[DANGER!] 6 MASSIVE Warning Signs Of Spiritual Abuse

(Reposted.) Source: https://theblazingcenter.com/

Spiritual abuse is a scary subject that we have to talk about.

What is spiritual abuse?

Spiritual abuse is when a spiritual leader, such as a pastor, uses their power and influence to manipulate and control people. A spiritual abuser is not concerned with promoting the well-being of those he serves. Rather, he’s only interested in how people can further his plans and agenda.

Over the last year, I’ve read a number of books about incredible, powerful, visionary people who achieved incredible things, only to have everything fall apart due to their own self-destruction.

I’ve read sobering stories of bad pastors who inflicted spiritual abuse (Jimmy Bakker), deceitful startup founders (Elizabeth Holmes), and obsessive athletes (Tiger Woods).

I’ve also witnessed the profoundly destructive power of bad pastors and spiritual abuse first hand.

What struck me as I read these books was that in both the “secular” world and the church, destructive leadership tends to look the same. In other words, the same things that caused Jimmy Bakker to implode also led to the downfall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company “Theranos” (once valued at $1 billion).

And Tiger Woods, though not necessarily a “leader” in the same sense as a pastor or CEO, imploded for many of the same reasons.

More and more, it’s critically important to be able to identify spiritually abusive, dangerous, destructive pastors BEFOREeverything falls apart.

Few things cause Christians to become disillusioned more than being ripped to pieces by spiritual abuse in the church. Few things do more to sully the name of Jesus more than abusive spiritual leaders.

Dave Harvey puts it this way:

There are few things more dangerous to a church than a pastor who is extraordinarily endowed on the gifting side and extraordinarily deficient on the character side. That guy is a decaying tie rod waiting to break. The progress can be impressive until character collapses.

Here are six bright red warning signs of spiritual abuse.

1. He surrounds himself with “yes” people
2. Critics are isolated
3. Loyalty is prized over diversity
4. Refusing accountability
5. Leading by force of personality
6. Refusing to believe anything is wrong

Spiritual abuse is when a spiritual leader uses their power and influence to manipulate and control people.Click to Tweet

Spiritual Abuse Warning Sign #1: A Bad Pastor Surrounds Himself With “Yes” People

Godly spiritual leadership is about helping people move from where they are to where God wants them to be. It’s a wonderful thing when a leader desires to see people going full-throttle for God.

As Richard Blackaby puts it in his book Spiritual Leadership:

Unfortunately, what often happens is that pastors and spiritual leaders conflate God’s plans with their own plans. What often starts as good and godly ambitions can curdle into spoiled, selfish ambitions, which then leads to spiritual abuse.

They say they want to gather thousands of people and create massive movements and do giant things “for God”. In reality, it’s more about creating something that will shine the white-hot spotlight on them instead of God (even though they might not recognize it as such)

The problem with this (apart from the obvious pride and glory stealing), is that creating massive movements requires massive amounts of momentum. To generate momentum, everyone has to be on board, eager to make the pastor’s vision a reality.

Those who challenge the pastor and the vision only slow things down, making it really difficult to pick up speed and achieve the “big things”.

And so spiritually abusive leaders and pastors surround themselves with people who always say, “Yes.” Those guilty of spiritual abuse are quick to speak and slow to listen, and they need people who will always back them up. The inner circle – those closest – will support every decision the pastor makes, no matter how destructive or ludicrous.

Spiritual Abuse Warning Sign #2: Critics Are Isolated

This is closely tied to the previous point. Not only are critics cut out of the spiritual abuser’s inner circle, they are also isolated. After all, the leader can’t afford to have critics talking behind his back.

And so they do everything they can to isolate and discredit critics, smearing their character, accusing them of lacking faith, saying their understanding of the Bible is wrong, and even spreading lies about them. The pastor guilty of spiritual abuse wants his followers to have nothing to do with critics and seeks to discredit them as ungodly sinners who are holding back God’s plans.

The sad reality is that those labeled “critics” often start as close confidants of the pastor, but once they begin to push back, they are cut off. Instead of being able to provide guardrails for the roaring ambition of the bad pastor, they are sidelined and slandered.

Spiritual Abuse Warning Sign #3: Loyalty Is Prized Over Diversity

In order for a church or spiritual movement to be healthy, a diversity of opinions is required. In Christ, we are all priests to God, filled with the Holy Spirit, and given unique gifts to build up the church.

