Who are the poor in spirit?

QUESTION: Jesus taught about the "poor in spirit" in one of his
messages found in the book of Matthew. Who are these people? Do they
still exist today?

ANSWER: Jesus began to teach about those whose spirit was poor, near
the beginning of his public ministry. He used this topic as the
foundational teaching on which he would not only explain and reveal
the full intent of the Old Testament's laws but also as the starting
point on how true Christians should think and act in their everyday
lives. His discussion on the subject starts what is commonly called
the Sermon on the Mount, which is arguably his most famous message.

1. But seeing the multitudes, He went up into the mountain; and when
He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2. And He opened His mouth and
taught them, saying, 3. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven . . ." (Matthew 5:1 - 3, HBFV Bible throughout)

Surprisingly, only the book of Matthew (chapters 5 to 7) writes about
the details of his message with the book of Luke (chapter 6) recording
only select pieces. The opening sentences of this "sermon" are often
called the Beatitudes or "beautiful attitudes" because they talk about
the attitudes God highly prizes.

So, what exactly was the Lord discussing? One hint in understanding
what Christ was referring to can be found by noticing the word
"spirit" in verse 3 above. In the Holy Bible Faithful Version, and
most other translations such as the KJV, NKJV, NIV and others, the
word does not start with a capital letter. This signifies that the
word is understood to not refer to the Holy Spirit, which is what
makes someone a Christian (Romans 8:9), but to something else.

"Spirit" in this verse is referring to a person's frame of mind or
their attitude. It is how a person thinks about the world around them
and their own personal relationship with the Eternal.  Regarding the
meaning of the whole phrase in question, some commentaries state the
following in their notes on Matthew 5:3.

"To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to be
sensible that we are sinners, and have no righteousness of our own . .
." (Barnes' Notes on the New Testament)

"Poorness of spirit involves (1) Humility, (2) Contentment, (3)
Submission, (4) Gratitude" (The Biblical Illustrator)

"Poverty of spirit is the opposite of pride, self-righteousness, and
self-conceit; the spirit of the publican rather than of the Pharisee .
. ." (A Commentary on the Holy Bible by J.R. Dummelow)

As was mentioned in the last comment above, an excellent contrast
between the self-exalting arrogance God dislikes (especially among
religious people) versus the humble and contrite heart he is looking
for is found in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican.

9. And to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and
despised others, He also spoke this parable: 10. "Two men went up into
the temple to pray; the one was a Pharisee and the other a tax
collector. 11. The Pharisee stood and prayed with himself in this
manner: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men - extortioners,
unrighteous, adulterers - or even as this tax collector . . .'

13. "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not even lift up
his eyes to heaven, but beat himself on the chest, saying, 'God, be
merciful to me, a sinner.' 14. I tell you, this man went down to his
house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts
himself shall be humbled; and the one who humbles himself shall be
exalted" (Luke 18:10 - 11, 13 - 14)

Those who have this "poor" attitude realize, in the core of their
being, their utter need for God and their inability to save
themselves. They are keenly aware that they humbly need his help and
mercy every moment of every day. One popular worship song that conveys
this understanding, found in many church hymnals, is called "I Need
Thee Every Hour." It is a beautiful hymn sung with meaning for those
who have become aware of their utter dependency on the Eternal to help
them make it though life. Those who have this attitude are indeed
blessed. Jesus stated they should rejoice and be filled with joy for
great is their reward in heaven (Matthew 5:12)! It is a state of mind
that all Christians should strive to attain.

The man who is poor in spirit is the man
who has realized that things mean nothing,
and that God means everything.
William Barclay (1907 - 1978)

The END of the WORLD

Humans seem to have a fascination about the end of the world. Many
people, like the first century disciples, want to know what will be
the signs that will signal Christ's return (Matthew 24:3). Knowing
this interest with the prophetic "last days," countless ministries,
would-be prophets and even Hollywood have supplied an continuous
stream of material promoting their speculations regarding the events
to take place during the End Time. Many even attempt to predict the
year, or even the month, Jesus will come back to earth.
This fascination with the 'end of the world as we know it' may be due,
in part, to the fact that the events leading up to and including the
Second Coming of Christ are mentioned at least 318 times in the New
Testament. According to the Encyclopedia of Bible Facts, information
related to his return is mentioned more than any other doctrine.

