Have you come across the mistaken belief that suicide sends a person directly to hell? There are many bible verses that prove your child is in heaven. Did you know that there is also a scene between Peter and Jesus, a whole story that proves your child is in heaven? It involves the phrase “sifted like wheat”.
“Sifted like wheat” is a good way to describe what we’ve all been through with the loss of our children. It’s also a good phrase to describe what our children went through that led up to their craving an escape from their pain. “Sifted like wheat” is the phrase Jesus uses when He intimately addresses Peter as He tenderly says his name twice –
“Simon, Simon, Satan demanded to have you that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail…” Luke 22:31
Peter can’t believe that his loyalty to Jesus is in question. He counters with, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!”
But Jesus knows Peter’s heart, and his frailty. Jesus says,
‘I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:33-34)
None of the disciples could imagine what was coming. Their bellies were full from the passover meal, they were singing hymns, going out in the dead of night to the garden where they often went to pray with their dear friend, Jesus. What was all this talk about falling away and denying? What could possibly happen before morning to make them run away and leave Him?!
““You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” Matt 26:30.
Jesus knew what was coming. He’s known before time began and is quoting prophecy about their abandoning Him -“For it is written”. Did you ever think that the disciples running away from Christ was fulfilling prophecy? And He specifically prayed that their faith may not fail.
Here’s where we need to ask, do the prayers of Jesus work? Is He powerful enough to keep them through Satan’s sifting? Of course He is more powerful than Satan’s sifting. Of course His prayers work!
So when we see what His close friends did do that night:
Fall away.
Run.
Scatter.
Leave.
DENY.
We know that NONE of those things meant that their faith had failed. Otherwise, Jesus’ prayer would be ineffectual! And that is not possible. Jesus’ prayers are ALWAYS effective.
We have to know that those things are not the things that make faith fail. Those are things that can happen in the face of sifting from Satan. BUT our faith is still working because Jesus is praying for us! Our faith keeps us until heaven, through all siftings, through all running, and denying, because Jesus knows we are frail. He is mindful of our weaknesses and chooses us in spite of them just like He chose Peter, knowing way ahead of time that Peter would deny Him.
Jesus prays that our faith won’t fail because He knows, if it were up to us, it would.
God chooses us just like He chose the disciples, despite our weaknesses. God appoints our siftings. God keeps us through them. He gave us our faith to begin with and keeps it until the end.
This is why we know that our children are in heaven with Jesus. He was praying for them right up until they drew their last breath on this earth, and they took their first breath in His heavenly kingdom, in His arms.
If anyone tries to tell you your child can’t be in heaven because he denied the faith by committing suicide, imagine this reply, “Are you talking about denying Jesus, and running, and betraying Him? Like Peter did? Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith may not fail, and Jesus prayed for my child. They both were sifted by Satan, and they both are in heaven. Maybe they’re talking to each other right now about how great it is to be saved and kept by the Lord through all of their siftings. Imagine that!”
Dear Lord, thank you for praying for us while we are missing our precious children. Thank you for praying for them while they were making that terrible last decision with their troubled, pain-wracked minds that couldn’t think straight. You know they loved You. And when we doubt that, help us to know they loved You. You chose them, kept them, and are keeping them until we see them again. Give Tristan a hug for me. Trace his left eyebrow so he knows it’s from his mom. In Jesus name, amen.
