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How can a person enter the Kingdom of God? Is it limited to one group of people such as the Jewish people? Is it limited to people who live in a certain part of the world? Is there a group of people that can be called God’s chosen people? In the following parable Jesus the Christ (Messiah) talks about the Kingdom of God being taken from the children of Israel and given to another nation. What was He talking about? Let us take a look at this powerful parable now:
“Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen (farmers), and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen (farmers), that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen (farmers) took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen (farmers) saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen (farmers)? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen (farmers), which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.” (Matthew 21:33-46)
Plain and simple, the parable describes the rejection of the servants of God (the prophets) which were sent to the children of Israel over the course of their history. The son in this parable is speaking of Jesus the Christ (Messiah) who was ultimately put to death by the people of Israel. So the Lord Jesus Christ was actually prophesying of His own death in this parable, at the hand of the unfaithful farmers (Israel). Jesus the Christ (Messiah) asked the Jewish people what should be done to the unfaithful husbandmen (farmers) who killed the servants and the son. They responded by telling Jesus that those wicked men should be destroyed, and the vineyard given to others who would bring forth fruit. Then the Lord cut to the chase and told those who stood before Him the very point of the parable. Jesus told them that the Kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to a nation that would bring forth the fruits thereof. The religious Pharisees soon understood that Jesus had spoken this parable about them. They would have grabbed Jesus right then and there but they did not because many still held Jesus to be a prophet, and that would have created a great problem.
How Do You Enter The Kingdom Of God?
The Lord Jesus Christ told the people of Israel that the Kingdom would be taken from them and that is exactly what He meant. The Kingdom of God is presently made up of people that are both Jewish and Gentile, and who have been born again of the Spirit of God. Jesus made that so clear to Nicodemus, a Jewish religious ruler, when he came to Jesus during the night:
“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:1- 
Jesus was not impressed with this religious ruler named Nicodemus, and He got right to the point with him. Jesus told this man that he needed to be born again in order to see and enter the kingdom of God. Jesus the Christ (Messiah) went on to tell Nicodemus, that his physical birth (born of the flesh) was one thing, but the spiritual birth (born of the spirit) was an entirely different thing. Jesus made it clear to Nicodemus that he MUST be born again, and then He compared this new birth to the wind that a person can hear but they cannot see.
It is most important that a person understand that the Kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom that stretches forth around the world, and touches people from every race and language in the world. The Spirit of God will always point a person to Jesus Christ and not to Himself. Jesus also told us that the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) would testify about Him:
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” (John 15:26)
Jesus also referred to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth:
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” (John 16:13-14)
If a person is truly part of the Kingdom of God, then you can rest assured that they will testify about Jesus Christ and glorify His name. If a person has not been truly born again then you are not going to hear them testify about Jesus and they will think it absolutely ludicrous that you would dare to say that He is the only way to Heaven. Why? Because they have never come to the knowledge of their own lost condition and their need for salvation in Jesus Christ.
The Kingdom of God is made up of people from all over the world who recognize that Jesus the Christ (Messiah) is truly their Lord. This is the only true unity that there will ever be in this world. Any true born again believer will listen to the politicians call for unity and know in their heart of hearts that it is nothing but a counterfeit unity, because it is not based upon the truth of God’s Word and the Spirit of truth is not in charge.
The Only True Nation Under God
The only true nation under God is that group of people, which I have been describing, who are followers of Jesus Christ, the one who was sent by the Father to redeem our wicked souls. Jew and Gentile alike are part of this one nation under God which is described below:
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)
The gospel message has not changed one drop since the time of Jesus Christ, and that message is exactly the same for the Jewish person as it is for the Gentile person. The Bible tells us that there is a spiritual veil that remains upon the mind of a person (Jew or Gentile) which will not be removed UNTIL they turn to the Lord. The verse below is speaking about the Jewish person who reads their Torah but fails to recognize the Lord Jesus as their Messiah:
“But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.” (2 Corinthians 3:14-16)
This spiritual veil that remains upon the mind of a person can only be removed when that individual, Jewish or Gentile, repents and believes the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the message that Jesus told His followers to preach around the world, starting at Jerusalem, after He rose from the dead. (Luke 24:47). That message has never changed and it will not be altered for anyone. Paul the Jewish follower of Jesus the Christ (Messiah) said this:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)
Do you see that? The gospel is the power of God unto salvation for both Jew and Gentile. It is the same gospel for all! The apostle Paul was arrested and put in chains for preaching the hope of Israel, who is Jesus Christ. (Acts 28:20) The apostle Paul preached the grace of God and he preached the kingdom of God, which is the very same thing. Do not be fooled by those who twist the scriptures and try to tell you that they mean different things. Listen to Paul here:
“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.” (Acts 20:24-25)
In the space of just two verses Paul declared that he testified the “gospel of the grace of God” and also that he had gone “preaching the kingdom of God”. Paul was preaching his heart out wherever he went, and he was constantly under the threat of death from the Jewish people who refused to believe that Jesus Christ was the Messiah.