Jesus told his disciples, clearly and directly, that no one will be
able to figure out the exact time when the end of the world will occur
and man's sad dominion on the earth will cease. Yet many 'false
prophets' seem determined to prove our Savior wrong!

36. But concerning that day, and the hour (of when the end will come),
NO ONE KNOWS, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only . . .
42. Watch, therefore, because YOU DO NOT KNOW in what hour your Lord
is coming . . . 44. Therefore, you also be ready. For the Son of man
is coming at a time that YOU DO NOT THINK. (Matthew 24:36, 42, 44,
HBFV throughout unless stated)

We have a three-fold admonition from Jesus, who was and is God, that
not even called and converted Christians will be able to figure out
when the end of man's civilization and the beginning of Jesus' reign
on earth will happen!

Events before Christ's return
Although the Bible does not give us the exact time of Christ's Second
Coming, it does give a broad outline of what events MUST occur before
the completion of the age. Some of these events will no doubt occur
within a relatively short span of time while others will take YEARS,
perhaps decades, to reach their fullness.

Before everything is completely destroyed, MANY end time false
prophets and false Messiahs will come to deceive the masses and offer
false hopes (Matthew 24:4 - 5, 26 - 27).

A global time of trials and troubles will occur (Great Tribulation)
the likes of which has never been seen. There will be wars, rumors of
wars, earthquakes, famines and more, yet some people and nations will
still prosper (see Revelation 18:9 - 19).

The whole world will be deceived, through false signs and wonders, to
worship a false Messiah. A mark or sign will designate who willingly
worships and obeys the false system. The Beast and False Prophet will
deceive and rule humanity for 3 1/2 years (Revelation 13 - 14).

God's Two Witnesses will be given unprecedented power for 3 1/2 years
to call upon all humans to repent and prepare themselves for the
imminent return of Christ (Revelation 11:3 - 7).

Almost all true Christians, who are those who obey God and keep his
commandments (Matthew 24:9, Revelation 12:17, 14:12, 22:14), will be
afflicted, persecuted and hunted down. They will be slaughtered in
great numbers (Matthew 24:9, Revelation 6:10 - 11, 12:11, 17, 13:7).

Four demonic spirits will be released from the Euphrates River to
wreak havoc on the earth (Revelation 9:13 - 15). Shortly thereafter
the river will be DRIED UP to allow the entire world, near the very
end, to gather themselves together in a place called the valley of
Megiddo (from where we get the term Armageddon) to make war against
Jesus as he returns to earth (Revelation 16:12, 14, 17:12 - 14).

The ultimate outcome of all these events would be the annihilation of
ALL human life if God did not intervene (Matthew 24:21 - 22).

In conclusion
Some people seem willing to believe almost anything that seems
credible to them - anything, that is, except the Bible. Although the
exact time of the end of the world is not delineated in Scripture, we
are told that certain major events WILL and MUST occur before the Lord
arrives to save mankind from himself. Those who offer fanciful
speculations or try to convince people they know the exact moment of
our Savior's return should not be taken seriously.

What is repentance?

What does the Bible say about repentance? Can a person save themselves
if they obey God? Are we required to DO anything BEFORE we can receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit? What is the role of obedience and good
works in the life of a Christian?
First, let us begin with a Biblical definition of what this article
discusses. Repentance is remorse and sorrow for the sins we have
committed. Sin is the transgression of God's holy and perfect laws,
whether in the letter or in the spirit (intent of). The apostle Paul
states in the book of Ephesians the following.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this especially
is not of your own selves; it is the gift of God, Not of works, so
that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, HBFV)
No work or effort on the part of any person will ever 'earn' them
salvation. Eternal life is a gift. However, the Bible teaches not only
repentance but that believers must obey God. How can this be?

