The Roman Catholic doctrine of Purgatory contradicts the glorious truth of justification by faith and declares that Christ’s death and resurrection were insufficient to completely save us.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes purgatory as a state of final purification after death and before entrance into heaven for those who died in God’s friendship, but were only imperfectly purified; a final cleansing of human imperfection before one is able to enter the joy of heaven (1031; cf. 1472)
Purgatory is not mentioned in the Bible. Instead the New Testament clearly teaches that God completely justifies us (makes us right with God) when we put our faith and allegiance in Christ. The Bible teaches that a great exchange takes place when we are justified. Our sins fall upon Christ, and his perfect righteousness is transferred to us.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB95) —
It is not simply that we are forgiven for past sins.
Justification makes us completely and forever right and acceptable with God.
For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Hebrews 10:14 (NASB95) —
Justification takes place in the spirit, the innermost part of our being, which is capable of direct communion with God. In fact, Paul wrote that when we are born again, our spirit becomes one with the Holy Spirit.
But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 (NASB95) —
Because of this inner union with God’s Spirit, we are now continually in the presence of God. Spiritually we are already seated at God’s right hand, where Christ dwells, because we are “in Christ” or one with him in the Spirit.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:4–6 (NASB95) —
For us who still live in our mortal bodies, justification is something we accept by faith.
Justification means that Christ took the punishment for our sins so that we never have to face condemnation at the Judgment.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24 (NASB95) —
This glorious truth seems contradicted by the ongoing presence of sin in our lives. Every born again believer is locked in a struggle with what the Bible calls the “flesh.” Paul described this battle in the Seventh Chapter of Romans.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Romans 7:18–23 (NASB95) —
If even Paul struggled in this manner, it is not at all surprising that so do the rest of us. Does this internal battle against sin nullify the truth of justification? Not at all.
The reason for this inner conflict is because our bodies have not yet been raised from the dead. Our spirits are made new at the new birth and will never die, but our bodies are still part of the old order of things, destined to the grave.
Justification is a one time event, but the process of sanctification continues for our lifetime after being justified.
Sanctification is a daily work of grace in cooperation with God’s Holy Spirit, who lives inside us as God’s change agent.
For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are (being) sanctified. Hebrews 10:14 (NASB95) —
This happens as we grow in our knowledge and faith in God’s truth and promises found in the Bible.
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31–32 (NASB95) — And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NASB95) — But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB95) —
We will never attain complete perfection in this life. Instead we live in hope of righteousness.
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. Galatians 5:1–6 (NASB95) —
This means that our spiritual justification must be received by faith as we wait for it to be completely manifested at the resurrection.
If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you... 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. Romans 8:10-11, 22–25 (NASB95) —
The resurrection will be the final installment of our great salvation.
Justification makes us perfectly righteous in the spirit. Sanctification is the process of being transformed into Christ’s image on a daily basis as we cooperate with God’s Spirit and grace. Glorification will take place at the resurrection. At that point our inner struggle with sin shall cease because our bodies will also be renewed and part of the new order of things. Justification was once and for all in the past. Sanctification takes place in the present day by day. Glorification lies in the future and will be once and for all time. (You can read more about these things in other articles I have written on justification, sanctification, and glorification.)
Even though complete transformation will only be ours at the resurrection, our complete justification at the time of the new birth guarantees our access into God’s presence right now and upon death.
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. Philippians 3:20–21 (NASB95) — Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (NASB95) —
Eternal life begins at the new birth and never ends. Since we are already spiritually seated with Christ in God’s presence, when our bodies die, we will immediately be in God’s manifest presence.
If we are already in God’s presence, why would anyone devise a place called Purgatory, removed from God’s presence, where we will suffer to expiate our own sins, something Christ already did for us once and for all?
The doctrine of Purgatory, therefore, is an abomination that detracts from Christ’s perfect work. Instead of going to Purgatory to suffer in order to remove the remaining debt accumulated by our sins, when we die we will immediately be in God’s presence.
Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight— 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:6–8 (NASB95) —
We cannot have it both ways. Either Jesus completely justified us through his death and resurrection, or we are on our own. If it is the latter, we are lost without hope. If it is the former, we are gloriously saved. The Bible clearly teaches that Christ perfectly saved us once and for all.
With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Hebrews 9:12 (NLT)