Who Are God’s Chosen People?
Who are God’s chosen people? They are simply those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, and that includes both Jew and Gentile.
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:26-29)
Please do not miss what is being said here. Who are the children of God according to this passage of scripture? The answer is those who have faith in Christ (Messiah) Jesus. Does it make a difference whether a person is a Jew or Greek (Gentile)? Male or Female? No. The scriptures tell us that if a person belongs to Christ then they are Abrahams seed, which basically means that they are the true spiritual descendants of Abraham.
One of the most compelling statements that was ever made by Jesus Christ to Jerusalem, and the people of Israel is found here:
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. (Luke 13:34-35)
What a stinging rebuke was spoken here, against the majority of the people of Israel who rejected Jesus as the Christ (Messiah). This was a cry from the deepest part of the heart of Jesus. This was a cry that came from the heart of the same Christ who led the children of Israel, from the time of Abraham to Moses and after. This is confirmed by Paul, the Jewish, convert in the following passage of scripture:
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:1-4)
The very same Christ, who was the spiritual Rock for Israel in the days of old, was now manifest in the flesh and telling them that desolation awaited them. The Lord was prophesying of the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem which occurred around 70 AD. Jesus told the Jewish people of His time that their house was left to them desolate because they missed the very Messiah who was sent to them. The very Messiah of whom the prophets spoke was standing before them but he was rejected by them. Not only that, but Jesus the Christ (Messiah) knew that He also would be put to death by the Jewish religious leaders.Jesus linked the people of Jerusalem with their ancestors who went before them, and those who killed the Lord’s prophets who were sent to them. If you study the scriptures you will see how the Lord was always dealing with the children of Israel and sending the prophets, such as Jeremiah and Ezekiel, to warn them to turn from their evil ways, but the warnings were mostly dismissed. So here the Lord Jesus Christ told the people of Jerusalem that He so desired to take them under His wing (like a mother hen) but they were not willing to come to Him. The opportunity to repent and come unto the Lord was given to the people of Israel, but the majority of them refused to come to Him. (John 1:11-12)Jesus the Christ (Messiah) knew full well that the Jewish religious leaders were going to put Him to death, but He also knew that He was going to get back up again from the dead:
From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. (Matthew 16:21)
Jesus the Christ (Messiah) rose from the dead just as He said He would, and this is what He said to His followers as He was sharing a meal with them:
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:44-4
That same message has been preached for nearly two thousand years now, and it has never changed. The message is exactly the same for either Jew or Gentile.
Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:10-12)
A woman named Maryann recently commented on my personal testimony which I have posted on this blog. In my testimony I tell of how the Lord delivered me out from the darkness of Roman Catholicism. Maryann testified of how she also left the Catholic church as a teen, after she questioned the teachings of the church. Maryann’s mom told her that she was an atheist when she heard her daughter say that she believed the apparitions (appearances) of Mary were Satanic.I was not surprised at all by the reaction that Maryann received from her mom. Why? Because I know that we are involved in spritual warfare, and I know because I was once on the other side of the fence. I was also a staunch defender of the Marian apparitions at Medugorje, Yugoslavia.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the subject at hand, let me give you a brief explanation. Websters New World Dictionary gives the following definition of the word apparition:
1) anything that appears unexpectedly, or in an extraordinary way; esp, a strange figure appearing suddenly and thought to be a ghost
2) the act of appearing or becoming visible. [Websters New World Dictionary, Second College Edition, Prentice Hall Press]
When I speak about the “apparitions of Mary”, I am speaking about the alleged appearances of “Mary” which have occurred over the centuries in places such as Guadalupe in Mexico, Lourdes in France, Fatima in Portugal, Akita in Japan, Medugorje in Yugoslavia and other places. Here are two of the messages which came forth from the apparition of Mary in Medugorje, Yugoslavia which is the “appatrition” that I am well acquainted with.
July 18, 1985 “Dear Children, Today I am begging you to put more blessed objects in your homes, and that every person should carry blessed objects on himself. Let everything be blessed so that satan will tempt you less because you are armed against him. Thank you for your response to my call.”