The law of God is a critical Biblical subject both in the Old and in
the New Testaments. We do not have to go very far into the gospels
before we run into statements about God's laws. In fact, near the very
beginning of Jesus' well-known Sermon on the Mount he states about
obeying God.

17 'Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and
the teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them .
. .18 Remember that as long as heaven and earth last, not the least
point nor the smallest detail of the Law will be done away with'
(Matthew 5:17-18)

From Jesus' statement we can only conclude that since heaven and earth
are still here, God's law have not been "done away with" but are still
in effect! In the book of Revelation the apostle John writes that
commandment keeping will still exist in the end time before Jesus'
return (Revelation 14:12).
Obedience to God is repeated many times in God's word, especially
those of the apostle John. Notice how direct and blunt he is about
sin, repentance and obeying God's law.

"The one who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments,
is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1John 2:4, see also 3:4,
3:22, 5:3 and 2John 5-6)

What did Paul think about God's law?
"Therefore, the law is indeed holy . . . " (Romans 7:12)

Good works, meaning doing what is right in God's sight, are an
integral part of the life of a Christian (Ephesians 2:10). Paul lets
us know that those who do not obey will not be in his kingdom
(1Corinthians 6:9-10).

Each of the Ten Commandments, given to Moses on Mount Sinai, are
repeated either exactly or with words conveying the same thing in the
New Testament. These reiterated commandments from the Eternal show the
standard against which repentance is needed.

Repentance then conversion
On Pentecost, just days after Jesus ascended to heaven, God empowered
the disciples by giving them His Holy Spirit and the miraculous
ability to extol and praise him in other languages. As people in
Jerusalem start to gather around the disciples to see what is
happening Peter gives a powerful message explaining the miracles that
were occurring and that Jesus was the true Savior of man. The crowd
who hear Peter have their consciences pricked. Peter then tells the
crowd the following.

"Then Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized each one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you yourselves
shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" (Acts 2:38)

In the Bible, the word REPENT comes from the Greek word metanoeo
(Strong's Concordance #G3340) which means to think differently or
reconsider and to begin to feel regret. Repentance begins to occur
when we fell sorry, remorsefully, etc. about the sins we have
committed --- our disobedience to God through the breaking of His
commandments. A person not only feels sorry for their sins but also
desires and begins to obey God, which Peter again states must occur
before he will give them the gift of his Spirit (Acts 5:32).

Loving
What God ultimately requires of us is summed up by Jesus.

And Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' (Matthew
22:37)

Does loving your neighbor mean simply thinking nice things about them?
No. It is the day to day application of the spirit and intent of God's
Laws. This includes helping our neighbor when they are in trouble,
safeguarding our property so that the neighbor does not hurt
themselves by falling into a hole, giving them money when they are in
need, etc. It means sharing our food with them if they are hungry or
getting them clothes they cannot afford. Now, how does someone love
God?

To love our Father in heaven is far more than attending church
services. To truly love God means to do what he says -- to obey his
commands, etc. It is obedience not to 'earn' the right to be saved but
out of our desire to do the will of God. On the night he was betrayed
Jesus taught the disciples about many things, including what it means
to love him and the Father. Jesus clearly linked love and obedience
when he said the following.

"If you love Me, keep the commandments - namely, My commandments. (John 14:15)

In the end, if we do not DO what is right --- if we do not obey our
Creator and Father --- then whatever faith we think we have is DEAD
and useless (James 2:24, 26).

This is what repentance is all about!

