Purgatory is NOW
By John Earp
The other day, a friend of mine said of a particularly evil, pro-abortion politician, “I hope she burns in Hell!” To which I replied that I wouldn’t wish Hell on anybody. My friend then replied, “Okay, maybe just purgatory.” I left it at that, but our brief conversation has kept me thinking since.
There is of course a basic human instinct for justice, especially when innocent babies are mercilessly slaughtered. Most people who are not psychopaths do not hope that murderers might get away with it. The classic solution is the “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” principle we first note in the Old Testament Law of Moses. The death penalty, where a convicted murderer has his life taken after being proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, is the ultimate expression (in this world at least) of “an eye for an eye.”
But what if someone is a mass murderer? A school shooter typically kills numerous individuals, tragically. Can such a criminal be killed over and over? Can justice be served in such a case? Obviously not in this life.
Even if a murderer’s life is taken from him (or her), there is nothing that can ever truly make up for the malicious, intentional taking of the life of someone who had done nothing to deserve being killed. All their tomorrows taken from them. All the potential joys of life which were to come, taken from them, with no way to ever really make up for such a loss, neither to the victim nor to their family and friends.
If there truly were no complete justice attainable in this life, and there were no rewards or punishment after this life for each of us, ultimate meaninglessness would be the logical conclusion. Nothing would ultimately matter, whether good or evil, for in the end, we all die and end up as nothing.
The inspired Scriptures alone give us reason for hope in the face of the apparent injustice and meaninglessness of human existence. At the same time, the inspired Scriptures alone reveal to us all we need to know about this life and about the afterlife.
In the final book in the Bible, Revelation, chapter 20, we read of the final destination of all who refuse to believe the gospel of Christ:
Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Modern English Version)
2 Corinthians 5 gives us more insight into the final destiny of us all:
2 Cor. 5:8 Instead, I say that we are confident and willing to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 9 So whether present or absent, we labor that we may be accepted by Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his recompense in the body, according to what he has done, whether it was good or bad. 11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men…. (Modern English Version)
The Bible reveals that we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Bible just as clearly reveals that God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but should have everlasting life.
Sin is the problem. The Scriptures nowhere state or even remotely imply that one can have one’s sins purged from them in the afterlife in a place called purgatory. The Bible reveals that sin must be repented of (wholeheartedly turned from) in this life, depending upon the shed blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary alone as the only means of forgiveness and cleansing from sin. Praise God that He has made the way of salvation clear to all who will receive it. The way into Heaven is to have your sins forgiven and cleansed, for without holiness (being made clean before God), no one shall see God, as Hebrews 12:14 says. If we confess (say the same thing God says about our sins) He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, as 1 John 1:9 says so perfectly.
The time to have our sins purged is NOW, friends. As Paul said, “Today is the day of salvation.” Call upon the Lord while you still have breath in your body and a mind capable of turning away from sin and to God. He will abundantly pardon, and will gladly receive you to Himself if you come to Him in simple trusting faith, knowing that His own life’s blood is the only means of atonement and restoration to God and His righteous kingdom.