But suppose we grant the Protestant notion that when I accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior I am totally and perfectly purified. If Christians do commit sin, then he is not clean. His garments have become soiled. If justification did it all, for all times, then sanctification makes absolutely no sense. We read in Hebrews 12.1 that we, the Christians, should throw off everything that hinders us, especially sin.
Purgatory is a doctrine of divine mercy.
It is a recognition that most Christians are not so evil as to warrant hell and most are not yet perfected as to warrant immediate entrance into heaven. Purgatory makes perfect sense. Before looking at Scripture, let us look at our own lives first. Sin is a refusal to love God as I should. Sin manifests an imperfect love.