God's responses to prayer

What can you do in those instances when you know you have prayed for
something within God's will - and yet the answer to your prayer seems
to be SILENCE? You petition the Father in faith, yet his response is
nothing.
Don't be so sure that God's silence is His final answer or that it is
a "sign" for you to stop asking. If you have done everything right and
have made your petition in faith, consider His silence as an
invitation to approach Him and talk over the matter a little more. It
may be that God wants to see if you are willing to persist in your
request and pursue a definitive answer.

I am the Lord, and I created the whole world. 3 Ask me, and I will
tell you things that you don't know and can't find out. (Jeremiah 33)

7. And shall not God execute vengeance for His elect, who cry out to
Him day and night, and patiently watch over them? (Luke 18)

Don't give up until God answers you one way or another. When he does
respond it will be one of three answers: Yes, No and Wait.

The answer is YES

Of course, the answer all of us usually want from God regarding our
requests is a resounding YES!

Solomon, as a young and inexperienced King of Israel, asked God for
something he knew he greatly lacked - wisdom. God responded not only
with a loud YES, but gave him far more than he could have dared to
ask.

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this, 11 and so he
said to him, "Because you have asked for the wisdom to rule justly,
instead of long life for yourself or riches or the death of your
enemies, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you more wisdom
and understanding than anyone has ever had before or will ever have
again. 13 I will also give you what you have not asked for: all your
life you will have wealth and honor, more than that of any other king.
(1Kings 3, see also 2Chronicles 1:10-12)

The early church, after Peter was arrested by Herod, offered up
fervent prayers for him. What they received from God was nothing short
of miraculous. God personally sent one of his angels to free Peter of
his chains and escort him out of the prison in which he was held (Acts
12)!

They are, of course, many other examples in scripture where God grants
the request of those who pray to him.

The answer is NO

Like it or not, sometimes God's answer to our request is a flat NO.
Many times he does not give us what we want because we ask for
something to fulfill our own selfish desires and lusts.

3. Then you ask, and you do not receive, because you ask with evil
motives, that you may consume it on your own lusts. (James 4:3)

Moses, even though he wanted to enter the promised land with the rest
of Israelites, was kept from doing so by God because of his sin. He
was only allowed to view Canaan from a distance before he died
(Numbers 20:12, Deuteronomy 34:2-5). The apostle Paul wanted a painful
affliction taken away from him but was told no. God told Paul that his
grace (favor) was sufficient (2Corinthians 12:9). Even Jesus, the son
of God, was told NO when he asked that "the cup" of becoming sin for
us be taken from him (Matthew 26, see also Matthew 20:22-23).

The answer is WAIT

Having to wait and exercise patience is not easy, especially in a
society that expects instant gratification. Yet the character to wait
patiently and endure is something God wants in us (Romans 5:1-5).

I waited patiently for the Lord's help; then he listened to me and
heard my cry. (Psalm 40:1)

4 'All right,' I (Jeremiah) answered, 'I will pray to the Lord your
God, and I will tell you everything he says.' 7 TEN DAYS LATER, the
Lord gave me an answer (Jeremiah 42)

In the final analysis, believers can be confident that their prayers
to God do reach him for his loving consideration.

14. And this is the confidence that we have toward Him: that if we ask
anything according to His will, He hears us. 15. And if we know that
He hears us, whatever we may ask, we know that we have the requests
that we have asked of Him (1John 5:14-15)

Can a Christian go to heaven even if they have a sin habit?

Bible Question:

Even if you know Jesus is the Son of God and you keep habitually
committing a certain sins can you still be forgiven all of your sins
no matter what they are?


Bible Answer:
The reason a Christian usually has doubts about his or her salvation
or about God's forgiveness is because he or she is not confessing sin
and seeking to turn away from the sins he or she is committing. In 1
John the Holy Spirit tells us that this will happen, but He also says
that Christians will have confidence that they are God's children when
their conduct pleases God.

We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our
heart before Him (NASB) 1 John 3:19

This is one mark of a true Christian.