But this doesn’t work for the spiritually abusive pastor or spiritual leader. Diversity leads to dissent, which slows momentum and keeps him from achieving his grandiose plans. He doesn’t want a variety of opinions, he wants loyalty. You’re either in or out, for or against.

And if you’re not all in, you’re accused of being disloyal. Of not being a team player. Of being a naysayer and downer. Of not believing in the mission.

Those who are loyal are promoted to positions of honor, while those who criticize are ostracized. Spiritual abuse often deploys shame and fear and bullying against those who aren’t loyal.

Spiritual abuse often deploys shame and fear and bullying against those who aren't loyal.Click to Tweet

A sure sign that things are going downhill is when everyone in leadership thinks, acts, and even speaks alike. Additionally, if the leadership team gets smaller and smaller, it’s a sign that the pastor is hoarding power and promoting only the most loyal followers.

Spiritual Abuse Warning Sign #4: Refusing Accountability

A spiritually abusive pastor or leader doesn’t like to be held accountable for his decisions. Because of this, he’ll take actions specifically designed to minimize accountability. Often times, this involves creating odd leadership structures where those who are supposed to hold the pastor accountable are unable to do it.

They (the accountability) may be misled or kept in the dark about the leader’s actions. Or, when push comes to shove, they may lack the formal power to hold the pastor accountable.

The result is that it may look like he’s being held accountable when in reality he can do whatever he wants. When spiritual abuse is present in the church, accountability is almost always lacking.

Spiritual Abuse Warning Sign #5: The Pastor Leads By Force Of Personality

This one is a little trickier to evaluate and should be examined in conjunction with the previous signs. Spiritual abuse can be a subtle thing. Most bad pastors don’t seem like bad pastors. They’re often charming, dynamic, and even visionary. They are forces of nature, charismatic, able to inspire people to do hard things.

But the personality is often a facade, whitewash splashed over a tomb. On the surface, they appear to be prophets with a direct connection to God. In reality, they’re deceivers who don’t fear the Lord.

It’s the dynamic personality that often causes people to allow destructive spiritual abuse to go on for far too long. They can’t reconcile the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the bad pastor, and so they endure spiritual abuse and hope things will get better.

Spiritual Abuse Warning Sign #6: They Refuse To Believe Anything Is Wrong 

Sadly, most bad pastors refuse to believe that anything is wrong with their leadership style or the way things are headed. They remain convinced that everything is great, up until the point that everything falls apart.

And even if they do harbor doubts, they certainly don’t share them with others. That would be an admission of wrong, of fallibility, of weakness, of insecurity. It would be an acknowledgment that maybe, just maybe, God isn’t on their side. And so they are always full of bluster and bravado, making grand claims about how swimmingly things are going.

The result is that things go from bad to worse to total implosion. Many people get hurt, the Lord’s name is dragged through the mud, and the movement usually falls apart. Even if it doesn’t, it’s only a shell of it’s former “glory”.

Don’t Tolerate Spiritual Abuse

If you suspect that your pastor is a spiritual abuser, don’t hope that things will get better. That rarely, if ever happens.

Instead, talk to someone outside your normal circle of friends and ask their opinion. Share specifics with them, including all the red flags. Getting an outside perspective is helpful because it can be hard to make sense of everything when you’re in the middle of it. Additionally, bad pastors are often manipulators, able to explain away every action, no matter how egregious.

Whatever you do, don’t tolerate spiritual abuse. It will leave you hurt, disillusioned, and feeling betrayed.

God has better things for you. Joy will come in the morning.

Author: Stephen Altrogge (August 1st, 2018)

Christians are to be Salty!!!

 With the virus changing society rapidly like no one could have imagined, new debates and

conversations are arising within the Christian community. Topics such as tyranny, constitutional rights, our economy, moral & ethical decisions, how to remain Christlike, church lock downs, Bible prophecy, vaccines, government overreach, etc.

  The topic I wanted to address specifically here today is what part Christians have in making an impact upon individuals and a society at large regarding this virus. The popular motto has been, "To do good to our neighbor." We are closing the church doors, so we can retain a good reputation in our community and do good to our neighbor! I understand the biblical principle of valuing life and not being irresponsible regarding spreading a virus. But now that statics have come out and two months have gone by, people are beginning to see this virus for what it truly is. A flu virus. Not a pandemic plague taking millions of people!

  IF, you do your own research and glean from other media sources, podcasts, articles, Youtube videos that are not in the mainstream, and study Bible prophecy, you will see this virus is not what many believe it to be! Simply put, people have an agenda to push behind this virus. An agenda to change society to fit the globalist vision of control and power!

