As we stood over the casket of a relative who had died, the Catholic Priest invited the burial service attendees who have been lifelong Catholics to spray the casket of the deceased with baptismal water to complete the promise that baptism brings one into the kingdom of God. There was an admonition to remember the loved one in our prayers and to say future masses for the deceased.

I respectfully declined to participate in the ritual. I thought how sad to never know the assurance of our heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, that we may have eternal life without all pomp and circumstance.

I also thought how sad that people put their trust in a religious system versus the Word of the True and Living God.

Is there is a place called purgatory where I can be purged and enter heaven?

Religion hopes for a second chance. You can see it in many different religions. The hope for reincarnation where I’ll either be rewarded or go down a notch on the evolutionary scale but given another chance.

Or no matter what road you take all paths lead to heaven. Everyone gets to go don’t you know?

Or purgatory where even though I’ve been sinful in this life, God will perfect me with a refining fire. It won’t be fun, but once I’m done I can enter into eternal glory.

God’s Word offers Another Story

Hebrews 9: ²⁷ And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Yes the person in the casket is dead and as soon as they passed they were standing before the Judge of the entire universe which He created. What do you think the person offered as the reason that they should be allowed into heaven? I’m a good person. Well I went to church every week. I took mass every week. What would you offer?

The Bible makes a very clear distinction in Matthew 25: ⁴⁶ And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

There are only two options. No second chance.

How Does One Earn Eternal Punishment?

There are many scriptures that are very clear about this.

1 Corinthians 6:⁹ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? BE NOT DECEIVED (emphasis added): neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, ¹⁰ Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Revelation 21: ⁸ But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Galatians 5:¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, ²⁰ Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, ²¹ Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Do you see any sins on this list that you are guilty of? Do you still believe that you are a good person?

Mark 10: ¹⁸ And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

Romans 3:¹⁰ As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: ¹¹ There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.¹² They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

We can see plainly from scripture that only God is good. We are not.

But How Does One Get Made Right in the Eyes of a Just and Holy God?

Matthew 25:46 also very clearly states that only the righteous enter into eternal life.

Revelation 21: ⁷ He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

How do I overcome? How can I be right in the eyes of God?

Romans 3 has a tremendous explanation on the law (rituals and good deeds) versus faith in Christ.

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

You Don’t Need to Go to Mass Every Sunday. Christ Doesn’t Need to be Offered on a Altar Again. The Father Offered Him Once for All!

Hebrews 9: ²⁸ So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Jesus finished the work of salvation at the cross. Repent of your sins (be in agreement with God that you are sinful and forsake your sins), put your trust in Him and you will have eternal life.

John 5: ²⁴ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. ²⁵ Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

²⁶ For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; ²⁷ And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. ²⁸ Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, ²⁹ And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Can You Trust What is Written in the Bible and Know that YOU Can Have Eternal Life?

John 20:30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

1 John 5:¹¹ And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. ¹³ These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

¹⁸ We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. ¹⁹ And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. ²⁰ And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

In closing please just let me add, for anyone practicing religion, I would rather you read this and be angry with me than having you love me for being silent while not sharing the truth. Amen

P.S. Here is a helpful site that speaks the truth in love to Catholics: http://proclaimingthegospel.org/