The Heaven Answer Book

What is purgatory, and are some people sent there before they enter Heaven?

S cripture gives no account of, and does not support the idea of, purgatory. The idea developed in medi eval times, and the purpose was to designate a place where those who had died were sent to be purified from sin. But this would discount the work of Christ on the cross! The Bible says, “When you were dead in your sins . . . God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins” (Colossians 2:13, emphasis added). The apostle Paul, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, wrote, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” (Romans 5:8–9). God’s wrath toward sin has been satisfied—fully and completely—on the cross. “This Man [Jesus] . . . offered

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What Happens When We Die?