Ep. 10 A Biblical Perspective on Mental Illness and Suicide?

Shows Main Idea – What is the relationship between mental illness and suicide? Is that the best way to ask this question? If not, how would you frame the problem a person who commits suicide? What does the Bible say?

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Show Notes

I would frame the question this way: “Can a fallen person, even if they have been regenerated, commit suicide?”

Apart from biblio-centric stewardship of our bodies and souls, we have no hope for properly understanding and responding to our organic or non-organic selves–body or soul.

Helpful passages:

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. – John 3:36

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. – Romans 1:18

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. – Romans 1:21

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. – Ephesians 4:17-19

To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. – Ephesians 4:22-24

Here is a partial list of some of the global elements that fall under the Bible’s superior and all-sufficient scrutiny.

1. What is their soul capacity? See 1 Thessalonians 5:14 Listen to this podcast, People with Different Character and Capacity Issues
2. What is their IQ?
3. How have they been educated, and what effect has education and the education environment had on them?
4. Is their conscience hard or weak, and how has their conscience been shaped by (1) personal choices and (2) external shaping influences of others? See 1 Timothy 4:2; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13.
5. Describe their spiritual issues like fear, apathy, anger, greed, selfishness, deception, and lust. Hundreds more…
6. Describe their spiritual issues like hope, peace, love, security, truth-telling, thoughts about God, themselves, others, and eternity.
7. Have they been regenerated (born a second time) (John 3:7), and what does growing up into Christ look like for them (1 Peter 2:2)?
8. What is their spiritual acumen, which is tied to their rebirth?
9. What have been their shaping influences—past and current, and the effects of both?
10. What were their family dynamics like as a child? What about now?
11. What are the effects of their physical well being? How are they engaging the “wasting away” of the outer person (2 Corinthians 4:16)?
12. What were their past habits (habituation)? (See Galatians 6:1-2) What are their current ones? This encompasses spiritual ones (e.g., truth-telling v. deceptions) as well as physical ones (e.g., smoking v. exercise or eating well).
13. What has been the effect of a parent on them as a child (Ephesians 6:4)? What are the effects of their current relationships (Ephesians 4:21; Romans 12:14-21)?
14. What have been the cultural influences, past and present?

The Bible’s worldview regarding our problems and solutions is far more comprehensive than the culture’s worldview. Unfortunately, there are few Christians who know how to make this analysis. We have been put on the bench while the world runs the show.

Our call to action is to step up, become trained, and engage our problems biblically.

Rick Thomas

Rick Thomas leads a training network for Christians to assist them in becoming more effective soul care providers. RickThomas.Net reaches people around the world through consulting, training, podcasting, writing, counseling, and speaking.

In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology, and in 1991 he received a BS in Education. In 1993 he was ordained into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University in Santa Clarita, CA. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).