Expert: John of AllFaith - 12/8/2007

Question
you have claimed, with numerous biblical references, that people will immediately ascend into heaven when they die, but all your references contain the concept of perfect contrition, the popular belief is that, in order to attain heaven, you must first be in purgatory for a while, until you are able to attain perfect contrition, and accept your new, more divine form.  One does not immediately enter heaven without first attaining that state of contrition, you must first be willing to accept human faults before entering the kingdom of heaven.  do you not believe that people should be given that chance to redeem themselves at point of death for faults that they regret, but did not have the chance to pay penance for?

Answer
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your question.

I volunteer under several categories here at AllExperts and I answer according to the category chosen by the questioner unless specifically asked to be more broad in my reply. You have asked this question under the Baptist heading where I answer as a Baptist.

Baptists do not believe in Purgatory nor that personal contrition effects one's entrance into heaven in any way. Indeed, most Protestants don't believe in Purgatory. Its an essentially Catholic doctrine.

The virtually unanimous Baptist view here is that everyone without exception is concieved in sin from their mother's womb and that the ONLY determination about where one will spend eternity is whether or not one has been "saved."

Once a person sincerely accepts Jesus as his/her "personal Lord and Saviour" that person is eternally saved no matter what (I did this at 12 years of age one Wednesday night in 1969). This doctrine is known as the Doctrine of Eternal Security and is a primary cornerstone of traditional Baptist belief.

According to Baptist doctrine, when a "Born Again Christian" dies, whatever his/her state of living might be at the time, that person is immediately, at the moment of death, transfered to Heaven. The scriptural reference being that 'to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord'.

Conversely, when a person dies who has not accepted Jesus as savior, that person, at the moment of death, goes to Hell for eternity (or technically, goes to Hell and is later transfered to the far worse Lake of fire for eternity). Once the last breath is taken the chance for repentance (ie for accepting Jesus as savior) is forever past. There are no after-life second chances according to Baptist theology. "It is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgment." This judgment being the simple question: Did you accept Jesus? Answer yes, go to Heaven. Answer no, go to Hell.

The Baptist idea here is that no one can be righteous enough to go to heaven (ie to earn their own salvation), no one. That's why Jesus' death, burial and resurrection is absolutely essential. Penances are therefore useless when it comes to salvation and Baptists don't accept the existence of Purgatory (or Tartarus).

Baptists firmly reject any and all "works" in this regard. 'For by grace are ye saved... not of works lest anyone might boast.' Again, "He that has the Son, has the life, he that has not the Son has not the life." For Baptists its really that clear cut.

Were I asked this question under a different heading my reply would be different (and more harmonious with my personal beliefs on the subject by the way). I regard questions in this section as not, "What do you believe John" but as, "What do Baptists believe." Baptists believe as I have explained.

I hope this clarifies matters.

May God bless