From: andrewl@hades.ausonics.oz.au (Andrew J Lockwood)
Subject: Re: Aqunias on faith & purgatory
Keywords: St Thomas Aquinas, purgatory, catholic
Organization: Ausonics Pty Ltd 61-2-428-6444
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 07:45:31 GMT

In aus.religion Rick Jelliffe writes:

>(PURGATORY)

>The good who love God perfectly will be submitted to no judgement other than
>being assigned their reward.

That cuts out everyone except the God since He alone is good (Mat 19:17).
There are no levels of goodness among fallen man! ``For all have sinned 
and fall short of the glory of God.''

>The good who are imperfect will be judged as to
>their imperfections but will be saved.

There is no one who is perfect! We all have had our imperfections
from Mary, Paul, thorugh to me. The only one to walk this earth
who was perfect was Jesus.

>Souls fit for heaven go there; 

What's the RC definition of ``fit for heaven''? The Bible's definition
is ``those to whom righteousness is credited'' Rom 4:5

>souls in mortal sin are, by their own free choice and decision, assigned 
>to hell; 

When?

>souls in God's grace but unfit for heaven are detained in purgatory.

What did these poor people do? Why didn't God cast their sins and the
memory of the as far as the east is from the west?
For how long? How fast does time tick by in the after life?

>Heaven is for those without spot or wrinkle, nothing defiled can enter.

Agreed. This is because God is perfectly Holy. But there is no-one
who is without spot or wrinkle. Read Romans 3:10-18. This is the
terrible situation. But God has done somthing about it through the
death and resurrection of Christ. True believers:

	a) Have peace with God NOW. We have become God's friends and
		are no longer his enemies.
	b) are Justified NOW (just as if I had never sinned) -
		a legal status before God - they have fulfilled
		all the legal requirements.
	c) are reconciled to God NOW.
	d) have righteousness creditied to us NOW.
	e) have free access to God through Christ - The curtain
		around the Holy of Holies was torn 2000 years ago.
	f) have been attoned for - When God looks upon us, he
		see Christ.
	g) have all WRATH diverted away towards Christ on the cross.
	h) have true and total forgiveness of all sins past, present
		and future.
	i) have the living God dwell within.

>In heaven the blessed will directly see the very essense of God.

>Souls remain in purgatory until the preventing obstacle is removed
>by eduring the penalties of its state or by prayers and sufferages on its
>behalf.

All preventing obstacles have already been removed by God when we come
to believe. What else can mere man do to help out God?????

>The souls in purgatory patiently submit to their penalties, but they
>long to be freed from them and to be purified from all that blocks
>them out of heaven.

The Bible teaches that believers go to be with the Lord at physical
death.

>The souls in purgatory have actually won heaven, and wait only till they 
>are conditioned to enter it. 

Bible verses?

>In fact, as I hope the quotes show, purgatory expresses how a SAVED soul
>is transformed to be fit for (in the sense of being able to participate in,
>NOT in the sense of meriting) heaven.

How can the Spirit dwell within a person who is not fit for living
eternally with God?

There are no barriers between God and a SAVED soul.

>It represents how God's grace brings us rotten sinners into our new 
>birthright, without violating our personality 

>(ie when we die we aren't perfect, yet in heaven we are:

Yes we are. The moment we beleive, as far as God is concerened, in
His sight we are perfect! We have become a new creation. We are
born again and all heaven rejoices. We have become citizens of heaven!

>how does God accomplish this without overriding our wills? The state of
>us relinquishing our wills is purgatory).

No, through the death of Christ!

Regards

Andrew Lockwood
--
     __	    _____   __          Andrew Lockwood  andrewl@witzend.ausonics.oz.au
    /  )      /     /          Ausonics Pty. Ltd.   Ph +61/2/428 6452
   /--/	     /     /          16 Mars Rd, Lane Cove. NSW. 2066. Australia
  /  ( o (__/  o _/___) o    Actions speak louder than words.
-- 
     __	    _____   __          Andrew Lockwood  andrewl@witzend.ausonics.oz.au
    /  )      /     /          Ausonics Pty. Ltd.   Ph +61/2/428 6452
   /--/	     /     /          16 Mars Rd, Lane Cove. NSW. 2066. Australia
  /  ( o (__/  o _/___) o    Actions speak louder than words.
Newsgroups: aus.religion