 Introduce the problem, watch the reaction, create the solution!! Now why on earth would the powers that be want to take advantage of a flu virus that spreads quickly? Why force social distancing and wearing masks? Answer: Their solution: forced vaccines!

 Real doctors who are not afraid to speak up for truth, have demonstrated that quarantining the healthy and forcing them to wear masks actually suppresses their immune system.  For solid evidence watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0fsg8ijn8E

 Now back to my original point, what role do Christians have in influencing people unto righteousness during this time? Many would agree that we are to rest in the Lord and evangelize. I agree,  that now is the time to share Christ with people! People seem more open as their world produces fear, anxiety, and uncertainty!

 But I believe Christians can be salt and light unto the world by exposing unrighteousness! Does that mean we disobey government and form a militia? Not necessarily. The way we remain "salty" is by standing on our biblical AND constitutional principles! There is way too much compartmentalizing going on! We are to have a biblical worldview in all areas of life! We are to fight for righteousness and expose tyranny! We are to inform the individuals of agendas that are satanic in nature and do not have people's health in mind. (Although that is what these power hungry globalists would lead you to believe!!)

  We inform people and be a watchman on the wall, and do all this in a Christlike manner, speaking the truth in love! We don't have to be weak, cowardly sheep who blindly follow the crowd. We can question the news being presented. We can do our own research and be thinkers! We can use our research and God's Word to alarm people and warn them! We can tell society what Bible prophecy says. The stage is being set for all prophecy to be fulfilled! How is that not evangelizing and calling people towards Christ?

 We take this evil world system and the fallen nature of man, expose the agendas that are Satanic, and then give the real solution: Jesus Christ!! Not only that, by while we are occupying until the Lord comes, in America we can vote and stand on constitutional rights! We can alarm people of tyranny and abuse of power! There is nothing un-Christian about this!

 If we were to go back in time and observe how Jesus handled false teachers and people leading others astray, many Christians today would probably call Jesus "harsh"and unloving. He firmly called out evil and unrighteousness. He was blunt and even called the Pharisees "a brood of vipers." "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Matthew 12:34

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." Matthew 5:13

"When salt and light try to accommodate to and/or be conformed by the Kingdom of this World, they lose their distinctiveness and their potential to impact the decay and the darkness of the this world which is passing away. Salt is needed because the world is rotting and decaying and if our Christianity is also rotting and decaying, it won't be any good. Light is needed because the world is in darkness, and if our Christianity imitates the darkness, we have nothing to show the world. To be effective we must seek and display the Christian distinctive. We can never affect the world for Jesus by becoming like the world." (Source: https://www.preceptaustin.org/matthew_513)

I would say as Christians, we can evangelize and share Christ by exposing the decay all around us! The lies of the media and transformation of a country where our basic principles (which are righteous) are being taken away! There has never been a country like this in the history of the world! We need to attack the threat before it's too late! Rather than waiting for the problem to come to us and choose to react, we need to see the problem from a distance and react! God has given us the mind of Christ! He give his children wisdom and discernment in these last days!!

"Salt was one of the earliest of all preservatives and was a valued commodity in the ancient world. Without any source of refrigeration, salt became the means of preserving meat from decaying, as the ancients rubbed down meat and fish to preserve it for regular use. Seafarers just a century ago would salt down their fish and meat to preserve them for the long transatlantic journeys. Salt was so important as a corruption preventative in the ancient world that wars were fought over it, and entire economies were based on it. In short, salt could literally make the difference between life and death in a time when fresh food was unavailable."
"Salt was used as a figure of speech in the ancient world of sparkling conversation, speech dotted with witty or clever remarks. In Colossians 4:6 (note), salt indicates speech which gives a flavor to the discourse and recommends it to the pallet as well as speech which preserves from corruption and renders wholesome." (Preceptaustin.org)

I would argue that speech which gives flavor is "speaking the truth in love," and exposing lies! While we alarm and inform people of what we see all around us....we give the only hope and solution! Jesus Christ is the solution who can give us eternal life and peace in the midst of this current chaos and deception! We can have the mind of Christ and think logically and clearly in all this confusion and misinformation! "For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:16)

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

In conclusion, Christians are to be salty!! Taking a stand for righteousness in all areas of society: Government, Economics, Science, Religion,etc. We should not limit ourselves to just remaining in our holy huddles and keeping silent! We need to speak out in love!! Christians will disagree over the extent of this virus and the solutions to it. But we need to remain open to the truth and do our own due diligence!  

"Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command." 1 Chronicles 12:32

Conversations with Catholics

As a former Roman Catholic, I know growing up that it's often called presumptuous and arrogant for a Catholic to know for sure they are going to Heaven. No one can know for sure they will inherit eternal life, only hope that God accepts them when they die. And this all makes sense in a Catholic's thinking, because the Roman Catholic church teaches that although Jesus did die for our sins, we must play a part in our salvation as well! Their salvation depends upon their cooperation with the Catholic system and their faithfulness in order to be saved, but even then there is no assurance of Heaven.

I wanted to take excerpts from an excellent book I own called "Conversations with Catholics" by James Mccarthy. It really drives home the point that the promises of the Bible regarding assurance of eternal life, are not taught within Catholicism. And many within that system are led astray from the truth of the Scriptures!! It is out of love and concern for Catholics that I write this post!!

"I once heard a Catholic woman compare salvation to a bank account. You open the account when you are baptized. Receiving the sacraments and performing good works is like adding money to your account. Committing venial sin takes money out. A mortal sin bankrupts your account. In order to restore it to a positive balance, you must receive the sacrament of confession. Whether you go to heaven or hell is determined by the status of your account at the moment of death. If you have money in the bank, you go to heaven. If not, you don't. And since nobody knows what his final balance will be, no one can know where he is going until he gets there. (page 41)

"Why Catholics Don't Know...
From the day that a Catholic is baptized until the day that he dies, he is on probation with God. Life is a trial during which he must prove by his faith and obedience that he is worthy of heaven. His eternal salvation hangs in the balance. That's what the Catholics we interviewed outside Saint Patrick's Cathedral told us when we asked them how they hoped to get to heaven." (page 42)

"The Catholic belief that entrance into heaven is the reward for good works performed on earth is expressed at every Catholic funeral.....In Catholicism, the individual himself must stand before God in judgment and be found worthy of eternal life. Entrance into heaven is a merited reward." (page 43)

• "Christ, however, is not presented in the Church's liturgy as the victorious Savior who guarantees the salvation of those relying on Him for their salvation. Mixed in with grace and mercy are references to merit, reward, works, and self-worth. As Rome explains it, by dying on the cross, Christ made entrance into heaven possible. For anyone to actually make it into heaven, however, he must be baptized, live a good life, and die in a proper state.

Consequently, when Catholics think about getting to heaven, what mainly goes through their minds is what they must do. Sometimes they don't include Jesus in their thinking at all. Of the 24 Catholics we interviewed outside Saint Patricks Cathedral, asking them how they hoped to get into heaven, only 3 referred to Jesus. Only one Catholic made any meaningful reference to the cross." (page 46)

"A popular post-Vatican II catechism provides the following summary of the Church's teaching:
  Question: What is necessary to be saved?
  Answer: You have to be brought into spiritual contact with that saving death of Jesus by faith and Baptism and loyal membership in His church, by love of God and neighbor proved by obedience to His commandments, by other Sacraments especially Holy Communion, by prayer and good works and by final perseverance, that is, preserving God's friendship and grace until death.
 Notice the lack of emphasis on Jesus in this answer. The only mention of Him is with reference to being "brought into spiritual contact with that saving death of Jesus." 
  If you were to ask Catholics, Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for your sins? expect all of them to answer yes. But if you ask, How do you hope to get to heaven? most Catholics will give you a list of activities that they must do. Only a small percentage will make any meaningful reference to Jesus or to His saving work on the cross. Fewer Catholics still, if any, will give the biblical answer: dependence upon Christ alone. The reason, of course, is that this is not what is taught in the Roman Catholic Church." (page 49)

"Biblical Christianity stands apart. It teaches that "no one is good except God alone" (Mark 10:18), that "all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment" (Isaiah 64:6). True Christianity teaches that sinners can be accepted by God through the righteous work of another (Romans 3:21-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21). It proclaims a Savior who paid our penalty for us with His own life (Mark 10:45; 1Peter 2:24). It tells of God's offer of eternal life to anyone who repents and believes (Mark 1:15, John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). Those who accept this free gift of God can know that they are going to heaven, because their acceptance before God is in Christ, not in themselves. The Lord assured His disciples, saying, "Rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven' (Luke 10:20). He said, "I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of my My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand" (John 10:28-29). The Holy Spirit participates in guaranteeing the future of the redeemed. At the moment of salvation, the Spirit comes to dwell in each believer "as a pledge of our inheritance, with view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:14).
  Rash presumption is what Rome calls this. And right it would be if salvation were dependent, even in part, upon our own righteous deeds. Believing the promises of Scripture, however, is not presumption, but faith in God." (page 52-53)

