Him for an eternity. To learn more about Jesus, you can watch “The Jesus Film” on-line for free at www.
jesusfilm.org.
Three reasons you cannot commit suicide
You are on this earth at this particular time because you have something to contribute. God knew all about your
life before you were ever born. Psalms 139:13-16 (NIV) describes how God is intimately intertwined in every
aspect of your life.
“For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.”
How amazing! He knows all the plans He has for you. Although Heaven is a better place than present day earth,
you cannot commit suicide for three reasons.
1. First, it is necessary that you be on earth to help the Kingdom. God has told you through Paul that it is
necessary for the Body of Christ that you remain on earth. God has told you that you are needed. Your feelings of
hopelessness and isolation are the result of years of emotional pain that needs to be healed so that you can
get on with carrying out your God given assignments.
2. Second, you do not want to show up in Heaven early. This may sound silly, but in my most desperate
moments when all I wanted was to go home to Heaven, I got a particular image in my head. It went something
like this:
I commit suicide and show up in Heaven. Wonderful! I am now in Heaven and free of pain. I walk through those
pearly gates onto the streets of gold and there stands Jesus. My heart sinks. He is not happy to see me. His
arms are folded across His chest. He is tapping one foot on the ground. He glances at the watch on His left
wrist. Then He speaks to me, “What are you doing here ahead of schedule? Do you have any idea of many
things you did not complete?”
Now, I do not know what actually happens when you show up in Heaven ahead of schedule. Since God
promises that there will be no suffering, I imagine I would be welcomed with open loving arms. My imaginary
scenario is just my own fear playing out in my head. I do know that when I arrive in Heaven, I want to hear Jesus
say “Well done, good and faithful servant” Mathew 25:23 (NKJV) I want my arrival in Heaven to be the joyous
occasion that I have been awaiting. Because I love Jesus, I want Him to be pleased with the way I have lived my
life. There are several Bible passages that talk about living a life worthy of the calling you have received. This is
my great desire, to live my life worthy of the call God has given me.
3. Third, Jesus has promised you an abundant life. In John 10:10b (NKJV), He says, “I have come that they may
have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” This verse has always been the proof that there is more
to this life than the misery I have experienced. This verse is the proof that there is hope for my life. There is also
hope for your life! Give Jesus the opportunity to help you experience the abundant life He died to give you.
There is plenty of time to be in Heaven. We will be there for all eternity. Until then, there is work to be done. It is
time to heal from our past hurts so that our lives can become everything God planned.
In my case, those past hurts have turned out to be part of what God has planned for me. If only one life is
touched in a positive manner because of my past suffering, then it has all been worthwhile. There is no telling
how God will use you to touch the lives of other people. Make a commitment today to finding out what God has
planned for you.
The whole duty of man
We have come full circle. Toward the end of his life, King Solomon shared his wisdom with the world. He had
learned that loving and respecting God and doing as He asks is our entire duty on earth. Life is not about
making money, climbing corporate ladders, getting married, having children or getting a retirement time-share
vacation package.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NIV)
"Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil."
You may be surprised to know that King Solomon penned the words that were adapted to the musical group
The Byrds’ popular 1965 song “Turn, Turn, Turn.” See if these verses sound familiar:
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NKJV)
“To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.”
It is time for you to learn to survive your active suicidal thoughts. It is time for you to heal from your underlying
emotional wounds. It is time for you to live the abundant life Jesus died for you to experience. It is time to make a
one-year commitment to turn, turn, turn your life around.
Let’s now learn more about making this one-year commitment.
*Abridged from A Time to Live: Surviving Suicidal Thoughts by Kimberly Andry
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