Keeps His Word. God gives us several tests that we can use to
determine if we are Christians. One of these tests is found in 1 John
2. In this passage the apostle John writes,

By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His
commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does
not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but
whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been
perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he
abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
(NASB) 1 John 2:3-6

Did you notice that those who know God (Christians) obey God? If we
say that we are Christians because we know that Jesus is the Son of
God but we keep sinning, we have deceived ourselves. We are not really
Christians. The mark of a Christian is that he or she "keeps His
word." But what does it mean to "keep"? This unlocks the meaning of
our passage. Does this mean that God expects us to obey Him perfectly?
If one commits one sin, then is he or she no longer a Christian? The
answer is no because the Greek word for "keep" does not have the idea
of "perfection" but of "guarding or watching." It has the idea of a
strong commitment to keep or obey. The meaning becomes clear just a
few verses later when we read,

If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who
practices righteousness is born of Him. (NASB) 1 John 2:29

Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices
righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who
practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the
beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the
works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin . . .
(NASB) 1 John 3:7-9

These verses explain what the Holy Spirit means by "keep His Word." He
is talking about a pattern of life – a pattern of obedience – a
pattern of holy living. True Christians have a pattern of life which
is marked by a commitment to be holy.

. . . because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
(NASB) 1 Pet. 1:16

Test Yourself. What does this mean if you have a pattern of ongoing
sin in your life and you say, "I am a Christian"? The answer is found
in the book of 1 Corinthians which was written to a group of people
whom the apostle Paul called "saints" or Christians (1 Cor. 1:2). Yet,
they were sinning so much that an entire book was written to rebuke
them for their sins. In 1 Corinthians, the apostle warns them to stop
following the supposed wisdom of the world (1 Cor. 1), ignoring the
teaching of teh Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2), being competitive in
ministry (1 Cor. 3), being arrogant (1 Cor. 4), ignoring Christians
who have an ongoing habit of sin (1 Cor. 5), taking one another to
court (1 Cor. 6), sinning in marriage (1 Cor. 7), ignoring the
spiritual sensitivity of other Christians to sin (1 Cor. 8-10),
ignoring the proper conduct of worship and submission (1 Cor. 11),
abuses in worship (1 Cor. 12-14), and teaching false doctrine (1 Cor.
15).

In 2 Corinthians the apostle Paul continues with another list of sins.
These Corinthians had some serious problems. Were they really
Christians? Should we be comforted because the apostle called them
"saints"? The answer is no. Why? Because the apostle himself was not
sure they were Christians. Listen to Paul at the end of 2 Corinthians,

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!
(NASB) 2 Cor. 13:5

True Christians do not continue to practice sin. They fight to stop
and eventually find victory over their sin. The mark of a growing
Christian is victory over one sin after another sin. We must remember
that after we find victory over one, God then starts dealing with
another sin in our lives. Therefore, the apostle was concerned that
they might not be real Christians because of the sin in their life. He
encouraged them to evaluate or test themselves to see if they were
real Christians. Some other marks of a Christian are: you can
understand the Bible (1 Cor. 2:14; Heb. 5:11-14); you see the fruit of
the Holy Spirit growing in your life (Gal. 5:22-23); and you can sense
the Holy Spirit leading you (Rom. 8:14). These are the major ones. A
list of the marks of a Christian are available at this site.

Conclusion:
I would encourage you to test yourself to see if you are a Christian.
I would also encourage you to confess your sin to God every time you
commit this sin or sin(s) and to ask God to take control your life by
filling you with His Spirit (Eph. 5:17-18). This is the "will of God"
for each of us – to be filled with His Spirit. This is also the key to
victory over sin in your life. It is the same thing as "walking in the
Spirit" (Gal. 5:16-23). As you faithfully confess your sins, read the
Bible, and walk in the Spirit you will find victory over your sin.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God
is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are
able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so
that you will be able to endure it. (NASB) 1 Cor. 10:13

Remember that God forgives every sin a Christian commits no matter what it is.

Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white
as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.
(NASB) Isaiah 1:18

Can a Christian Commit Suicide and Still Be Saved?

