If Christ paid for our sins why is there purgatory?

Someone asked me the other day what purgatory (hell) was for if Christ took up on him our sins. I tried to explain that unless we accept the gift of Christ atonement it doesn’t help us.

For example, if we bought a big screen TV but were unable to pay for it and Christ came and said, “Put it on my account and let me pay for it,” It wouldn’t do us any good unless we accepted the gift.

It is like a coupon you get in the mail with your name on it that says, come in to Walmart today with this coupon and your bill with us is paid. If we never go into Walmart with the coupon our bill is never paid. Eventually the coupon expires, or in other words our time on earth is done and we get to the pearly gates the gate keeper say, “I can’t let you in.”

“What?” you say, “But I have this coupon from Jesus Christ that says my account is paid for.”  

“Yes, that is true. Our records show that you were sent a coupon, but you never redeemed it, never    acknowledged it. I am so sorry but you must go to jail (or purgatory) until you have worked off the debt.” 

“But what good will that do? Even if I pay the debt myself the TV is back on earth and I don’t have the power to turn it on anymore. My hand passes tight through the remote. If someone else turns it on I must watch whatever they choose.” Or you might say, “But Lord, I took in the sick and wounded. I turned the other cheek and did much good in the world.” The answer would still be the same.

“I am so sorry, but I cannot let you in unless the debt is paid. You chose to ignore the coupon, the gift, you must pay.”

So how do we redeem the coupon?  

“Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) and how can we be born of the water (baptism)? “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38) And remember, “What shall it profit a man/woman if he/she shall gain the whole world and lose his/her own soul?”

I Will Give Thanks

“The Lord liveth, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation… Therefore I will give thanks unto thee … and I will sing praises unto thy name…” (2 Samuel 22:47 & 50)

This is David speaking in all his eloquence. He is actually expressing thanks for winning a battle – a life and death situation. Most of the time, our situation is not that defining. We do have emergency life and death situations in our lives but probably not to the degree that David did. Nevertheless, we face crisis, turning points daily.

If you think about it forgetting to say prayer, read scriptures, give thanks are crisis. We get lax in our gratitude, in our worship and the next thing we know we aren’t even thinking about the Lord at all. Oh, we still believe in him, but we don’t realize that we are sliding away. I’m not here to give guilt trips. The only reason one should say prayer, read scriptures or give thanks is because they want to, and yet not doing so is a crisis.

I cease not to give thanks for you

Paul writing to the Ephesians said, “After I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers …” (Ephesians 1:15)

Isn’t that a cool thing to give thanks for? Sometimes I think we forget that those in leadership positions, the missionaries, the teachers, are the ones Satan works the hardest on. They need our thanks and prayers. Think about the new convert, or the recently baptized individual. We all need appreciation and prayers. It is good to say thank you in person, but it is also good to say, “Thank thee Lord for (name) who gave such a good talk, or lesson, or said a few kind words to me.   

When my precious daughter was in high school I worried about her a lot even as I did about my sons. It made such an impression on me the day she said to me, “Mother I know when you pray for me.”

What if in our private prayers we say, “Thank thee Lord that (child’s name) made his/her bed this morning,” or whatever.  Think of the positive influence such a prayer would have on the child.  What if we found a reason each day to be grateful for each member of our family? Suppose we told them in person and thanked the Lord for them in our private prayers. Think not only of what that would do for, them but think what it would do for us.   

Somewhere it is written that gratitude makes us glorious.  I think of the Savior and of his great sacrifice for each of us that we might return to our Father in Heaven. He is truly glorious and if we could but obtain a portion of that glory and share it with others this would be a better world. Remember to always be grateful for the sacrifice our Lord made for us and it will come back to us in bucket fulls. 

The Giving of Thanks accrues an Abundance of Grace

“For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God… For our light afflictions, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (2 Corinthians 4:15 &17)

In other words, everything that God does is for us that we might through the giving of thanks of many redound or accrue an abundant of grace because of his glory and greatness. As we give thanks we gain glory or graciousness and humility which makes us more fit for the celestial kingdom which helps us overcome our afflictions.

 Paul says here our light afflictions, but I think he means that any affliction we might have is light in comparison to those of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This lifetime is but a moment and then we are received into glory.

So give thanks, be positive, and see the good in all things, including our afflictions, and we will be made glorious. 

Feast of the Harvest--the first fruits of thy labor

 “And  it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts2 :21)

This is Peter speaking to the people on the day of Pentecost. Curious, I looked up Pentecost to see what its meaning might be. It means fifty. The Feast of Pentecost happens fifty days after Passover according to Jewish law. It is also called the “Feast of the Harvest – the first fruits of thy labor.”  1 Corinthians 15:23) tells us that Christ became the first fruits of them that slept. That being so, Christ having completed his work here sent “another comforter… even the Spirit of truth” John (14: 13 -15) on the day of the Feast of the Harvest and the apostles and Disciples of Christ in that day became the first fruits of the Spirit.   

Some of us who are converts are the first fruits of our families in the Lord. I think of my dear grandmother who read her scriptures daily and lived by the percepts taught there.  Her example and love of our Lord Jesus Christ influenced my life to receive Christ. I see her influence in other members of the family and in their children and grandchildren.  We can all be examples to others through that Spirit of truth received on the day of Pentecost thousands of years later.

Enter with thanksgiving

“Know ye that the Lord he is God. It is he that hath made us and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generations.”  (Psalms 100:3-5)

Nothing wavering

“If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.” (James 1:5-6)

Who among us does not lack wisdom in some area? Of course, you know that when the scriptures say men it means mankind. I make no apologies for the lack of gender sensitivity. Asking “in faith nothing wavering” does not mean that you could perform feats of magic if you had faith and did not allow it to waver. It means instead that you use faith when asking the Holy Spirit that a thing is right. If the Spirit wavers, then this is not something that is approved of and even if you succeed in making it happen it was not by the Spirit. If instead by the Spirit, you know a thing is right, then nothing can stop it from happening if you have faith.