What Is Not Suicide?
Suicide is not to be confused with accidental, unwitting, or unwilling death of any sort. For though they would be unintentional on our part, that form of death would entirely be under the Merciful Providence of God. "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the Name of the LORD" (Job 1:21).
Neither should the selfless act of sacrificing one's life that others may live, be considered suicide. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).
What Professed Christian would dare to accuse the Sinless Son of God of having committed the sin of suicide? "17 Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father" (10:17-18).
That willingness to die rather than to deny Christ, i.e., "whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in Heaven" (Matthew 10:33), is the picture of the martyrdom of the early Christians or of the soon-to-be Tribulation Week Saints. Though their death is inexplicably suicidal to the worldly onlookers of Vanity Fair, it should never be mistaken for suicide. Most likely, the Christian Martyrs were and will be greeted with the derision given their Master. "He saved others; Himself He cannot save" (Mark 15:31).
But, be it forever remembered that whatever act transacted by the True Saints, that has the signature of supreme love of God, and an equal love of our neighbour as ourselves, can never be suicide. "7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His Only Begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another [i.e., as ourselves]. 12 No man hath seen God at any time.
If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit" (1John 4:7-13).