For the record, the “Catholic” didnt say anything about or “salvation” being “based” upon our sufferings - you simply interjected that thought. Perhaps you did so because you dont fully understand (or have any language to express) the difference between being “saved” and inheriting eternal life, the kingdom of God (ie, going to Heaven). Being saved happens here on earth but does not automatically mean that one is guaranteed to inherit eternal life/ the kingdom of God(ie go to Heaven) - please review Pauls admonitions to the “saved” members of the churches at Corinth(1Cor6:9) Ephesus(Eph5:5) and Galatia(Gal5:20)
“I urge you, brothers, by the mercy of God, to OFFER UP YOUR BODIES AS A LIVING SACRIFICE holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.”
It is only because of our union with Christ that anything we offer is offered as part of His perfect offering and able to be “holy and pleasing to God”
Purgatory is simply the process of being completely cleansed of our sinful, selfish tendency to prefer self over God and neighbor. Virtually all of us will die in an imperfect state - we will still be struggling with sin, weak faith, selfishness, etc. We need to undergo a final cleansing to be in and enjoy for all eternity God’s infinite holiness. Purgatory is the process whereby those who have died and been judged “good and faithful servants” are made, finally and completely ready to spend eternity with God. And it is not as if we** accomplish it - we dont, we merely experience it. It is still a grace of God, born of the merits of Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary that allows for this final, perfect, gracious cleansing.
First of all, there is no such thing as someone who is saved here on earth and then gets sent to hell later, so NATURALLY I wouldn’t have any language to express that idea! I noticed you didn’t either, except to just make the claim. Anyway, this concept is totally alien to the word of God. You are either saved right now or you are not. Jesus is a SAVIOR, and when He has His mind set on saving someone, He will succeed in His intentions. He does not fail to bring about salvation to those for whom He died. He is “able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory” (Jude 1:24). The quote from 1 Cor 6:9 and the others does not in the least prove your point! So what? The blanket statement that the unrighteous and idolators will not inherit eternal life means just that. You have created some sort of artifical distinction between “saved people on earth who are ultimately hellbound” and I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Second, offering up our bodies as living sacrifies pertains to we offering the sacrifice of praise (Heb 13:15), the sacrifice of joy (Ps 27:6), the sacrifice of thanksgiving (Ps 116:17). We do NOT offer our sufferings to God in conjunction with the sufferings of Christ. That was His exclusive right alone and you do greatly err by co-mingling the two. You say,
"It is only because of our union with Christ that anything we offer is offered as part of His perfect offering and able to be “holy and pleasing to God”
NO. Nothing we could ever do must ever be made to interfere with the cross-work of Christ, or as you say, “offered AS PART OF” His perfect offering. If His sacrifice was perfect, nothing needs to be added “AS PART OF” it. You have ruined the gospel message I must forthrightly warn you.
Third, the fear Catholics have of dying “impure” is due to a false religious piety. Jesus said to “Come to me and I will give you rest”. When we REST our souls in His finished work on our behalf, “we which have believed, do enter into His rest”. What a joy.
Fourth, I feel you are unaware of what it means to be “IN CHRIST”.
This two word phrase is used over 20 times and they all refer to being in union with Him by faith—not by baptism, not by the Eucharist, not by bowing your knee to the Pope, but by FAITH {See 1 John 2:5; 3:24, Romans 3:24, 8:1, 8:39, Eph 1:3, 2:13, 3:11-12, Phil 3:9; 14, 4:19, 1 Tim 3:13, 2 Tim 1:1, 1:9, 1:13 , 2:1, 2:10, 3:15, 1 Cor 1:2, 1:30, Colosssians 1:28; 2:6, 1 Thess 1:1, 2:14, 1 Peter 5:14}. When we are in union with Him, we therefore are (watch it now!) “complete in Him” {Colossians 2:10}. Again, we are COMPLETE IN HIM. One need not ever fret over dying imperfect because we are trusting in the perfect work of the perfect Savior, and all our sins are cleansed away by His unspeakable and vicarious death (1 John 1:7). Yes, it is perrrrfectly alright to consider yourself imperfect as you near the grave. Paul himself knew he was dying imperfect and explicity said so! “Not that I had already attained, either were already perfect…” Phil 3:12BUT! Unlike you, Paul knew that to be absent from the body was to be present with the Lord, because his hope was to “be found NOT having a righteousness of my own”. Don’t you see? He was not looking inwardly to his own righteousness whatsoever. He did many wonderful works “with the grace of God working in me”, but He could also say that he was “NOT justified by the works of the law”. Likewise, we are NOT justified in anyway by offering our sufferings to God. At death, if we are “in Christ”, we have “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rms 13:14) and will be wearing the “robe of righteousness” that the Host will provide us at the wedding feast. If we attempt to enter in wearing our own cloak of good deeds and the added stink of our own sufferings, imagining they are meritorious, we will be thrown out, as the parable teaches in Matt 22. He is our “hiding place” saith the Psalms, and we dwell “in the shadow of the Almighty”.
Finally, if anyone on earth had the need to go to a purgatory, it would have been the thief on the cross. But Jesus said, TODAY you will be with me in paradise.
