Chapter 08: Purgatory

Chapter 08: Purgatory The idea of purgatory is not an invention of the Catholic Church. From ancient times, many civilizations believed in some form of after-life purification. Plato, the Greek philosopher, taught that beyond the grave man must suffer for his guilt before achieving final bliss. Even among the Jews the notion of reparation for sin after death was not unknown. Judas Maccabee ordered that sacrifices should be offered for certain soldiers who had died in idolatry during a battle, even though in the Law of Moses no provision for such sacrifices was to be found.123 Within the church, the idea of a purifying process after death started to creep in quite early; Tertullian gives us the first intimation of it in the second century. The doctrine of purgatory is popular because it is quite logical. Man, burdened down with a guilty conscience, feels the need for cleansing from defilement. He knows that he cannot enter the glorious presence of God for as long as he is polluted with sin. Even the Bible warns us that anything that defiles shall by no means enter Paradise.124 The Catholic Church officially affirms the existence of purgatory. In her understanding, the priest’s absolution “takes away sin.” Nevertheless, the penitent “must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must "make satisfaction for" or "expiate" his sins. This satisfaction is also called "penance."” 125 Penance can take the form of prayer, an offering, and an act of mercy, voluntary abstinences or other things. Besides, the Eucharist “is also offered in reparation for the sins of the living and the dead.”126 Nevertheless, many Catholics expect that “after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven... The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect.”127 God’s Forgiveness The Catholic doctrine raises doubts about God the Father. Does He really forgive? If He does, why does He still demand “expiation” (recompense) from man? True, sin brings about grievous consequences even in this life. We also readily confess that God the Father disciplines His children, but “expiation” is radically different from “discipline.” If He demands expiation, as the Catholic Church insists, then His forgiveness is only a sham. According to the Catholic religion, God’s forgiveness is incomplete. Not so according to the biblical Faith. Jesus demonstrates the Father’s readiness to forgive and welcome repentant sinners.128 He tells a story of a young man who spent all his share of the father’s wealth in riotous living. When he came to himself and decided to return home, he felt it was unworthy of him to be called a son. His failures were too heavy; he had rebelled against his father, abandoned him and misused his money to satiate his own passions. How would he be received back? Perhaps the father will reluctantly open the door for him? Will he be severely punished? When the son was still far away, his father ran up to him, embraced him and kissed him fervently. The boy told him: “I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” True. What he really merited was rejection because he had disgraced his father, but his father loved him! Instead of punishment to make amends for his sins, he ordered the servants to put on him the best robe, and put a ring on his hand. He even threw a party for him and the festivities engendered jealousy in his brother’s heart. Such is the heavenly Father’s love and forgiveness to all those who approach Him repentantly through His Son.

But, you may ask, what will compensate for my debt, that is, for all my spiritual failures? Very significantly the Bible does not point us to personal penances in this life or torments in purgatory. The Bible points us to Jesus: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”129

Christ has made full amends for the believers" indebtedness towards God by His death on the cross. His disciples praise God remembering how “He has made [them] alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”130 The saved person does not even attempt to pay sins" debt because his Saviour Jesus Christ took the responsibility for those sins upon Himself. He paid the sinner’s debt. God does not demand punishment for sin twice: from Christ’s hands it is enough. So when God forgives, he really forgives! Listen to God’s marvellous promise to His children: “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.”131 God will certainly prove faithful to His Word. If I, as one of Christ’s redeemed, am promised the free and full forgiveness of all my sins, then I can rest assured that God will not bring them to account again after I die. The Lord Jesus and the apostles often mention heaven and hell, but not even once do they mention an intermediate place called purgatory. Again, the Bible never directs us to pray for the dead. Catholic authors misuse a few references from Scripture in their attempt to build a biblical case for purgatory. 132

However, when these passages are properly understood in context, it will become evident that they do not prove that Christians have to endure punishment for sins after they die. For instance, in the Corinthian epistle, Paul is speaking about the Day of Judgement in which the Christian’s work and ministry will be tested. The Lord will award every person according to the quality of his labour - he will receive reward for acceptable work, and lose reward for any ill-performed ministry. The notion of an intermediate state of purification is foreign to the apostle’s thought.

Washed in the Blood

Scripture sets the believer’s heart to rest. “But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”133 It’s not purgatory’s flames that cleanse the sinner from his evil. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”134 His blood is purification, not just from some, or even most sins, but from all sins. The blood of Christ, shed on Calvary, is thoroughly effective and purifies from all defilement, whatever it is. His blood really and actually cleanses “from all sin.” Whatever the Lord engages to accomplish, He does it perfectly and thoroughly: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”135

Nobody in heaven will ever be heard bragging that he succeeded in entering the City of God because of his penances and sufferings. Heaven will be populated only by those who trust completely in the Son of God; and from their heart they sing: “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”136 Does Any Punishment Remain? The Catholic Church insists that although God forgives, you must just the same make amends for your guilt. She warns: “If anyone says that after the grace of justification has been received the guilt is so remitted and the debt of eternal punishment so blotted out for any repentant sinner, that no debt of temporal punishment remains to be paid, either in this world or in the other, in purgatory, before access can be opened to the Kingdom of heaven, anathema sit.”137 A solemn and official curse is laid on anyone who tells the repentant sinner that none of his debt remains to be paid (since Christ paid it all) before he enters heaven.

Two thieves were crucified with Jesus. By the grace of God one of them realized his sinfulness, repented and turned to Christ by faith: “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” Do you recall the reply he received? Jesus promised him: “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”138 No time spent in purgatory to pay any debt! Do You Believe in Purgatory?

Christians confess the following about their Lord Christ: “When He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”139 Jesus Christ, and nothing and nobody else, is their purification, their purgatory.

Perhaps up till now you have hoped to go to a place of suffering to undergo cleansing from sin. Such a place does not exist. The opportunity to experience purification and complete forgiveness is now, while you are still living. You have challenged God’s lordship over you by your disobedience; but He is truly merciful and compassionate. He really forgives: He cancels the debt of all those who turn to Him by faith. Look to Jesus the Deliverer, whose death on Calvary is a full and adequate payment for the sins of His people. His blood was not shed in vain; it actually purifies the soul from all defilement. Do you believe in purgatory? I hope you will affirm, “Yes, I believe in God’s purgatory. My purgatory is the Lord Jesus Christ!”