Tom Rice Ministries

PURGATORY?

I was raised a Roman Catholic and Purgatory was a place we could go because we were never going to be perfect and we might leave some unconfessed sin in our life. We would go to this holding place where a loving family would pray, light candles and put in money until the sin was paid for. Then we would enter heaven at last and join our family. This Purgatory was a welcome place for me because I would go and confess my sin and walk out and do the same thing again and again. Lets face it I could not stop sinning but I still had Purgatory to cling to. I eventually got fed up as nothing ever happened except to be given penance which was prayers to pray. I had not even noticed that I was not truly sorry but very fearful of God’s wrath. The light came on after I confessed my sin to Jesus and invited Him to be Lord of my life. I was on the bed jumping up and down and praising God as some would describe as a lunatic. Forgive me but I had just had all my sins washed away and was feeling incredibly clean and happy. I had been born of God and I knew this was the real thing and I was ecstatic. The Bible says that “If the Son sets you free you will be free indeed!” Oh how that Bible spoke to me and how much the Holy Spirit taught me about Jesus and my new Heavenly Father!

I began to see that Purgatory was really hell and no amount of money could get you out!

Truly God’s word is the lamp of truth expelling fears and giving wisdom!

“Then the dust shall return to the earth as it was,

and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.

Ecclesiastes 12:7

We were made from the dust of the earth and the dust of the earth is where our bodies return.

It is not the dust that Christ saved but the eternal spirit and the life that moves the dust!

“For as the body without the spirit is dead,

so faith without works is dead also.”

James 2:26

These are keys to God’s eternal kingdom which were left for us so our real hope would never fail us. Purgatory would rely on family and friends paying our way into heaven and if that were the case the blood of Jesus was not enough. Our spirit leaves the body before it is lifeless but the life goes straight to God to face the judgment. If we have had our sins forgiven we stay with Him forever. If we have refused to believe and receive Him we have rejected eternity with Him forever. Jesus said, “Sanctify them with the truth, my word is truth” and my testimony is that I know I am going to heaven. Not because I am good enough or ever will be but because He died my death and paid the price to redeem me for Himself. I am still learning how to forgive others when they hurt me. I am still falling short of God’s high mark but I am going to heaven! Why? It is because I have accepted that I could not save myself and have asked Jesus to forgive my sin and enter into my life. I have fallen completely in love with Him and I am a man! Why? I know Him and have believed against all the odds His Word is true and the more I know Him the more I love Him. I have done what it says even when it was impossible to do and God has given me the power to live in victory and freedom in a relationship that will last forever. He loves you too and if you choose to do what He says you will be truly free and know where you are going! Death need not be anything but a new beginning with a new eternal future.

“But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception. My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love--so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about--not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.” 1 John 4:6-10. “There is no fear in love.” 1 John 4:18