Since you have some degree of familiarity with scripture, you might not even be aware of what the wicked are doing with our Lord’s words, so I am deliberately bringing it to your attention. Verse 32 says, “And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.” I don’t need to tell you that the vast majority of Bible commentaries agree with the first thought which came into your mind as you read that verse. Christ was saying that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost will never be forgiven. Whatever that blasphemy might be, and for whatever reason which the Lord might have – that sin will never be forgiven. That is all that the Lord was saying in this verse.
I plan to return to this point at the conclusion of this message, but I’ll introduce it right now – Only forgiven, righteous, holy souls will be able to fellowship with the Heavenly God in eternity to come. Hebrews 12:14 – “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Revelation 21:27 says of Heaven, “There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” By nature, there is not one of us righteous or holy enough to approach or fellowship with Jehovah. We must be forgiven and cleansed of our sins, as well as changed from sinner into saint. That is what salvation accomplishes, a part of which is justification – to be “declared righteous” by God. And salvation involves the forgiveness of sin. There is only one way to be forgiven before the Lord – by His own sovereign grace. “In (Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” – Ephesians 1:7. In His grace “he hath made us accepted in the beloved” – Ephesians 1:6. “In (Christ) we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” – Colossians 1:14. “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man (Christ — Christ alone) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.” If you have not been saved by God’s grace before you die – you will never be forgiven – you will never enjoy eternity with the Lord. Rather, you will spend eternity in judgment – in the Lake of Fire, which burneth with fire and brimstone. Obviously, that is not the Lord’s theme here in this particular verse or in this passage, but…..
What does the Lord mean when He says, “neither in this world, neither in the world to come”?
One of the oldest books in my library is an original edition of John A. Broadus’ six hundred page “Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.” On the inside fly-leaf the book are the signatures of the four people who have owned that book. William B. Oliver, John Steely, Ken Orr and me. Mr. Oliver bought the book one year after its publication, signing his name and dating it “1887.” That was eight years before Broadus’ death. That book is old and somewhat tattered, but its notes on the Gospel of Matthew are excellent.
In his commentary on Matthew 12:32 Broadus, the President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said: “Neither in this world, neither in the world to come….” This is simply a strong and expanded declaration that it will NEVER be forgiven. ‘World’ is here not kosmos, the physical universe, but aion, a period or age. The Jews constantly spoke of “this period” and “the coming period,” as separated by the appearance of the Messiah.” Broadus then quoted Weiss – “Neither in this world-period, i.e., in the time up to the Second Coming, nor in the future world-period, which begins with the Judgment; and as the Judgment decides the eternal destiny of men, there can never in that following period be forgiveness of sin….” Using the common language and thinking of the day, Christ was saying that the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost would never be forgiven. Not then – nor after the arrival of the Messiah and the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom – nor after the conclusion of the Millennium – never.
Again I stress – “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” “How shall we escape, if we neglect (at this moment) so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?” If you die outside the Lord’s saving grace, you will not get a second chance – there are no “do-overs” when it comes to salvation. That is what the Bible teaches.
However, there are billions of people who believe that the dead will be given a second chance at salvation.
This is Catholic doctrine, and Mormon doctrine, as well as the doctrine of a dozen other cults and sects. It is also the unexpressed doctrine of billions of non-religious people. In preparing for this message, I decided to refresh my memory on the Catholic doctrine of “Purgatory.” I asked the Yahoo Search engine for articles on “Purgatory.” I wasn’t interested in Wikipedia, or any of the articles produced by non-Catholics. I wanted something which came straight from the horse’s mouth – from Roman Catholicism. The first article following Wikipedia was produced by “Catholic Answers – to explain and defend the faith.” The article concluded with “NIHIL OBSTAT: I have concluded that the materials presented in this work are free of doctrinal or moral errors.” – Bernadeane Carr. IMPRIMATUR: In accord with 1983 CIC 827 Permission to publish this work is hereby granted. Robert H. Brom, Bishop of San Diego, August 10, 2004.” In other words, I am not creating a straw man – what I am about to share with you is official Catholic doctrine. This is a quote interspersed with a few of my comments.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,” which is experienced by those “who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified” (CCC 1030). This Catholic article goes on – “Purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.” The first scripture quoted in the article to prove the doctrine of Purgatory is our text – Matthew 12:32. The article says, Christ refers to the sinner who “will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come,” suggesting that one can be freed after death of the consequences of sins other than this sin. As I have already said, I don’t believe that is what the Lord was saying here. Going on, the article says, “Similarly, Paul tells us that, when we are judged, each man’s work will be tried. And what happens if a righteous man’s work fails the test? “He will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Cor 3:15). Now this loss, this penalty, can’t refer to consignment to hell, since no one is saved there; and heaven can’t be meant, since there is no suffering (“fire”) there. The Catholic doctrine of purgatory alone explains this passage.” Catholic doctrine is not the only explanation of I Corinthians 3:15, particularly in the light of their mistranslation of that verse. “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
The article then says, “Then, of course, there is the Bible’s approval of prayers for the dead.” Seeing that, I immediately tried to think of some Biblical prayers for the dead, but not coming up with any I read the following quote – “In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the dead to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin” (2 Macc. 12:43–45).” Second Maccabees is not a part of the Word of God – it is a lie to say that it is.