It is my hope and expectation that many will search the truth for themselves in the Bible and compare the teachings of Rome with what the Scriptures actually teach! A person's eternal destiny may depend on this, as many are led astray into a false belief that Jesus + their works are required to be saved. We know on the day of Judgment Jesus will tell many religious people who claimed to do many "good works" in His name...."I never knew, depart from me into Hell!" (Matthew 7). Please, please, don't be one of these individuals! Look to Christ and Christ alone for your salvation, coming to Him with nothing but your sin, and desire to be saved!!

Purgatory: Purifying Fire or Fatal Fable

• Written by Mike Gendron.
  
  Catholics who believe a purifying fire will purge away their sins are deluded victims of a fatal fabrication. The invention of a place for purification of sins called Purgatory is one of the most seductive attractions of the Roman Catholic religion. Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church described this deceptive hoax brilliantly. He said: "Purgatory is what makes the whole system work. Take out Purgatory and it's a hard sell to be a Catholic. Purgatory is the safety net, when you die, you don't go to hell. You go [to Purgatory] and get things sorted out and finally get to heaven if you've been a good Catholic. In the Catholic system you can never know you're going to heaven. You just keep trying and trying...in a long journey toward perfection. Well, it's pretty discouraging. People in that system are guilt-ridden, fear-ridden and have no knowledge of whether or not they're going to get into the Kingdom. If there's no Purgatory, there's no safety net to catch me and give me some opportunity to get into heaven. It's a second chance, it's another chance after death" (from "The Pope and the Papacy").
  
  THE ORIGIN OF PURGATORY
  
  There was no mention of Purgatory during the first two centuries of the church. However, when Roman Emperor Theodosius (379-395) decreed that Christianity was to be the official religion of the empire, thousands of pagans flooded into the Church and brought their pagan beliefs and traditions with them. One of those ancient pagan beliefs was a place of purification where souls went to make satisfaction for their sins.
  
  The concept became much more widespread around 600 A.D. due to the fanaticism of Pope Gregory the Great. He developed the doctrine through visions and revelations of a Purgatorial fire. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia (CE), Pope Gregory said Catholics "will expiate their faults by purgatorial flames," and "the pain [is] more intolerable than any one can suffer in this life." Centuries later, at the Council of Florence (1431), it was pronounced an infallible dogma. It was later reaffirmed by the Council of Trent (1564). The dogma is based largely on Catholic tradition from extra- biblical writings and oral history. "So deep was this belief ingrained in our common humanity that it was accepted by the Jews, and in at least a shadowy way by the pagans, long before the coming of Christianity" (CE). It seems incomprehensible that Rome would admit to using a pagan tradition for the defense of one of its most esteemed "Christian" doctrines.
  
  THE DECEPTION OF PURGATORY
  
  Purgatory comes from the Latin word "purgare," which means to make clean or to purify. The Catholic Encyclopedia defines purgatory as "a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God's grace, are not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions." They must be purified of these "venial" sins before they can be allowed into heaven. Here we see Catholicism perpetuating the seductive lie of Satan by declaring "you will not surely die" when you commit venial sins (Gen. 3:4). The Council of Trent dares to declare that "God does not always remit the whole punishment due to sin together with the guilt. God requires satisfaction and will punish sin...The sinner, failing to do penance in this life, may be punished in another world, and so not be cast off eternally from God." (Session 15, Can. XI). Those Catholic Bishops had the audacity to declare that the suffering and death of God's perfect man and man's perfect substitute was not sufficient to satisfy divine justice for sin.
  
  THE MOTIVATION FOR PURGATORY
  
  Over the centuries billions of dollars have been paid to Roman Catholic priests to obtain relief from imaginary sufferings in Purgatory's fire. The Catholic clergy has always taught that the period of suffering in Purgatory can be shortened by purchasing indulgences and novenas, buying Mass cards and providing gifts of money. When a Catholic dies, money is extracted from mourning loved ones to shorten the deceased's punishment in Purgatory. When my dear old dad passed away as a devout Catholic of 79 years, I was amazed at the hundreds of Mass cards purchased for him by well-meaning friends. We have heard of other Catholics who have willed their entire estates to their religion so that perpetual masses could be offered for them after they die. It is no wonder that the Catholic religion has become the richest institution in the world. The buying and selling of God's grace has been a very lucrative business for the Vatican.
  
