Reformation Remembrance – Purgatory is the final in our series on the Roman Catholic Church. Is there really a third place that people go after death?
It’s Tradition
Pope Gregory the Great decreed in 594 AD that there is a purifying fire that comes before the Final Judgment. There is no evidence for this in Scripture, of course, but like most things in the Roman Catholic church – it sounds like a good idea, so we’ll make it doctrine! It’s these traditions, built up over the millennia, that make the Roman Catholic church what it is today.
Heaven or Hell
Even though we’ll hit the topic again as we enter the season of End Times, it’s worth it to go over the places where God tells us what WILL happen when we die. The Bible tells us that…
- We die and are judged.
- The body decays and the Spirit goes to God.
- Jesus takes away all of the sins of the world.
If you die trusting that Jesus is your Savior – congratulations – take your inheritance prepared for you since creation. If you die NOT trusting in Jesus as your Savior, you are lost forever in hell.
For a Price
It’s a despicable thought to think that there are souls suffering in an imaginary place – as if that would do any good to a holy God. As if Jesus’ sacrifice for sin on the cross wasn’t enough. Jesus, hold on, I need to help. How could it get worse? I can pay money to help all of this along. Yes, for the low, low price of $10/mass – a bargain with inflation these days – you too can help a loved one along as they suffer their way to perfection in purgatory. If this sounds like an indulgence, it is.
Want to hear more? Watch this week’s Bible study, the final in our series on the Roman Catholic Church, Reformation Remembrance – Purgatory.