The Catholics explain it as a necessary justice that purges us from the stains of venial sins which we have committed. But what kind of forgiveness is it that keeps a record of wrongs, while we are urged not to do the same against those who wrong us? Of course, we can earn indulgences to secure our early release, but that creates a whole new series of problems. Salvation is not supposed to be something that we earn. Why are we expected to earn our way out of an almost hellish place of punishment even after we have been granted salvation? Is Jesus' sacrifice not quite enough, or is his righteousness imputed to us not yet a suitable garment to gain us entry to the wedding feast? The very concepts of merit and stain are problematic.
Therefore, I have developed a different idea, drawing from the Scriptures, that takes account of concerns about meeting the requirements for our places in Heaven. By contrast, this is not a place of punishment so much as it is a trial by fire of our humility, which reveals how well we have been listening to the Holy Spirit. Yes, it can be painful, and we are meant to be among the saved going to Heaven, but it doesn't have to be endured for longer than it takes for us to learn a proper attitude of appreciation for grace. Indeed, it seems that the Catholic teachings are more likely to prolong it than to decrease its duration.
We are saved by grace because of our faith. Our works are no more than a response of loving obedience, and we have no claim to merit of any kind. Indeed, we are little more than worthless servants, for which of us can claim to have done all that our Lord may have asked of us? If we have somehow managed to achieve anything worthwhile, we should count ourselves as blessed.
In my view, purgatory happens when Christians who have been saved are judged for their works done on Earth. Jesus says that we will be rewarded according to our works, good or worthless. This judgment determines our place and role in Heaven. Our good works survive a test of flames, separating gold from dross to become our eternal treasure, but worthless works will all be consumed and lost, discarded as cinders or blown away as ashes. We must not hold on to those worthless deeds and resist correction, or we will remain in the flames until we release them. Just because we have done what the Church prescribed, doesn't mean the Lord asked it of us.
Therefore, let us practice humility here and now, holding on to nothing, but letting all of our deeds be an offering to God for his glory, not our own. Strive for the fruit of good character and obedient holiness with all humility. Spread the Gospel so as to save souls, and serve to build the Kingdom. Love one another as Jesus loved us. These will endure for your eternal reward. With only a minimum of these, performed because of our faith and desire to please God, we may be saved as if passing through a wall of flames to reach safety, but we will have only the shirts on our backs to cover us. Oh, of course, we can do more by following Jesus' example and listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit calling us to employ our talents. Those who do well will receive even more, while those who do little will get little.
Purgatory is where we let go of the good works WE have done that God did not request from us, but it does not have to be endured for a long time unless we make it difficult. It is not the place where we are purged from our sins, unless you count as "sin" anything that failed to please the Lord. Jesus already died to wash away our evil deeds. They are forgiven. But clinging even to our good deeds with pride can be a severe hindrance, and may even bar our entrance to Heaven.
There are certain things that we are all expected to do when the opportunity arises, and they are clearly outlined in Scripture. These include obedience to the Ten Commandments, performing the works of corporal mercy, and loving our enemies among others. We are also expected to try to pray without ceasing, and to seek ways to apply our talents toward building the Lord's Kingdom. And, we are given certain gifts for the tasks we are assigned. Those are the things we are expected to accomplish.
What we are not asked to do are those things which we reach for out of our own ambition. We are not all meant to be great evangelists, like Billy Graham. Nor must we all plant new churches in foreign lands unreached by the Gospel. Not even is every Christian meant to be a pastor or teacher. Few of us have the special gifts needed to succeed in those tasks. We might even achieve some small successes if we try, but God had an even better idea of what we could do for Him if we had only listened. Perhaps we were taking someone else's place, who could not do what we were called to do, and leaving him without a blessed task. We should not always aspire to do great things, but allow ourselves to invest our hearts in the fields where we are planted. If we are to be called out, God will find ways to let us know what He wants.
By contrast, if we rather to pursue our own goals, however glorious, without seeking his advice for our vocation, whatever we may accomplish will in the end become cinders and ashes. If we come before the Throne and offer Him our good works, we had better hope that we have done at least something that He asked of us. We certainly don't want to hear Him say that He never knew us, and never heard us asking what He wanted us to do to serve the Kingdom.
P.S., This is NOT what the Catholic Church teaches. It mostly comes from Scripture, and then from listening to the Holy Spirit. I do not claim it to be infallible, but merely logical and likely correct. I do not view this as an essential doctrine necessary for our salvation. Let's not argue about it nor condemn Catholics for their own ideas.
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