If you search the scriptures you will find no such command from God, regarding placing blessed objects in ones home, or on their person. Growing up as a Roman Catholic I was taught to pray before a crucifix, and I was also taught to wear Marian scapulars which were used as a ” spiritual form of protection”. I also wore the “miraculous medal” which had a graven image of “Mary” on it. That medal came about as a result of another apparition of “Mary” seen by a woman named “Sister Catherine” back in 1830. What does the Miraculous Medal medal have written on it? “Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”
The Bible does not teach us that Mary, the mother of Jesus was conceived without sin, but it teaches this:
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Romans 3:10)
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)
Regarding the spiritual battle against Satan, the Bible teaches the following:
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:11-12)
We are told in the scriptures about the “spiritual armour” required to fight against those wicked powers. We are told to have our “loins girt with truth” and to put on the “breastplate of righteousness” and to have our “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace”. We are also told to take the “shield of faith”, the “helmet of salvation”, the “sword of the Spirit” and then we are told to pray. (Ephesians 6:10-1
Another message from the “Mary” of Medugorje:
August 8, 1985 “Dear Children, I am calling you to pray against satan in a special way. Satan wants to work more now that you know he is active. Dear children, dress up in clothes of armor against satan; with rosaries in your hands you will conquer. Thank you for your response to my call.”
I assure you that this apparition of “Mary” is NOT the Mary that the Bible tells us about. It is a demonic counterfeit and a camouflage which is meant for the destruction of the soul. I know that because it was the Spirit of truth who brought me out of that very darkness, and He showed me the truth which is found in the scriptures (the Bible).One of the weapons that the Jewish apostle Paul wrote about was the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17)The word of God is the weapon that exposes this apparition as being a demonic counterfeit because the message tells its followers to “pray the rosary” which are mainly prayers to Mary. The rosary is not included in the list of spiritual weapons that Paul gave to us. The Bible also informs us that there is only ONE mediator that we need to go to and His name is Jesus Christ.For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1 Timothy 2:5)Jesus is the only mediator because He is the ONLY one who was (and is) both God and man. Jesus Christ is the only one who was without sin and therefore He is the mediator of the New Testament.And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:15)Here is another one of the messages from the “Mary” of Medugorje:July 25, 1985“Dear Children, I want to shepherd you but you do not want to obey my messages. Today I call you to obey my messages and then you will be able to live everything that God tells me to relate to you. Open yourselves to God and God will work through you and give you everything you need. Thank you for your response to my call.”The only problem with the message that came forth from this apparition of “Mary” is that it is in conflict with the very words of Jesus Christ who said:I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:14-15)Jesus Christ is the only good shepherd, and He is the only one who laid his life down for the sheep. His true sheep know the “voice” of the shepherd through His word.Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the comforter and also as The Spirit of truth:But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (John 15:26)There is the key. Jesus told us that the “Spirit of truth” would testify of HIMSELF and then He said: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (John 16:13-14)The Spirit of truth (the Holy Spirit) will guide us into all truth and He will glorify JESUS. The apparition of “Mary” spoke about wanting to “shepherd” her followers, but Jesus is the only good shepherd, and the only one that can lead you to heaven. (John 14:6, Acts 4:10-12)We can discern the very source of a messenger by the contents of the message. If the message is in contradiction with the word of God, then God is most definitely NOT the source of that message. Do not ever forget that!The apparitions at Medugorje have been occurring since 1981. There have been numerous books and videos written in favor of them, not to mention the millions who have gone to visit Medugorje. I have a book entitled “God Sent: A History Of The Accredited Apparitions Of Mary” [ By Roy Abraham Varghese The Crossroad Publishing Company, New York] which has a picture on the back cover of the late Pope John Paul II blessing a copy of the book. That particular book devoted pages 184-213 to the apparitions at Medugorje, so I can only assume that the apparitions at Medugorje were never rejected by that Pope.Idolatry is the main fruit which comes forth from all of the apparitions of “Mary.” Statues, medals and scapulars are just a few examples of that, and over the years they have sold in the millions.
About a week ago I was talking with a Roman Catholic woman and she was in agreement with me that Purgatory, a Catholic teaching, does not exist. She told me that there is only a heaven and a hell. I then told her that the apparition of “Mary” teaches about purgatory and the souls that are still there. I then asked her if she still believed that it was the real Mary appearing in Medugorje. She answered “Yes, I still believe that the apparition is the real Mary. ”
Why is it important to talk about these things? Simply because these are precious souls for whom Jesus Christ died. If we do not sound the alarm and warn them then who will? Do I believe that ALL of the apparitions are demonic in nature? Yes I do, and I will continue to sound the alarm because that is exactly what the word of God commands us to do!.
