I began to think seriously about death after my mother died suddenly, I was 22. I’m in my early 70’s now and am realizing that I rarely consider death in a solemn manner. On occasion, I realize that not being on the earth will be very odd and really do not know what to think of it except to think that it will be tragic.
I know that when I think such thoughts, I am viewing the world via my secular humanist brainwashing; which is still much more with me than I want it to be. If I’m reading scripture, then I am able to view death differently, more accurately, per God’s revelation….
I look at the obits of several newspapers daily, just to keep abreast of the passing of friends, former coworkers…. I also do it to help me come to terms that it is coming and that, like I prepared for a career, I now need to prepare for my eternal home. By God’s grace, I have lived to this age, having the opportunity to engage in such an activity.
As I listened through Pastor Daniel’s video, I knew I wanted to post it. At the same time, I believed that I had to post something on the false Roman Catholic concept of purgatory: in all my times of reading through the Bible, I never found anything on such an idea; there is much, however, on making a choice for “life” or for “death” in this life; that is, for eternal life or death.
Jesus said [regarding this topic; regarding the life you presently live]:
Luke 13:3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Ezekiel 18:30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, everyone according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.
Act 17:30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
Also, see the parable Jesus told, The Rich Man and Lazarus, Luke16:19-31.
Other very relevant passages of scripture: Deuteronomy 30:11-20; Matthew 7:13-27; Proverbs 5:1-14; and Luke at Bible Hub, there are plenty of commentaries to help you further understand just these two passages that indicate one must choose God while in this life.
But if you insist on believing the words of men (the Popes) over those of God, then pray for eyes to see what God has made clear.
A brief consideration of Proverbs 5, the 3rd video below, is a scriptural passage that concerns itself with those who neglect to consider the topic, and by neglect, choose death. That passage also reveals the personal rebuke of one who did such a thing (that would be a blessing, as it could enable a person to come to a different decision).
Therein a father is speaking to his son about not being deceived by the pleasures of this life such that he might experience eternal death but admonishing him to choose life….
Video 1:
Pastor Daniel read the final words of 8 atheists and 5 Christians in the 5-minute video he created. We all need reminding of just how close death is and we need to think about the state of our souls, as our opportunities to seek God’s grace run out at the time of death.
The last words of 8 well-known atheists:
- Caesar Borgea, Italian nobleman, politician and Cardinal
- Voltaire, skeptic, philosopher
- Sir Thomas Scott, chancellor of England
- David Hume, atheist philosopher
- Antone Levey, satanic high priest
- Charles IX, French king known for massacre of Huguenots, believers in Christ
- Sir Francis Newport, head of atheist English club
- Thomas Payne
Last words of 5 well-known Christians:
- Henry Martin, British missionary
- John Flavel, English Presbyterian preacher
- Philip Melanchthon, German Reformer
- Apostle Paul [words about death, may not have been last words, but are for you to consider]
- King David [words on death, may not have been last words, but words for you too]
From the YouTube site, Pastor Daniel
Video 2: What the Bible says about Purgatory:
Transcript of video on purgatory:
QUESTION: What does the Bible say about Purgatory?
ANSWER
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Purgatory is “a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God’s grace, are not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.” To summarize, in Catholic theology Purgatory is a place that a Christian’s soul goes to after death to be cleansed of the sins that had not been fully satisfied during life. Is this doctrine of Purgatory in agreement with the Bible? Absolutely not!
Jesus died to pay the penalty for all of our sins (Romans 5:8). Isaiah 53:5 declares, “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” Jesus suffered for our sins so that we could be delivered from suffering. To say that we must also suffer for our sins is to say that Jesus’ suffering was insufficient. To say that we must atone for our sins by cleansing in Purgatory is to deny the sufficiency of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus (1 John 2:2). The idea that those who are saved by grace through faith have to suffer for their sins after death is contrary to everything the Bible says about salvation.
The primary Scriptural passage Catholics point to for evidence of Purgatory is 1 Corinthians 3:15, which says, “If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” The passage (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) is using an illustration of things going through fire as a description of believers’ works being judged. If our works are of good quality “gold, silver, costly stones,” they will pass through the fire unharmed, and we will be rewarded for them. If our works are of poor quality “wood, hay, and straw,” they will be consumed by the fire, and there will be no reward. The passage does not say that believers pass through the fire, but rather that a believer’s works pass through the fire. 1 Corinthians 3:15 refers to the believer “escaping through the flames,” not “being cleansed by the flames.”
Purgatory, like many other Catholic dogmas, is based on a misunderstanding of the nature of Christ’s sacrifice. Catholics view the Mass / Eucharist as a re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice because they fail to understand that Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice was absolutely and perfectly sufficient (Hebrews 7:27). Catholics view meritorious works as contributing to salvation due to a failure to recognize that Jesus’ sacrificial payment has no need of additional “contribution” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Similarly, Purgatory is understood by Catholics as a place of cleansing in preparation for heaven because they do not recognize that because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are already cleansed, declared righteous, forgiven, redeemed, reconciled, and sanctified.
