Matthew 19:21 and Purgatory

[fnr]

In the context of purgatory, this makes so much sense. What must the rich young man do to gain eternal life?? Follow the commandments.

I think it’s a misreading to suggest that “Kingdom of Heaven” here pertains to individual salvation. In all four gospels, Jesus proclaims that the kingdom of God (Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew) is at hand, is anointed king, cleanses the temple (as Judas Maccabeus did when he defeated the Seleucids), and is crucified under the accusation of being king of the Jews (INRI = Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews).

Jesus at the end of the Gospel of Matthew says that he has been given all power on heaven and earth, and charges the disciples to go forth and baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In Matthew, this is the signifier that the Kingdom has begun, and that New Creation has begun. New Creation is an enormous theme in Paul (e.g., 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8) and Revelation 20-21. Paul also proclaims throughout the Roman Empire that Jesus is Lord (when the “euangelion” of pagan Rome was that Caesar is Lord), and that Jesus will have a parousia, which Romans would recognize as a visitation by the Emperor.

Overall, I think we Christians have too much viewed individual salvation in terms of each of our going to Heaven. But the NT says very little about Heaven, but a great deal about the resurrection of the body and ends in Revelation 21 with the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven (not vice versa) reestablishing the in-dwelling of God with his people (the shekinah of the tabernacle and Holy of Holies). Paul tells us that our revelation is part of freeing all creation from “slavery to corruption.” Romans 8:
“19 For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; 20 for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; 23 and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”
So I have to disagree that Jesus was talking about purgatory in Matthew 19:21, but instead talking about the Kingdom which he would be inaugurating by his life, death, and resurrection. That’s the Kingdom in which we all live. It’s in bearing that Kingdom (and sanctifying grace) and being instruments through which God transforms creation that we find our way to eternal life. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and the parable of sheep and goats (Matthew 25) both speak to how the Kingdom of God must be lived, and Matthew 25 again echoes that a failure to take care of “the least of these” leads to eternal punishment. Immediately after speaking those words, Matthew recounts how Jesus told his disciples that he would be handed over. After that – in sequential order – he is anointed king (in Bethany), betrayed by Judas, holds the Last Supper, and enters his passion. That order’s not coincidental. So in Matthew, the issue of handing over one’s whole self in giving or sacrifice is reiterated time and time again, right up until the crucifixion.

Bless you all!

 

[Nikicosier]

I agree with you, the quoted verses have nothing to do with purgatory. There are however some oblique passages / verses in the NT that can be used to successfully argued the possibility/concept of Purgatory. The Trinity is not explicitly mentioned in the scriptures, though Catholics and and the vast majority of Protestants except it as an undeniable fact.

Sorry, but it’s simply not true to say that Protestants accept purgatory as fact. In point of fact, that was one of the key points of the reformation - protestants do NOT believe in purgatory and believe that we are perfected through faith in Christ. That God views us through Christ Jesus laying aside our sin.

That is very different.

 

[JRKH]

Originally Posted by Didascalia >>>
I agree with you, the quoted verses have nothing to do with purgatory. There are however some oblique passages / verses in the NT that can be used to successfully argued the possibility/concept of Purgatory. The Trinity is not explicitly mentioned in the scriptures, though Catholics and and the vast majority of Protestants except it as an undeniable fact.

Niki - I believe you have misread what was said by Didascalia. Nowhere above does s/he say that protestants accept purgatory as a fact. S/he says that the vast majority of protestants accept the trinity as a fact.

In regards to purgatory, S/he is referring to successfully arguing the concept/possibility…This is quite different. I can say for a fact that I have successfully argued with protestants for the idea of a final “purgation” before entering heaven.
Often times the area of disagreement is over the idea of a “place” and how much “time” such purgation takes rather than over the actual idea that - since nothing imperfect can enter heaven - and since the vast majority of us will die imperfect - there is need of a final purification, a perfection of our souls between death and entering heaven.

Such a purification may be instantaneous (the view of most protestants that I have spoken with) or it might take longer (a more Catholic view)…but I consider such details much less important than the basic concept of the need for purification - Purgation - “as through fire” - to use St Paul’s words.

Of course, I can only speak for my experience with protestants that I have spoken with (mainly on-line).

Peace
James

 

[gregisam]

There is a good book called Hungry Souls. There is even a Purgatory Museum in Rome.

 

[eccehomo]

I am impressed with the ability of many to quote chapter and verse of the Bible. Time was when only Southern Baptists and a few others like them were versed enough to do that - KUDOS to you all.