One Second After Death

Like Lazarus and the rich man, immediately after death a person is in
a conscious state. They understand at the moment after they die
whether they are going to be judged and condemned to hell or they will
know Jesus and be in His presence immediately.

The apostle Paul understood that to be absent from the body was to be
present with the Lord as he wrote in II Corinthians 5:6-8: " Therefore
we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the
body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We
are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at
home with the Lord." In verse one of this same chapter he says, "For
we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a
building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human
hands."

The understanding is that the moment one dies in the faith, they are
absent from earth but immediately present with the Lord. Paul doesn't
qualify this with "but if we kill ourselves then we will not be
present with the Lord." In fact in verse 5 he says, "Now the one who
has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the
Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." Thus, God is
guaranteeing our delivery into the Lord's presence. But if you are not
born-again, then your fate, immediately after death is where the rich
man was. He was in eternal torment being tortured by fire and was
unable to cross over to the other side where God was (Luke 16:19-31).
If you die without Christ, your fate is sealed. This is why it is so
important that today you come to saving faith in Christ while it is
still called today for no one has any guarantee that tomorrow will
ever come (Heb. 4:7)

No Guarantees Apart from Christ

The rich man that died could never have any hope of going to heaven.
When a person dies without Christ, they can not choose to accept to
believe in Him then. It is too late. Those who think that they might
commit suicide take a great risk; that is a risk of spending eternity
apart from God.

If a person is not saved they will have to give an account for
everything that they have ever done or said in their entire life (Rev.
20). They will stand guilty and be judged for eternity by God
Almighty. Jesus can not help them then. If they commit suicide, they
will also have to pay the penalty for murder; that is murdering their
own selves. That will be a burden and everyone's suffering in eternal
torment is according to what they have done while alive on earth.
After a person dies without Christ they know that they are going to be
separated from God for all eternity; they will know this a split
second after they die. Then of course, it is too late to repent and be
saved.

God-Given Guarantee

Once a person is saved, that is born-again, there is no way that they
will ever be lost again. Not only that, they will not lose the reward
of heaven and being in the presence of Jesus Christ. Here are biblical
guarantees:

I Peter 1:3-5 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living
hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and
into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This
inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded
by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be
revealed in the last time. "

Romans 8:38 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any
powers…"

Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30 "And you also were included in Christ when you
heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you
believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy
Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the
redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his
glory." And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were
sealed for the day of redemption. "

2 Corinthians 5:5 "Now the one who has fashioned us for this very
purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing
what is to come."

Reflect on these words straight from the mouth of God since all
scripture is God-breathed and inspired by God Himself (II Tim 3:16).
God says about those who are saved that they are: sealed for the day
of redemption, guaranteed for what is to come, promised that you are
His possession, have a deposit for an eternal inheritance, an
inheritance that can never perish! Wow…yes, believe it. God would not
have you born-again only to abort you at the last moment. We are
saved, as Paul says, that not even the demons, or an angel, anything
in the future, past, or present, or even death itself could rob.

In Philippians 1:6 God says through Paul that "being confident of
this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to
completion until the day of Christ Jesus." God will complete what He
has started. No matter what happens. And yes, this includes someone
who takes their own life. Many biblical heroes have contemplated
suicide: Job, Jeremiah, Jonah, and even mighty Samson.

A Loss of Rewards

In I Corinthians 3: 12-15, Paul relates that we can lose rewards but
not our eternal life, as he writes, "If anyone builds on this
foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it
to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the
quality of each person's work. If what has been built survives, the
builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will
suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping
through the flames." Read any Bible commentary on these verses and it
clearly shows that a Christian will receive rewards at the Bema
Judgment Seat of Christ. This is not to be confused with the Great
White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20 where those who died without
Christ are thrown into the lake of fire.

