Not Purgatory, but Resurrection!

Previously, we have shown that there is no scriptural basis for the false Roman Catholic teaching of Purgatory.

Not only that, but Jesus' and Paul's teachings about the timeline of the death of believers leaves no room to insert a stint in Purgatory. We are absent from the body, and instantly present with the Lord!

In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul encourages believers to understand what will occur when Jesus returns to claim His people. Those who are asleep in Jesus, God will bring their souls with Christ, to be united with their resurrection bodies.

But those believers who are still alive at Christ's return, will be caught up together with those resurrected saints to meet the Lord in the air!

Paul then exclaims, "and so shall we ever be with the Lord!"

These are great words of comfort for all of God's people, but again, there is no room at all to insert any detours into the flames of torment called Purgatory.

Roman Catholic apologists raise what seems like a "reasonable argument," that believers must be "purged" of their sins, and receive temporal punishment, before they will be fit to appear in the presence of a Holy God.

But that argument collapses in view of their contradictory teachings of Indulgences, for it soon transpires that there is no essential need for such "purification," since it can be bypassed completely based upon the merits and sufferings of other people!

Which leaves the question: how do the scriptures teach that believers are made fit to appear in glory?

First, we must never minimize the great truth, that our Lord Jesus has the power to forgive sins! By the declaration of His Word, He forgave the poor paralyzed man of His sins.