I cannot do that - but here is my opinion - Practically speaking, Heaven is perfect - and as human beings the best of us are lower than the lowest angel, so we must all be sinners. Can a soul stained with sin enter Heaven? No. Purgatory is like a laundromat for your soul. When you die, you must be absolved of those sins of which you have not yet been absolved. That is the purpose of Purgatory, to PURGE sins from your soul. Once that is completed, you can join the perfect souls in Heaven to Glorify and Worship God eternally.

That’s how I see it - How 'bout you?
Marv The Blunt

 

[Cathoholic]

Amazing insight in_servitude on Matthew 19:21. I see what you are seeing with this verse but I’ve never thought of it that way before.

In saying that, I am not denying many of the insights concerning these verses from some of the other comments either.

I think a lot Bible verses have layered meanings and Matthew 19:21 also seems to have this.

From now on thanks to your insights, I just have seen another layer of Matthew 19:21. This insight is good for meditative Scripture reading.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[fnr]

Might I offer that there is nothing in the Bible or Cathechism to suggest that after death and before resurrection, the soul has any consciousness? I would suggest that purgatory cannot be understood in terms of the experience of time and suffering to which we are accustomed before death.

There is a significant concern that modern Christians conceive of the soul in dualistic language – in other words that death is “liberation” from the suffering of the cosmos. Catholic leaders from Irenaeus to Ratzinger have warned against this understanding of the afterlife as a form of Platonism or even Gnosticism.

To me, we must not conceive of purgatory in ways that we claim to understand what it might be like to experience. The orthodox talk of “theosis” which I think does a good job of describing the transformation of the soul. What that “feels” like to a disembodied soul, if anything, is really quite speculative.

 

[Gorgias]

Might I offer that there is nothing in the Bible or Cathechism to suggest that after death and before resurrection, the soul has any consciousness?

By ‘resurrection’, I presume you mean the physical resurrection at the end of time? If so, then I disagree: ‘soul sleep’ is not part of the Catholic belief system.

In any case, I would argue that there are Scriptural passages which show that soul sleep is mistaken. Take at look at Revelation 6:10 – the souls of those who had been martyred cry out for vengeance. Last time I checked, unconscious beings don’t hold conversations…!

(We could make a similar claim in Revelation 20, I think.)

I would suggest that purgatory cannot be understood in terms of the experience of time and suffering to which we are accustomed before death.

True, but we can attempt to gain an understanding by way of analogy. We can think of the process of purification in terms of extent, duration, and experience. In our limited, human way, we can apply the ideas of ‘time’ and ‘suffering’ into this context to start giving us a little taste of what purgation means…

There is a significant concern that modern Christians conceive of the soul in dualistic language – in other words that death is “liberation” from the suffering of the cosmos.

I’m not sure what you’re getting at. Is there not a particular judgement? Having been judged and purified, are the saints not liberated from the suffering of this life into the joy of eternal life?

 

[fnr]

By ‘resurrection’, I presume you mean the physical resurrection at the end of time?

Going to Heaven is not the resurrection. There is no resurrection other than the resurrection “on the Last Day.” Catechism 997-1001. 1 Corinthians 15:36-57.

The International Theological Commission spoke to this in their 1992 document, Some Current Questions in Eschatology.

2.1. A fixed moment of time is attributed in the New Testament to the resurrection of the dead. Paul, after he announced that the resurrection of the dead will take place through Christ and in Christ, added: “but each in proper order: Christ the first fruits and then, at his coming (en te parousia autou), all those who belong to him” (1 Cor 15:23). A specific event is designated as the moment of the resurrection of the dead. For by the Greek word parousia is signified the future second coming of the Lord in glory, different from his first coming in humility;35 the manifestation of his glory (cf. Tit 2:13) and the manifestation of the parousia (cf. 2 Thess 2:8) refer to the same coming. The same event is expressed in the Gospel according to John (6:54) by the words “on the last day” (cf. also Jn 6:39-40). The same connection of events is given vivid expression in the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, 4:16-17, and is affirmed by a great tradition of the Fathers: “at his coming all men will rise.”36

**A new theory of “the resurrection at the moment of death” is opposed to this affirmation. In the most widely diffused form of this theory the explanation given appears to pose a grave threat to the realism of the resurrection, since the resurrection is affirmed without any relationship to the body that once lived and is now dead. **Concerning “the resurrection in death”, the theologians who propose it want to suppress the existence after death of a “separated soul”, which they consider to be, as it were, a remnant of Platonism. The fear of Platonism that motivates the theologians espousing resurrection in death is quite understandable; Platonism would be a most serious deviation from Christian faith, since for Christian faith the body is not a prison from which the soul is to be liberated. But precisely for this reason, it is not at all clear that these theologians, in fleeing Platonism, affirm the final or resurrection bodiliness in a way which shows that bodiliness truly involves “this flesh in which now we live”.37 The older formulas of faith spoke with quite another force about the raising up of the very same body that is now alive.