  Another motivation for Rome to fabricate the heretical doctrine of Purgatory is its powerful effect on controlling people. Ultimately, the enslavement and subjugation of people is the goal of every false religion, and Purgatory does exactly that. The concept of a terrifying prison with a purging fire, governed by religious leaders, is a most brilliant invention. It holds people captive, not only in this life but also in the next life. Catholic clergy will not say how many years people have to suffer for their sins or how many Masses must be purchased before they can be released from the flames. This dreadful fear and uncertainty is the most ruthless form of religious bondage and deception!
  
  BIBLICAL SUPPORT FOR PURGATORY
  
  There is absolutely none! In fact, neither the word nor the concept of sin-purifying fire is found in Scripture. The Vatican was confronted with this in the 16th century when the Reformers protested its practice of buying and selling of God's grace through indulgences. Backed into a corner, the Council of Trent added the apocryphal books to its canon of Scripture. Rome now declares there is scriptural support for purgatory in the apocryphal book of Second Maccabees. The council ignored the fact that the Jewish scribes never recognized the apocryphal books as inspired or part of the Hebrew Scriptures. They were never included because of their many historical, theological and geographical errors. Since God is not the author of error, He obviously did not inspire the writers of the Apocrypha. This is why the Apocrypha was never included in the original canon of 66 books.
  
  The apocryphal verses Rome uses to defend its doctrine of Purgatory refer to Jewish soldiers who died wearing pagan amulets around their necks. Judas Maccabees "sent twelve thousand drachmas of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead...Judas hoped that these men who died fighting for the cause of God and religion, might find mercy: either because they might be excused from mortal sin by ignorance; or might have repented of their sin, at least at their death. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins" (2 Maccabees 12:43-46). Rome argues that since Judas Maccabees prayed for the dead, there must be hope for those who die in sin. This of course, goes directly against God's Word which declares, "It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment" (Heb. 9:22). Rome's attempt to give credence to Purgatory by using this ungodly practice of the Jews, who had a history of disobeying God, is pathetic.
  
  In another attempt to find support for Purgatory, many Catholics point to this verse: "If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (1 Cor. 3:15). Clearly, the context of this verse is the testing of a man's works by fire. The works that survive are the ones done for the glory of Christ and are called gold, silver and precious stones (Eph. 2:10). All the other superfluous works are burned in fire and are called wood, hay and stubble. It is not man's sins that are being purged, it is man's spurious works that are being burned and destroyed.
  
  THE BIBLICAL REBUKE OF PURGATORY
  
  God's Word leaves absolutely no possibility for sin to be purged away by anything other than the blood of Jesus Christ. The beloved apostle John penned these words with irrefutable clarity. He wrote, "The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin" and "all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:7,9). John did not say "some" sins or "most" sins, but all sin! This soundly rebukes the need for a sin-purging fire. God's Word also declares, "All things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb. 9:22). When Jesus "made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Heb. 1:3). Those who desire to have their sins purged need to trust a person, not a place. The blood of Christ is the only cleansing agent for sin! Those who come to the cross of Christ must come with empty hands of faith, bringing nothing but their sins.
  
  Every blood-bought believer is instantly present with their Redeemer at the moment of death. To be "absent from the body" is to be "at home with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:6-8). This good news was affirmed by the Lord Jesus with the promise He gave to the repentant thief at Calvary. He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). This habitual sinner did not need a fire to purge his sins.
  
  Catholics who believe in Purgatory need to be asked: "Who is in charge of releasing souls from the purging fire?" It cannot be God because of His promise to believers. "Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more" (Heb. 10:17). After conversion, God no longer counts sins against His children (2 Cor. 5:19).
  
  Purgatory is a travesty on the justice of God and a disgraceful fabrication that robs Christ Jesus of His glory and honor. He alone satisfied divine justice, once and for all, by the perfect and finished sacrifice of Himself. The fatal deception of Purgatory blinds Catholics from the glorious Gospel of grace. It is one of Satan's many lies which keep his captives from knowing and trusting the sufficiency of Jesus Christ. It is Christ alone that will present us "faultless before the presence of his glory" (Jude 24).

Source: pro-gospel.org