The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-06-12

| there is thread OF truth in the doc
tr1ne of purgatory. That thread con
! meets up with our text of today. In
deed, our Catholic friends acknowl
| edge that there Is no positive state
mens in the Bible respecting purga
tory; they merely infer 1t from certain
| texts, which do not use the word and
| our text, which says, Saved so as by
fire." This is one of their strong texts
| supporting the theory of purgatory. II
| certainly does imply that fiery expert
ences of some kind will come to some
OF Gods people. and that these will be
designed to have a purging effect.
| Nothing in the text. however, gives
single suggestion to the effect that
such purgatorial trials are now in op-
| Grafton. On the contrary, the Apostle
points down to the future saying, THE
fire of that day shall try every mans
work of what sort it is" Those who
have built with the wood, hay and
stubble, even though upon the good
foundation of Christs redemptive
work, will suffer loss. Only those who
shall build with the precious Divine
promises, the gold, silver and precious
stones of the Divine Word, will pass
unscathed through the fiery expert
ences of that day.
Nevertheless, says the Apostle, those
who will suffer the loss of their entire
faith structure of wood, hay and stub.
ble-false doctrines and theories of
their own and Of other men-wiI them
selves be saved, because they built
upon the Rock Christ Jesus But, he
adds, ''They will be saved so as by
fire"-saved through fiery experiences.
Search as we will we find no reference
to any such sufferings after death and
before the resurrection. Thus we see
that the Apostle is in full harmony
with what the Bible everywhere teach
es, that the dead are rot consciously
alive to experience either joy or suffer
ing between the time of death and the
resurrection. But, on the contrary,
they all "sleep in the dust Of the
EARTH" awaiting the awakening of
their souls in the glorious morning Of
the New Age.
st. Peters remarks to the faithful in
his day have been applicable through
out the Age, and are still applicable to
us. He says Think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to
try you, as though some strange thing
happened unto you" q Peter Nv, 12)
Here again he is not speaking of pur-
gatorial experience after death, but of
a purgatorial experience in the present
life. God could protect His children
from every foe, from every, trouble,
from every sorrow, from every one of
Satan's darts, but instead OF doing so
lie permits these fiery trials to test
their faith, their loyalty to Him, to the
Truth, to the brethren.
Purgatory In the Present Life.
Did not Jesus thus have purgatorial
experiences ?-not to purge away sin,
for He had none-being "holy, harm
less, undetiled and separate from sim
ners"-but to demonstrate His loyalty
to God; as the Apostle said, "He was
obedient unto death, even the death
of the cross" And did not the Apos-
ties have purgatorial experiences,
which were needed, and which we all
need? Is it not in respect to these
purgatorial experiences that the Apos-
tie urges us to remember that God is
faithful and will not suffer us to be
tempted, tried, more than we are able
IN hQQr ~ will I'm 70
trial, provides also way of escape?
He also assures us, my grace is
sufficient for thee, for My strength is
made perfect in weakness" And is
not this the very picture the Scrip
lures give us respecting our present
trials, namely, that our Lord sits as a
Refiner and Purifier OF silver to take
from us the dross and to purify us as
New Creatures in Christ Jesus, and to
make us ready for the Kingdom?
1t is in full accord with this that the
Apostle declares of the Church that il
we Judge ourselves-judge our own
conduct, and properly criticize our
selves for errors-we will not need to
be judged or chasfened with flery
trials by the Lord. But IL re neglect
to thus judge ourselves. and become
careless the Lord will give ms chastan-
ings, fiery trials AID atrtpss-purgsto
rial experiences To che Intent tnnc we
may rot be condemned with tho world
Tho Worlds Condemnation.
In this statement, to the effect that
the Church Is now chastened that she
may not come into judgment with the
world, we should understand the word
p0rid to mean all outside of the
Church--both Jews and Centiles. The
Church is composed, not OF any sect
or party, but of all those who bt,yc
come into covenantreiationship win
the Father through faith IN the Lord
Jesus, and full conservation of their
lives 10 walk in Hts steps. The re
ward of thu Church viii be toint- het-ship
with the Savior r. his Eipslem. for
which we pray, Thy Kingdom come
The Bible tea1hes us thai shortly
the Kingdom will be es.e k@shed In
the midst OF great 'umA VI trou
ble," and that through SIS bsc3
reign OF r!eptoousness Ice ~hola
world, Of every nation s.u klI.dred
and people and tongua, vii, he blessed