If so, then I disagree: ‘soul sleep’ is not part of the Catholic belief system.

I am not suggesting “soul sleep.” I am simply saying that there is no teaching that the soul is conscious as we understand it. “Sleep” is a poor metaphor, because it assumes that someone can “wake up,” and a soul cannot do so. A soul can “dwell” with God in Heaven (though we should be careful to avoid using spatiotemporal language to describe Heaven as a place and time).

Wisdom 3 also speaks to the resurrection and the state of the soul after death:
“1The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,a
and no torment shall touch them.
2They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
3and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
4For if to others, indeed, they seem punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
5 Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
6 As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
7 In the time of their judgment they shall shine
and dart about as sparks through stubble;
8 They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the LORD shall be their King forever.
9 Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with the elect.”

The verse here talks to them being “chastised a little,” and being proved as gold in a furnace. This is an image of purification that lends support to a reading of purgatory. Notably, this is part of the Greek Septuagint, but not the Hebrew Tanakh, so Protestants don’t include it in their canon.

In any case, I would argue that there are Scriptural passages which show that soul sleep is mistaken. Take at look at Revelation 6:10 – the souls of those who had been martyred cry out for vengeance. Last time I checked, unconscious beings don’t hold conversations…!

Well, I’m not sure we can read that as souls literally crying out with auditory voices. I’ve heard “the rocks cry out for vengeance” – so I don’t think this passage pertains to conscious desire on the part of souls for vengeance.

(We could make a similar claim in Revelation 20, I think.)

In Revelation 21, it’s the new Jerusalem coming down from Heaven, not vice versa. Physicality is central to the resurrection!

 

[fnr]

True, but we can attempt to gain an understanding by way of analogy. We can think of the process of purification in terms of extent, duration, and experience. In our limited, human way, we can apply the ideas of ‘time’ and ‘suffering’ into this context to start giving us a little taste of what purgation means…

I don’t think we can assume any experience of time for souls after death. With regard to the particular judgment, this is what the Cathechism says:
*1022 Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven-through a purification 592 or immediately, 593-or immediate and everlasting damnation.
*

And about purgatory:
*"1030 All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.604 The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. the tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:605

As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.606

1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."607 From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.608 The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:

Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.609"
​

*

I don’t see any indication that the soul experiences time. Now, I think after Resurrection, time will be transformed just as our bodies and space are transformed. But that’s all pretty speculative.

I’m not sure what you’re getting at. Is there not a particular judgement? Having been judged and purified, are the saints not liberated from the suffering of this life into the joy of eternal life?

Yes, there’s a particular judgment, but we can’t assume that it can be understood in terms of human experience of time and sensation. We can’t claim to understand the subjective “phenomenology” (experience) of a soul in purgation. Pain as we currently understand it, even emotional pain, occurs exclusively within the physical matrix of the human nervous system.

 

[Gorgias]

Going to Heaven is not the resurrection.

Of course it isn’t. However, I wanted to make sure I understood what you were claiming.

I am not suggesting “soul sleep.” I am simply saying that there is no teaching that the soul is conscious as we understand it.

You may not like the moniker, but that’s the typical (Christian) understanding of what ‘soul sleep’ is – a loss of consciousness until the resurrection. (IIRC, Jehovah’s Witnesses claim an obliteration and re-creation, but that’s a whole 'nother story…)

The verse here talks to them being “chastised a little,” and being proved as gold in a furnace.

It also speaks of them being “in peace” and as possessing “hope.” Although one can (by way of metaphor) speak of ‘peace’ in the context of the unconscious, nevertheless ‘peace’ and ‘hope’ are states that speak to consciousness.

Well, I’m not sure we can read that as souls literally crying out with auditory voices.

John heard them, in his vision…

I’ve heard “the rocks cry out for vengeance” – so I don’t think this passage pertains to conscious desire on the part of souls for vengeance.

“They cried out in a loud voice, ‘How long will it be, holy and true master, before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?’”

Something tells me that ‘crying out for vengeance’ and “crying out in a loud voice, ‘how long will it be, master?’” aren’t both metaphor. Call me silly, but… posing a question like that sure sounds like conscious activity!

In Revelation 21, it’s the new Jerusalem coming down from Heaven, not vice versa. Physicality is central to the resurrection!

In Rev 21, certainly. However, I referenced Rev 20, in which the judgement takes place.