The article then asked, “Why would anyone go to purgatory? To be cleansed – for “nothing unclean shall enter [heaven]” (Rev. 21:27). Anyone who has not been completely freed of sin and its effects is, to some extent, “unclean.” Through repentance he may have gained the grace needed to be worthy of heaven, which is to say, he has been forgiven and his soul is spiritually alive. But that is not sufficient for gaining entrance into heaven. He needs to be cleansed completely. Fundamentalists claim (this is still the article) … “Scripture clearly reveals that all the demands of divine justice on the sinner have been completely fulfilled in Jesus Christ. (That is absolutely true.) It also reveals that Christ has totally redeemed, or purchased back, that which was lost. The advocates of a purgatory (and the necessity of prayer for the dead) say, in effect, that the redemption of Christ was incomplete. . . . It has all been done for us by Jesus Christ, there is nothing to be added or done by man.” (All true.) It is entirely correct to say that Christ accomplished all of our salvation for us on the cross. But that does not settle the question of how this redemption is applied to us. Scripture reveals that it is applied to us over the course of time through, among other things, the process of sanctification through which the Christian is made holy. Sanctification involves suffering (Rom. 5:3–5), and purgatory is the final stage of sanctification that some of us need to undergo before we enter heaven. Purgatory is the final phase of Christ’s applying to us the purifying redemption that he accomplished for us by his death on the cross.
The Fundamentalist resistance to the biblical doctrine of purgatory presumes there is a contradiction between Christ’s redeeming us on the cross and the process by which we are sanctified. There isn’t. And a Fundamentalist cannot say that suffering in the final stage of sanctification conflicts with the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement without saying that suffering in the early stages of sanctification also presents a similar conflict.” (This fundamentalist most definitely declares that the sinner’s suffering contradicts the sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ.)
The article goes on, “Purgatory makes sense because there is a requirement that a soul not just be declared to be clean, but actually be clean, before a man may enter into eternal life. After all, if a guilty soul is merely “covered,” if its sinful state still exists but is officially ignored, then it is still a guilty soul. It is still unclean.” (I avow that if the Lord declares something to be clean or righteous, then it is righteous and clean. That is precisely the argument which Paul makes about justification in the Book of Romans.) The article then concludes by saying, “Catholic theology takes seriously the notion that “nothing unclean shall enter heaven.” From this it is inferred that a less than cleansed soul, even if “covered,” remains a dirty soul and isn’t fit for heaven. It needs to be cleansed or “purged” of its remaining imperfections. The cleansing occurs in purgatory. Indeed, the necessity of the purging is taught in other passages of Scripture, such as 2 Thessalonians 2:13, which declares that God chose us “to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit.” (So apparently the Spirit tortures people in order to sanctify them enough for Heaven.) Sanctification is thus not an option, something that may or may not happen before one gets into heaven. It is an absolute requirement, as Hebrews 12:14 states that we must strive “for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” That was the end of the article.
Catholic doctrine states that Christ’s sacrifice for sin cannot be applied to the sinner until that sinner suffer sufficiently to purge away his sin. Clearly, Jesus death was not sufficient for these people. Salvation from sin is not completed until the sinner does his part – and that part is to endure purgatory.
But what does the Bible say about the sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ?
Ever since the first sin, and the lesson of salvation which God taught on that day, blood has been the basis for forgiveness and salvation. Our sins require remission – and “without the shedding of blood there is no remission.” But it wasn’t the blood of Adam, or any other sinner – it was the blood of an acceptable substitute. All of the blood sacrifices of the Old Testament – hundreds of thousands of them – all pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of the Son of God. So Christ said, “This is my blood of the NEW testament which is shed of many for the remission of sins.” “What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” That is a good Baptist hymn. But, a Roman Catholic might sing it as well, albeit with a different background in mind. A well-taught Catholic may say that it is through the blood of Christ that he is saved.