In I Corinthians chapter three, Paul speaks about some losing rewards
due to carnal works that will be burned up. Each Christian will be
rewarded by what they have done while on this earth; did they help the
poor, witness to the lost about the gospel, visit someone in the
hospital or prison, and so on. So even though a Christian can take
their own life, they will not lose their eternal life. They will lose
rewards yes, but not their eternal inheritance. Remember that if you
were born-again, you are sealed with a promise, guaranteed an
inheritance and God will complete in you what He has begun; even
despite our own selves.

Of course suicide is not a good way to end our earthly suffering. If
you are in an extended state of depression, please seek immediate
help. Anyone who is not saved and commits suicide is in serious
trouble for they will have the wrath of God upon them at the Great
White Throne Judgment Seat. If you find yourself in a serious,
extended state of depression, seek professional help immediately. I
pray that if you are not saved, you will know Jesus Christ today.
Accept the free gift of eternal life. All you have to do is believe
and acknowledge your sins before God. He will freely give you grace.
It is just that simple. Do this right now and nothing can ever
separate you from God…for all eternity.

Conclusion

Immediately after you die you will either be in Hell or Heaven.
Believers, when they die, are absent from the body and present with
the Lord (2 Cor 5:6-8). Eternal life is a guarantee and when a
believer takes his own life he will lose rewards in Heaven, but he
will not lose his place in Heaven. An unbeliever, when he dies, knows
a split second after death that they are eternally separated from God
(just like in the account of Lazarus and the rich man). After death it
is too late to be saved. There is help for those who are contemplating
suicide. Please seek help rather than death.

What should be the order of priorities in our family?

The Bible does not lay out a step-by-step order for family
relationship priorities. However, we can still look to the Scriptures
and find general principles for prioritizing our family relationships.
God obviously comes first: Deuteronomy 6:5, "Love the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
strength." All of one's heart, soul, and strength is to be committed
to loving God, making Him the first priority.

If you are married, your spouse comes next. A married man is to love
his wife as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). Christ's first
priority—after obeying and glorifying the Father—was the church. Here
is an example a husband should follow: God first, then his wife. In
the same way, wives are to submit to their husbands "as to the Lord"
(Ephesians 5:22). The principle is that a woman's husband is second
only to God in her priorities.

If husbands and wives are second only to God in our priorities, and
since a husband and wife are one flesh (Ephesians 5:31), it stands to
reason that the result of the marriage relationship—children—should be
the next priority. Parents are to raise godly children who will be the
next generation of those who love the Lord with all their hearts
(Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4), showing once again that God comes
first. All other family relationships should reflect that.

Deuteronomy 5:16 tells us to honor our parents so that we may live
long and so things will go well with us. No age limit is specified,
which leads us to believe that as long as our parents are alive, we
should honor them. Of course, once a child reaches adulthood, he is no
longer obligated to obey them ("Children, obey your parents..."), but
there is no age limit to honoring them. We can conclude from this that
parents are next in the list of priorities after God, our spouses, and
our children. After parents comes the rest of one's family (1 Timothy
5:8).

Following one's extended family in the list of priorities are fellow
believers. Romans 14 tells us not to judge or look down upon our
brothers (v. 10) or do anything to cause a fellow Christian to
"stumble" or fall spiritually. Much of the book of 1 Corinthians is
Paul's instructions on how the church should live together in harmony,
loving one another. Other exhortations referring to our brothers and
sisters in Christ are "serve one another in love" (Galatians 5:13);
"be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just
as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32); "encourage one another
and build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11); and "consider how we
may spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24).
Finally comes the rest of the world (Matthew 28:19), to whom we should
bring the gospel, making disciples of Christ.

In conclusion, the scriptural order of priorities is God, spouse,
children, parents, extended family, brothers and sisters in Christ,
and then the rest of the world. While sometimes decisions must be made
to focus on one person over another, the goal is to not be neglecting
any of our relationships. The biblical balance is allowing God to
empower us to meet all of our relationship priorities, inside and
outside our families.