 

[JRKH]

Might I offer that there is nothing in the Bible or Cathechism to suggest that after death and before resurrection, the soul has any consciousness?

You might suggest it…but I think that the Transfiguration refutes this idea for it says in Mt 17:
1And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. 3And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Eli’jah, talking with him.
I don’t believe that Moses and Eli’jah be “talking with him” if they are without consciousness. Plus there are the references to Revelation that Gorgias presented.
Thus I think it fair to say that their IS something in Scripture to suggest that the soul has consciousness between physical death and physical resurrection.

I would suggest that purgatory cannot be understood in terms of the experience of time and suffering to which we are accustomed before death.

To me, we must not conceive of purgatory in ways that we claim to understand what it might be like to experience. The orthodox talk of “theosis” which I think does a good job of describing the transformation of the soul. What that “feels” like to a disembodied soul, if anything, is really quite speculative.
No argument here. Many things about the afterlife must be understood through analogy…the purgation is “like”.

Peace
James

 

[fnr]

You might suggest it…but I think that the Transfiguration refutes this idea for it says in Mt 17:
1And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. 3And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Eli’jah, talking with him.
I don’t believe that Moses and Eli’jah be “talking with him” if they are without consciousness. Plus there are the references to Revelation that Gorgias presented.
Thus I think it fair to say that their IS something in Scripture to suggest that the soul has consciousness between physical death and physical resurrection.

I think that’s a good argument. However, Elijah was taken up into Heaven before dying. Moses is a saint, so we know he went to Heaven. What limits our interpretation here is that in Christ’s transfigured body, he seems to prefigure his resurrected body that is a “pneumatic” (1 Cor 15) spiritualized body. As such, interaction with a soul in Heaven before resurrection may occur due to the spiritualization of the body. Also, the Transfiguration was a miracle, whereby divine phenomena outside of time intersected with the cosmos.

With regard to Heaven, the CCC at 1023 cites Benedict XII’s work,* Benedictus Deus*, in which it says:
“…in heaven… these souls have seen and do see the divine essence with an intuitive vision, and even face to face, without the mediation of any creature.”

The CCC goes on to say that “the elect live ‘in Christ’, but hey retain, or rather find, their true identity, their own name.” (at 1025) We can look on Moses and Elijah as having their identity found in relation to Christ.

 

[JRKH]

I think that’s a good argument. However, Elijah was taken up into Heaven before dying. Moses is a saint, so we know he went to Heaven. What limits our interpretation here is that in Christ’s transfigured body, he seems to prefigure his resurrected body that is a “pneumatic” (1 Cor 15) spiritualized body. As such, interaction with a soul in Heaven before resurrection may occur due to the spiritualization of the body. Also, the Transfiguration was a miracle, whereby divine phenomena outside of time intersected with the cosmos.

With regard to Heaven, the CCC at 1023 cites Benedict XII’s work,* Benedictus Deus*, in which it says:
"…in heaven… these souls have seen and do see the divine essence with an intuitive vision, and even face to face, without the mediation of any creature."

The CCC goes on to say that “the elect live ‘in Christ’, but hey retain, or rather find, their true identity, their own name.” (at 1025) We can look on Moses and Elijah as having their identity found in relation to Christ.

Well - I find nothing here to argue with.
You seem to agree that Scripture does indeed suggest that souls have consciousness after death…
I would say that the particulars of that consciousness is less important.

Peace
James

 

[Lawofcausality]

Greetings,

May God’s peace be with you all.

Luke 23:43
Jesus told the thief on the cross: “today you will be with me in Paradise”.
Did the thief go to purgatory? the scriptures says no, but it does say Paradise.

1 Peter 3:18

Christ died for our sins, once and for all time. the just for the unjust, so that He may bring us to God.

Did Christ died so that we may enter purgatory?

John 19:30

Jesus said " it is finished"

in the Greek teleo " it is PAID"

No purgatory required. It is Paid in full!
Just like the thief on the cross.

God Bless!

 

[JRKH]

Greetings,

May God’s peace be with you all.

And to you as well.

Luke 23:43
Jesus told the thief on the cross: “today you will be with me in Paradise”.
Did the thief go to purgatory? the scriptures says no, but it does say Paradise.

Of course he went straight to heaven. His conversion was full and complete and he committed no post conversion sin…so his soul was in an unblemished state of grace.
This would not be in conflict with Catholic doctrine on purgatory.

1 Peter 3:18

Christ died for our sins, once and for all time. the just for the unjust, so that He may bring us to God.

Amen - but this does not negate the concept of a final purgation either.

Did Christ died so that we may enter purgatory?

Christ died that we may enter heaven…Those who go through a final purgation after physical death enter heaven…Once again…no conflict.

