Dondi
Well-Known Member
Thomas said:Yep. And part of that orientation, I think, is a realisation and understanding of our past, our mortal history ... of what we were actually like, especially compared to our proper nature, and what that is like ... and that aspect is what purgatory is all about.
Thomas said:</SPAN>
I think the pain is the 'hanging on' to that illusory self-image, to look back and cry "I didn't know, it's not my fault!" will not suffice.
Indeed, there seems to be a variance of degrees of loss depending on what we have done with what we have been given.
Luke 12:47-50 said:And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
The passage is obviously parablic, but it serves to illustrate the point. The 'stripes' I don't view as actual corporal punishment, but I would gather it is the sense of shame and remorse that we will go through for not upholding our end of the bargain (salvation, of course, is paid for, but none-the-less we have a duty to God). We are punished by our sense of failure in areas we ought to have obeyed God better.
I wonder is there is some kind of summation point where we are judged where our whole life is somehow algebraically weighed and the result of the pluses and minuses will determine our standing in the purging process. I'm not sure how this works.
For someone who is a criminal all their life and near the end repents and turns to God and receives the necessary forgiveness through the blood, will nevertheless be subject to a more intense purification than say someone who has been faithful for most of their lives. Or is it possible to gain 'instant karma'?
During the course of our natural life, the goal is echoed in I Peter 1:7, whereby our faith ought to emerge as gold.
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”