What happens after death — part VI
In our last article we established the fact that every person who dies without Jesus Christ will one day perish (see Luke 13:3, John 3:36, Heb. 9:27, Revelation 20). But what about the catholic belief of purgatory? In short, purgatory is the belief that when a person dies he/she goes to a place where their sins can be purified since all who die are still imperfect (Catechism 1030-3031). But is this a teaching that can be found in the Bible, and, what does the belief of purgatory mean?
Unfortunately the belief of purgatory is not found in the Bible and at the same time is blasphemous to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and let me explain to you why. The belief in purgatory in short actually means that the blood of Jesus is not sufficient or powerful enough to cleanse and forgive the sinner from his/hers sins. It is for that reason that it is a blasphemous belief. Notice the following verses that teach the opposite, and notice the highlighted section which prove the point: “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5:9); “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?...For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself...So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:12-14, 26, 28); “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins...But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;...And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 10:4, 12, 17); “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” (1 Peter 1:18-19); “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST CLEANSETH US FROM ALL SIN” (1 John 1:7).
According to the above verses, the blood of Jesus Christ is powerful enough to justify us, save us, give us eternal redemption, purge our conscience, put away our sins, have God no longer remember our sins, and to top it off, cleans us from ALL sin; not part, not half, not two thirds, but all sin. As the saying goes, ‘all means all, and that is all that all means.’
As we have been studying, the Bible teaches that a person either goes to heaven or hell. There is no limbo and no purgatory. These beliefs are not based on the Bible but on man’s erroneous and traditional teachings. It is for this reason that Jesus said in John 19:30, “It is finished.”
Rangel is Senior Pastor of Borderland Calvary Chapel. You may contact him at 956-399-3534 or through e-mail at: gregrangel@msn.com. His services are at 11 a.m. on Sunday and 7 p.m. on Wednesdays at 299 E. Heywood St. in San Benito.
