Sunday, August 25, 2013

Two doorways to heaven

Jesus said:


Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

To my mind, this can mean two things.

1.  Either, very few people will enter heaven but more people will go to eternal punishment (i.e. hell)

… or…

2.  A few people will go straight into heaven and a lot of people will enter heaven through purgatory and a few people will go to eternal punishment.

I tend to believe its the second because in life, the average tends to abound. While there are very few that are excellent and very few that terrible in comparison.  Therefore, I believe most people will go to purgatory.  From there, the next step is heaven.

However, purgatory is not something which Jesus takes for granted. He uses the prison metaphor so that we can relate to it:

Matthew 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.  25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.  26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
Therefore, purgatory and eternal hell can be lumped together as the wide doorway to destruction.  However, those who build upon Christ, will be saved, but as though through fire:

1 Corinthians 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
That is why St. Peter warns:

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
So, don't take purgatory for granted.  Aim higher.  Aim to enter through the narrow door.

Sincerely,

De Maria







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