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE = AUDIO OF THIS MESSAGE
CLICK HERE FOR THE AUDIO MESSAGE : THE DECEPTION OF MARY WORSHIP!
I can remember going to shop for a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary before I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. I walked into a Catholic shop where they sold books, Bibles and many different statues of Mary and other Roman Catholic “saints.” I was very surprised by the large prices on even the small statues, and I was not willing to pay the price that was asked for them. What does the Bible have to say about such things? Is it biblical to worship before these statues? Listen to what one psalmist wrote here:
Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them. (Psalms 115:1-
It is pretty obvious that the Psalmist is speaking about statues which he calls idols. The first thing that the Psalmist mentions is that these idols are the work of mens hands, in contrast to his own God which is in the heavens. The Psalmist then speaks about the facial characteristics of these idols and points out their inability to work because these idols are not real and alive. The Psalmist was making a point that although these idols resemble a real person, they were unable to talk, hear, smell, handle things or walk. The Psalmist then went on to compare those who make these idols, and those who trust in them with the idols themselves! The Psalmist was showing us the absolute futility of trusting in something that cannot help us.
When a person is blind to the truth, as I formerly was, they will seek to worship something that they can see with their eyes. The idol worshiper will often defend their worship of these idols by telling you that they are not worshiping the “statue” or “idol” but the person or spirit that it represents. They are unaware of the “enemy of their souls” who is the devil himself and the one who seeks to divert their attention from their one and only hope who is Jesus Christ! They are completely unaware of what the Bible (Word of God) tells us about such things. I sympathize with them because I was once numbered among their ranks. I came out from the deception of my idol worship because the Word of God, which is the truth, made me free:
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)
I was previously unaware that the second commandment dealt with the issue of idol worship in no uncertain terms:
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:3-6
Many people often brush these things aside and treat them very lightly, but God’s Word still stands true and it can never be changed. God truly is a jealous God, and he must be worshiped in spirit and in truth. Listen to what Jesus Christ told a Samaritan woman about these things:
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias (Messiah) which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. (John 4:23-26)
I encourage you to put your trust in the living God and to believe the scriptures which point you to Jesus Christ and to Him alone.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (John 3:16-21)
You can listen to my personal testimony on AUDIO HERE
Today I would like to talk about the Roman Catholic teaching of Purgatory. First of all I would like to quote from two of their catechisms, regarding this topic:In The New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism there is a little section entitled PURGATORY IS GOD’S HOSPITAL and it declares that ‘Purgatory is God’s Hospital for souls, where those who do not love God enough to enter heaven are cured by fire…Then they must go to purgatory, where they will have to suffer much more intensely than they would have if they had accepted the sufferings on earth…In purgatory, God’s cleansing fires burn away the souls selfishness till its love becomes perfect and it is ready to fly to heaven. Its suffering only purify love, they don’t increase it. [The New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism, Catholic Book Publishing Co., NY 1969, Imprimatur: Francis Cardinal Spellman]The Catechism Of The Catholic Church of 1994 confirms the above in a section entitled THE FINAL PURIFICATION, OR PURGATORY
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 scriptures, speaks of a cleansing fire…. [The Catechism Of The Catholic Church, Doubleday Publishers NYC, Paperback Edition, 1995, page 191, Imprimi Potest: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger] I wanted to quote from those two catechisms to present the Roman Catholic teaching regarding this place called Purgatory, so that you could read it for yourself. I am a former Roman Catholic who came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour in 1989, and you can read my testimony or listen to my: testimony on Audio .There has never been a place called Purgatory and there never will be a place called Purgatory. It does not exist. If you search the scriptures you will not find this place in there at all. My purpose in writing this article is to dispel this false teaching which provides a false hope to the millions upon millions of precious souls within the Roman Catholic system.Jesus Christ spoke about salvation and damnation, light and darkness, life and death, and heaven and hell but He never offered even a hint about a place called purgatory. Listen to Jesus here:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-1
Here Jesus speaks about the love of God toward the people of the world, and He declares that God sent His Son into the world to save the world. Jesus also made it very clear that the person who did not believe in the Son (Himself) was condemned already. There was not even a hint about a purifying fire for either the believer or unbeliever from the mouth of Jesus Christ. Jesus made it clear that faith in Him was the determining factor of whether a person was saved or condemned. Here is another passage from the Bible where Jesus speaks about salvation and damnation after He rose from the dead:And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:15-16)Once again the focus is on the faith of the individual. The believer will be saved and the unbeliever will be damned.Listen to the words of a criminal who repented during the final moments of his life, as he spoke with Jesus from a cross:And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:39-43)
Jesus promised this criminal that he would be with Him in Paradise on that very day! I am sure that this criminal had a love that was less than perfect toward God, but Jesus promised that man Paradise. Jesus never mentioned a place called Purgatory or a suffering that needed to take place after he died because that place does not exist. Salvation has always been based upon the faith of the individual in the living God. That criminal could do absolutely nothing to save himself at that point in his life. He could not do any good works. He could not wiggle down off that cross to be baptized either. The only thing that he could do was the thing that he did and that was to put his faith in Jesus Christ before he died. The criminal made a genuine turn in his heart toward the Lord and he genuinely repented of his own sin. The criminal acknowledged that he deserved to be there ‘for we receive the due reward of our deeds…’ and the proof that it was genuine was the fact that the Lord promised that man that he would go to paradise with Him on that very day.