John 19:30

Jesus said " it is finished"

in the Greek teleo " it is PAID"

No purgatory required. It is Paid in full!
Just like the thief on the cross.

As pointed out above…none of the items you reference negates the idea of a final purgation being necessary for certain individuals.

Purgatory - is actually a gift from God that we should cherish

God Bless!

May God bless you too…

Peace
James

 

[Gorgias]

John 19:30

Jesus said " it is finished"

in the Greek teleo " it is PAID"

No purgatory required. It is Paid in full!
Just like the thief on the cross.

Hi, Law!

Actually, it’s not ‘teleo’ that’s at John 19:30; it’s τετέλεσται (“it has been completed”). In fact, this is exactly the same word that we find in John 19:28… “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.” It’s important to notice that John 19:28 makes no sense if we were to attempt to say, “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now paid in full, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst” …!

The word ‘teleo’ (“I accomplish”, “I consummate”, “I finish”) speaks to an ultimate goal. In this case, Jesus has accomplished the goal of His earthly ministry – He has given up His life, so that we might have the opportunity to be saved. This is not an expression of a business deal that has been completed…

Blessings,

G.

 

[Lawofcausality]

Greetings to Gorgias

The root word for τετέλεσται is :

Strong’s Greek: 5055. τελέω (teleó) — 28 Occurrences
In NT.

As stated by the Strong’s Concordance Greek translation.

biblehub.com/interlinear/john/19.htm

You said :

This is not an expression of a business deal that has been completed…

Business deals have contracts or agreements .

God did have an agreement with man in the Covenant .
The covenant could not be fulfilled by man because of his
Imperfections and sin.

For all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God.

But this Agreement was fulfilled by another Man called Jesus.
A perfect Man.

Therefore he said " It is finished"

Paid in full by the blood of the true Lamb of God.

I ask anybody:
What else do we need to pay if it has been paid in full at the cross ?

 

[JRKH]

Greetings to Gorgias

The root word for τετέλεσται is :

Strong’s Greek: 5055. τελέω (teleó) — 28 Occurrences
In NT.

As stated by the Strong’s Concordance Greek translation.

biblehub.com/interlinear/john/19.htm

You said :

This is not an expression of a business deal that has been completed…

Business deals have contracts or agreements .

God did have an agreement with man in the Covenant .
The covenant could not be fulfilled by man because of his
Imperfections and sin.

For all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God.

But this Agreement was fulfilled by another Man called Jesus.
A perfect Man.

Therefore he said " It is finished"

Paid in full by the blood of the true Lamb of God.

I ask anybody:
What else do we need to pay if it has been paid in full at the cross ?

We retain responsibility for our own actions that either build or detract from the Kingdom and the Glory of God.
It’s not about paying a “debt”…but rather taking and and bearing the responsibility (our cross).
In fact, by claiming the title of Christin we take on even more responsibility (also called culpability).

Now let me ask you something…Can anything unholy (imperfect) enter into heaven?

Peace
James

 

[rcwitness]

Greetings to Gorgias

The root word for τετέλεσται is :

Strong’s Greek: 5055. τελέω (teleó) — 28 Occurrences
In NT.

As stated by the Strong’s Concordance Greek translation.

biblehub.com/interlinear/john/19.htm

You said :

This is not an expression of a business deal that has been completed…

Business deals have contracts or agreements .

God did have an agreement with man in the Covenant .
The covenant could not be fulfilled by man because of his
Imperfections and sin.

For all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God.

But this Agreement was fulfilled by another Man called Jesus.
A perfect Man.

Therefore he said " It is finished"

Paid in full by the blood of the true Lamb of God.

I ask anybody:
What else do we need to pay if it has been paid in full at the cross ?

You need to look into Justification taught by the Church. Initial Justification is our complete justification through the work outside of us, and because of nothing we did to deserve. From this, we are baptized. This is the common reception of this saving grace. Once in this grace, we are adopted sons and what we do then, is Christ’s continued work through us, or a rejection of that work (or life). This is where merit comes into play. Merit being what we deserve, for better or worse. When we fall short, we confess and turn back to His life line, which is His blessed Body and Blood. The life of the Christian. When we dont confess and turn from our faillings we incur judgement on ourselves. Purgatory is the cleansing of these undelt with sins and wrong doings in the life of a Christian. If they are serious enough sins to be called mortal or grave…they would seperate us from God’s grace and we wont have the priviledge of Purgatory and thus, Heaven.

If you say, Christ takes all sins, we agree. But if a saved Christian falls back into sin, but does not bring it to our Lord’s sacrificial offering to God the Father, how does he remove them from us?