But how is the sacrifice of Christ’s blood applied to the sinner? – that is the question. Catholicism says that it is applied as the sinner is sanctified through torment in purgatory. By the way, for the Catholic, the only difference between Hell and Purgatory is duration – temporary or permanent. The fires, pain and torment are exactly the same in both places. The “Christian” will suffer the same pain and torment that Hitler, Nero, Stalin and Mao will suffer. I think that the differences between that doctrine and the true doctrine are as different as the ministrations of the two kinds of prophets on Mt. Carmel. The priests of Baal and the other heathens, beat, cut and tortured themselves in order to draw down the blessings of their false gods. Elijah merely put his trust in Jehovah. The suffering of the believer was not required for God to act. Glancing through the Old Testament, not once will you find a command for penance or suffering on behalf of the weeping sinner – before the blood of the sacrifice could be applied to him. The broken heart of repentance and humility are something else – they are not punishment or penance. There are no pictures or types of purgatory in the Old Testament. Nor are any statements of that sort of thing in the New Testament.
In none of my books on Catholicism, nor in any of my systematic theology books, nor in that article, did I find any sort of statement about the duration of torment in purgatory. I would imagine that different degrees of sin would require different degrees of punishment and periods of purgation. I would guess that the maffia boss, who ordered hits on 269 men would require more time, or else a whole lot more money and masses, for his release from Purgatory than the corrupt politician. And the prostitute would require more time in Purgatory than the ordinary Catholic housewife. Now, of what sort of people were the two men who were crucified with Christ on Golgotha? The Bible describes them as “malefactors” and “thieves.” And one of them admitted that they deserved to be executed. I wonder what Catholicism would require for their stay in Purgatory, before being purged sufficiently for the blood of Christ to be applied to them? Whatever the usual length of time required, Christ voided the whole purgatorial idea when He said, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” There was no hint of a stay in Purgatory, nor was there a word that Christ was graciously cancelling Purgatory in this particular man’s case. There is no such thing as Purgatory in the Word of God.
How is the sacrifice which Christ made on the cross applied to the sinner? By grace through faith – not by suffering in Purgatory. For example, where does Purgatory fit into Romans 5:1? “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” To be “justified” is to be “declared righteous” – and that includes the “sanctification” which that article so clearly demanded. And how are we “declared righteous?” God’s apostle tells us that it is “by faith.” Obviously, it can not refer to just any faith, but to the trust that the sinner puts in the sacrifice which Christ made on the cross. And what follows that justification which was applied by faith? Peace with God. How can the man who has been taught that he must spend a few years in the hellish torments of Purgatory have genuine peace?
Please turn to Romans 4 – “What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” What room is there in these words for the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory? Abraham and David were justified by faith, not by anything done to or in their bodies. They were not justified by works, nor were they sanctified by suffering – either in life or after life.
Listen carefully to the Lord Jesus’ words in 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.” Picture a week-long trial, where a man has been accused of man-slaughter. The evidence has been presented; both the prosecution and the defense have made their cases. The jury deliberated for a short while, but it didn’t take long because the facts were clear. When the judge receives the decision of the jury, he clears his throat and pronounces the man “guilty.” And then he sentences that man, he condemns that man, to twenty years in prison. The word “condemnation” in John 5:24 is krisis (kree’-sis) – a Greek word used 48 times in the Bible. “Krisis” is translated “condemnation” only twice, but it is rendered “judgment” more than 40 times. “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 (any sort of judgment ); but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24 leaves no room for Purgatory and our text in Matthew 12:32 doesn’t either. In fact there is no hint of Purgatory anywhere in the Word of God.
I will conclude where I began. By nature there is not one of us righteous or holy enough for Heaven. We must be cleansed and forgiven of our sins, as well as changed from sinner into saint. That is what salvation accomplishes. Salvation involves the forgiveness of sin as well as several other things. There is only one way to be forgiven before the Lord – by His own sovereign grace. “In (Christ – not suffering ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” – Ephesians 1:7. In His grace “he hath made us accepted in the beloved” – Ephesians 1:6. “In (Christ) we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” – Colossians 1:14. “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man (Christ and Christ alone ) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.” There are no scriptures which declare, teach or even imply that you will be given a second chance for salvation after your death. If you have not been saved by God’s grace – before you die you will never be forgiven – you will never enjoy eternity with the Lord. Rather, you will spend eternity in judgment – in the Lake of Fire, which burneth with fire and brimstone. Again, I stress “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” If you die outside the Lord’s saving grace, you will not get a second chance – there are no “do-overs” and no “let’s finish this later” when it comes to salvation. Repent before God, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ – before it is eternally too late.