The Catholic Mass And Purgatory
Many people do not realize that the Roman Catholic Mass is considered a ‘propitiatory sacrifice’ that is offered to God for both the living and the dead, which would include those souls in Purgatory. In fact the Roman Catholic Council of Trent has pronounced many anathemas (curses) against those people who would not agree with their teachings on those subjects. Those anathemas are still in effect today and do not let anybody tell you otherwise. Here are two of those anathemas:
People can have a Roman Catholic Mass said by a priest for a deceased friend or relative. A Catholic can go their local church and make a request for a Mass to be said on behalf of their loved one who may be in Purgatory. In the 1960’s I used to go to the local rectory to make a donation for a Mass card when somebody we knew had died. There were two types of Mass cards. One was a simple looking card with a suggested donation of one dollar and the other one was a much thicker one with a nice case for a suggested donation of five dollars. I cannot imagine what the Mass card donation might be today.
Canons on The Sacrifice Of The Mass
Canon 1: If anyone says that in the mass a true and real sacrifice is not offered to God, or that to be offered is nothing else than that Christ is given to us to eat, let him be anathema.
Canon 3: If anyone says that the sacrifice of the mass is one only of praise and thanksgiving; or that it is a mere commemoration of the sacrifice consummated on the cross but not a propitiatory one; or that it profits him only who receives, and ought not to be offered for the living and the dead, for sins, punishments, satisfactions, and other necessities, let him be anathema.
The one thing that I want you to see here is that the teaching of Purgatory cheapens the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How many masses must be said by family members before a soul is set free from Purgatory? How many hundreds of years must a soul remain in Purgatory? These are answers that you will never know and people will still continue to have masses said for there loved ones because of that.
Trust me! If the blood of the sinless, perfect Son of God, Jesus Christ cannot perfectly atone for your sins, then there is nothing in this universe that can do it.
I do not believe that the mass is a propitiatory sacrifice and I do not believe that there is any benefit at all in the Roman Catholic mass, so according to their teaching I am anathematized. I do believe what the scriptures tell me such as the following:
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:8-9)
Many people who do not come from a Roman Catholic background have no idea about these things. They have never been inside the funeral parlor to listen to the prayers for the people who have already died, who are offered hope for escape from this land of make believe. There are millions of Roman Catholic people who think that they have a second chance after death, after they go to Purgatory when somebody else will have a Mass said for them to shorten their time there. I know because I was one of them.
Mary Worship And Purgatory
There are also millions of Catholics who believe that their stay in Purgatory will be shortened because they had a devotion to Mary the Blessed Mother and because they wore the brown scapular around their neck. The brown scapular is made up of two pieces of cloth, usually wrapped in a plastic to protect it, and held together with string. It forms a circle which is then draped over the wearers head.
Pope John XXII declared that he had a vision of the Virgin Mary in which she said the following concening those who wore the brown scapular:
” I the Mother of grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory, I shall free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting”
There were many people who were martyred during the middle ages because they refused to believe teachings such as Purgatory.
Martin Luther was absolutely outraged when a man named John Tetzel went preaching in the towns and villages throughout Germany raising money for the building of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. John Tetzel was peddling indulgences with the approval of Pope Leo X and providing them with a false hope beyond the grave. There was a money chest which was carried during these fund raisers and Tetzel urged the people to contribute by saying:
“As soon as the coin in the coffer rings , the soul from Purgatory springs”
This is spiritual fraud at its worst. I wonder how many sincere people were swayed by that man Tetzel to give up their money, hoping that one of their loved ones would escape the torment of this place that has never existed. It is absolutely mind boggling that the teaching of Purgatory is still around in modern times.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Gentile). (Romans 1:16)
