Catholic Position
¶1030 All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly
purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after
death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness
necessary to enter the joy of heaven.
¶1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of
the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the
damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory
especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the
Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a
cleansing fire:
As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final
Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever
utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in
this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that
certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the
age to come.
¶954 The three states of the Church. “When the Lord comes in glory, and
all his angels with him, death will be no more and all things will be
subject to him. But at the present time some of his disciples are
pilgrims on earth. Others have died and are being purified, while still
others are in glory, contemplating ‘in full light, God himself triune
and one, exactly as he is”‘:
All of us, however, in varying degrees and in different ways share in
the same charity towards God and our neighbours, and we all sing the
one hymn of glory to our God. All, indeed, who are of Christ and who
have his Spirit form one Church and in Christ cleave together.
Scripture Says
Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:18
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men
to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came
upon all men unto justification of life.
Ephesians 2:8
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Romans 5:9
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Romans 3:24
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
1 Corinthians 6:11
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by
the Spirit of our God.
Hebrews 9:26
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of
the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Commentary
-
God’s salvation is a GIFT.
- That gift is FREE.