Hello Saint James
You said a few remarks that needs Biblical adjuxtments:
[quote:2k8pletz]I left the Church at 14 and came back about 30 years later. I experienced the broad spectrum of Protestantism: I attended a Pentecostal college, served as a United Methodist youth pastor, pursued Reformation theology and became an Anglican priest.
One thing I came to recognize is that Protestantism is not a united front. The theological differences from Baptists to Lutheranism are huge. Some Baptists will say a prayer and believe that will do it no matter how you live afterward while Methodists will preach perfectionism.
While allot of Scriptural quotes are thrown at Purgatory it is my opinion that there is an ignorance of the Bible as a whole. While there is a proclamation of Sola Scriptura I think most of the time the Bible is read selectively if at times at all. In dealing with most Baptists (and Evangelicals) you will notice that they NEVER quote the words of Jesus in this discussion. [/quote:2k8pletz]
You are correct in these statements up to a point. Protestants include many beliefs and are diffeerent in many ways but don’t just classify them all as if they are one religion. All religions are simply men’s attempts to reach God including Catholicism, where as Chistianity is God”s attempt to
reach man. WE are warned about deceptions and if we use God’s Book to discern ALL beliefs, then we’ll knkow the truth.
[quote:2k8pletz]
I am convinced that most Baptists and Evangelicals have never even thought of dealing with the personal sin of a Christian and the judgment seat of Christ after death.
I am confident that those against purgatory have not dealt with this Scripture ( and probably doesn’t even know it is in the Bible): [/quote:2k8pletz]
But it is NOT in the Bible!
[quote:2k8pletz]2 Corinthians 5:9-11:
9 Therefore we make it our aim whether present or absent, to be wellpleasing to Him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, ACCORDING TO WHAT HE HAS DONE, GOOD OR BAD.
11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…
Paul realized that we are saved by grace but we will be held accountable with what we do with that grace. [/quote:2k8pletz]
Yes according to what we’ve done – easily meaning did we live according to God’s way or man’s way – nothing about Purgatory there!
[quote:2k8pletz]
After death there will be the judgment seat of Christ, and purgatory is part of that judgment. We have been bought with a price and Christ will not let us go, but He will not let unrepentant sin go. Just as we are saved by His finished work, He still chastises us Heb. 12:5-7. [/quote:2k8pletz]
If we’ve een bought with a price, then we’ve been Cleaned by His blood just as this verse says: I JN 1:7 – [color=red:2k8pletz]But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, [u:2k8pletz][b:2k8pletz]and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin[/b:2k8pletz][/u:2k8pletz]. No need for further cleaning! But if you don’t believe that then how do you figure that you are His child?[/color:2k8pletz]
[quote:2k8pletz]”that each one may receive the things done in the body, ACCORDING TO WHAT HE HAS DONE, GOOD OR BAD.” [/quote:2k8pletz]
See above
[quote:2k8pletz]We can deal with not forgiving now or before His judgment seat, the same with pride, idolatry, and lust. Just like you don’t get a free ticket from chastisement now, you won’t then. [/quote:2k8pletz]
But a gift from God is free since it is built upon His love for us and that is why we call it grace. If it isn’t free and we’d have to work for it then it wouldn’t be a gospel of grace.
[quote:2k8pletz]
“I feel sorry for you and all the rest of you guys that decide to remain Catholic”
RON K by your comments and the spirit evident in them the only thing that I realize is that I am glad I’m not like you. [/quote:2k8pletz]
Everyone has the right to their own beliefs, but as you said,( that each one may receive the things done in the body, ACCORDING TO WHAT HE HAS DONE, GOOD OR BAD.”)
[quote:2k8pletz]You need to stop getting your information from anti Catholic literature (Loraine Beottner, John Ankerberg, etc.) and read Catholic resources to get the right “thing”, and quite frankly you need to stop being a hater. [/quote:2k8pletz]
Thanks but no thanks, what I need as well as you is top follow God according to His word and Catholicism twists it to a complete non-gospel that saves no one. Even the love chapter tells us (1 Cor. 13:6) – [u:2k8pletz][color=red:2k8pletz][b:2k8pletz]6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth[/b:2k8pletz][/color:2k8pletz][/u:2k8pletz].
[quote:2k8pletz]I have been where you are now. I found that I needed to open my heart to the love of Christ and to love Him. When we love Christ we must love our brother. It is much better to be one that loves than hates. [/quote:2k8pletz]
But you aren’t a brother until you become a believer!