The very idea of Purgatory and the doctrines that are often attached to it (prayer for the dead, indulgences, meritorious works on behalf of the dead, etc.) fail to recognize that Jesus’ death was sufficient to pay the penalty for ALL of our sins. Jesus, who was God incarnate (John 1:1, 14), paid an infinite price for our sin. Jesus died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 2:2). To limit Jesus’ sacrifice to atoning for original sin or sins committed before salvation is an attack on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. If we must, in order to be saved, pay for, atone for, or suffer because of our sins, then Jesus’ death was not a perfect, complete, and sufficient sacrifice.
For believers, after death is to be “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). Notice that this does not say “away from the body, in Purgatory with the cleansing fire.” No, because of the perfection, completion, and sufficiency of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are immediately in the Lord’s presence after death, fully cleansed, free from sin, glorified, perfected, and ultimately sanctified.
Video 3; Proverbs 5, a father encouraging his son to choose life; the son’s regret because he did not [but as long as he still lives, he may seek the grace of God to do that, to choose life, the way of God]:
[Underscored portions are very succinctly explained by bracketed statements.]
Proverbs 5:1 My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding,
2 that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil,
[drip honey: promising much pleasure; smoother than oil: flattering / stroking the pride]
Pro 5:4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
[In the end: finally, consequentially, if one dies in such a state of self-deception; bitter: promising regret]
Pro 5:5 Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol;
[Choosing to indulge one’s lusts via her is the same as choosing death; she will lead you there]
Pro 5:6 she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it.
[She is deceived; following her is to miss the path of life, to be on the pathway to death: the pathway of self-indulgence; of the self – Jesus commanded us to deny self]
Pro 5:7 And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
[Listen to the scriptures, God is speaking to us through these]
Pro 5:8 Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house,
[We are traveling a “way;” is it the way of life or the way of death? Assess your path, which is it?]
Pro 5:9 lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless,
[The way you are actually traveling on has consequences; you will reap those from God. If you squander your opportunities to be godly, then you have given your life away to people who do not value it]
Pro 5:10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
[Not attending to the path on which you travel through life = squandering your personal opportunities; there is no re-doing life; when it ends, that is it]
Pro 5:11 and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed,
[Like the rich man in the parable Jesus told in Luke 16, he was experiencing deep remorse over how he had lived his life. Jesus’ words indicated that when life on earth ends, there are no more opportunities to seek God’s forgiveness, His grace. And when the rich man asked Jesus to warn his 5 brothers, he was told, they have the Law and the Prophets = they have God’s word if they might heed it….]
Pro 5:12 and you say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!
[You rebuke yourself for your pleasure seeking and inattentiveness regarding your own soul; for hating the words of your teachers that attempted to teach you God’s way via His words….]
Pro 5:13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.
Pro 5:14 I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation.”
[It seems that the above thoughts are such that, by God’s grace are occurring to him just before the point of no return. That is, there is still time to turn out of that way of self-indulgence because he is still alive; the following words, verses 15-20, indicate a direction]
Pro 5:15 Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well.
Pro 5:16 Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets?
Pro 5:17 Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you.
Pro 5:18 Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
Pro 5:19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.
Pro 5:20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?
Pro 5:21 For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths.
[God is assessing our way of living this life He gave us, we will render an account]
Pro 5:22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
[Habits of sin become stronger with each new indulgence, or commission of sin. Then there is the idea, stated in Romans 1, that God will give individuals and nations over to the lusts of their own hearts if they refuse to heed His warnings and to seek His grace to live according to His commands]
Pro 5:23 He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.
[Folly is the same as choosing the way of self; Americans are indoctrinated into the way of pleasure via culture and media, commercials…. The Christian fight of faith, as in Romans 7, is against the tendencies of the self – prosperity preachers teach their followers to indulge in the way of self, to seek prosperity, material goods… that is demonic.]
Above comments are partially from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible. The following link is to Proverbs 5 commentaries at Bible Hub:
FOR FURTHER STUDY [from Got Questions article / video]:
Heaven and the Afterlife: The Truth About Tomorrow and What It Means for Today by Erwin Lutzer
More insights from your Bible study – Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!
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***Link to Got Questions article / website: https://www.gotquestions.org/purgatory.html
The following narrative and links are to the Got Questions video at YouTube:
***Got Questions video-page link: https://www.youtube.com/@gotquestions/videos
What does the Bible say about Purgatory? Is Catholic Purgatory true? Is it true that there is a temporal consequence for sin? Is the doctrine of purgatory anywhere in the Bible? In this video, Pastor Nelson with Bible Munch, answers the question, “What does the Bible say about Purgatory?”.
*** Check out, Bible Munch! / biblemunch
*** Recent Bible Munch Videos: John 3:16 – What the most popular Bible verse REALLY means. • John 3:16 – What the most popular Bib…
Jeremiah 29:11 – God’s Plan – What is God’s Plan for my Life? • God’s Plan – Jeremiah 29:11 | What is…
2 Chronicles 7:14 – If my people who are called by my name… • If my people who are called by my nam…
The following links and narrative accompanied video 1 at YouTube:
Video-page link: https://www.youtube.com/@pastordanielsministry/videos
Playlist-page link: https://www.youtube.com/@pastordanielsministry/playlists
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Atheists will one day face the reality that God exists and that will be the most terrifying moment of their lives. I pray they would turn to Christ before it is too late.
Hi, My name is Daniel and welcome to my channel! 🙂
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