Christians are Called to be Sexually Pure

We ought to be obedient to God's moral law; however, our performance does not save us but the performance of Christ alone in His sinless life.  If we engage in sexual sin, we ought to immediately repent of it.  We should want to be pure.  Maybe there is something you struggle with.  Put it to death by the Spirit of Holiness and live free in Christ this day.

Richard D. Phillips and Sharon L. Phillips wrote,

A typical mistake made by Christian singles is to ask, “How far can we go?” The very question reveals a troubling attitude, and the one who asks it has already gone too far. But since it is the question that many really want to ask, this is an honest response to the Bible’s teaching: “Not very far at all.” Physical, sexual interaction between a man and a woman is reserved for marriage. Too many Christians believe that so long as full-blown sexual intercourse is resisted, other forms of sexual interaction are acceptable. But such an attitude is far out of line with the Bible.  (Holding Hands and Holding Hearts, P&R, 2006, p. 144. Used by Permission).
  
Far from inviting us to play around as much as possible and as close to the fire as we can without getting burned, [the Bible] makes it clear that a sincere Christian will cultivate the highest moral and sexual purity, as essential to his or her worship of God [1 Thes. 4:3-5; Eph. 5:3-5].  (p. 148).

Sam Storms wrote,

Most of us hear the word “will” and instinctively envision a celestial frown. The phrase “will of God” often conjures up the mental impression of an inflexible and colorless lawgiver whose sole concern is for his own reputation. But when I hear Paul speak of God’s “will” for human sexuality I think of his heart’s desire, his yearning, his fatherly passion for our maximum enjoyment of one of his most precious gifts. I hear God saying, “This is what I long for you to experience as a sexual being. I made you. I put those sexual impulses in your spirit and in your body. I created hormones. Trust me when I say that I know far better than you what will bring the greatest joy and optimum pleasure.” The point is simply that God’s “will” for you and me is always an expression of his love. So what exactly is it that God “wants” of us when it comes to our sexual behavior?  (Sexual Morality, November 6, 2006, www.enjoyinggodministries.com. Used by Permission).

J. Budziszewski wrote,

According to research, the more hours a man and woman spend alone together, even if they begin with a firm intention of chastity, the further they tend to go and the more likely they are to lose control completely. Hearing this, most Christian young people have the good sense to see that couples who really want to remain chaste need to limit their time alone. That’s realism. Unfortunately, the more time they’ve been spending alone, the less obvious such realism will be to them. The solution is that they need to set their limits firmly at the beginning of their relationship, while their heads are still clear and realism is easier to achieve.   (Copied from How to Stay Christian in College by J. Budziszewski copyright 2004, p.131. Used by permission of NavPress (Think Books) - www.navpress.com. All rights reserved).

Spurgeon on "Saving Faith"

If you have been truly born again you have a new and holy nature, and you are no longer moved towards sinful objects as you were before. The things that you once loved you now hate, and therefore you will not run after them. You can hardly understand it but so it is, that your thoughts and tastes are radically changed. You long for that very holiness which once it was irksome to hear of; and you loathe those vain pursuits which were once your delights. The man who puts his trust in the Lord sees the pleasures of sin in a new light.  For he sees the evil which follows them by noting the agonies which they brought upon our Lord when He bore our sins in His own body on the tree. Without faith a man says to himself, “This sin is a very pleasant thing, why should I not enjoy it? Surely I may eat this fruit, which looks so charming and is so much to be desired.” The flesh sees honey in the drink, but faith at once perceives that there is poison in the cup. Faith spies the snake in the grass and gives warning of it. Faith remembers death, judgment, the great reward, the just punishment and that dread word, eternity.

A Reformed Refutation of Purgatory

John MacArthur wrote,

Deny that we are justified by faith alone, and you must devise an explanation of how we can make the transition from our imperfect state in this life to the perfect state of heaven. Purgatory is where Roman Catholics believe most people go after death to be finally purged of their sins and gain whatever merit they may be lacking to enter heaven. Catholicism teaches that this will involve intense pain and suffering.  (What Will Heaven be Like taken from The Glory of Heaven by John MacArthur, copyright 1996, Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton Illinios,60187, www.crosswaybooks.org, p. 74).

Although Catholic doctrine denies that the imputed righteousness of Christ is sufficient to save sinners in this life, it does allow the imputation of righteousness from earthly sinners to those in purgatory. Candles are lit, prayers are prayed, and Masses are said for the dead. Supposedly the righteousness earned via the sacrament is imputed to the person in purgatory, and that shortens his or her stay there.  (What Will Heaven be Like taken from The Glory of Heaven by John MacArthur, copyright 1996, Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton Illinios,60187, www.crosswaybooks.org, p. 75).

For all believers, because we are fully justified, there can be no condemnation. No post-mortem suffering is necessary to atone for remaining in sin; all our sins are covered by the blood of Christ. No merit is lacking that must be made up (Isa. 61:10).  (What Will Heaven be Like taken from The Glory of Heaven by John MacArthur, copyright 1996, Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton Illinios,60187, www.crosswaybooks.org, p. 75).

If anyone were a candidate for purgatory, [the] thief [from Luke 23] would be. Moments before, he had taunted Christ along with the unrepentant thief (Mark 15:32). His repentance was a last-minute change – while he was literally in his death throes. Yet Jesus promised to see him that very day in paradise.  (What Will Heaven be Like taken from The Glory of Heaven by John MacArthur, copyright 1996, Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton Illinios,60187, www.crosswaybooks.org, p. 78).

Robert A. Peterson wrote,

The Reformers correctly viewed purgatory as an insult to Christ’s saving work. On the basis of Scripture they held that all believers “have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10). It is by His suffering on the cross, not our suffering after death, that sins are purged: “Jesus also suffered…to make the people holy through His own blood” (Heb. 13:12). The Reformers also noted how Scripture does not allow for a “third place.” Jesus and His apostles consistently speak of only two destinies for humans: heaven and hell (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; Rom. 2:6-10; Rev. 21:7-9; 22:14-15).  (Hell on Trial: The Case for Eternal Punishment, P&R Publishers, 1995, p.227. Used by permission).

Reformed Quotes On Consistent Repentance

Albert Martin wrote,

We must repent, and we must believe. Although it is necessary to discuss these as separate concepts, we must not think that repentance is ever divorced from faith or that faith is ever divorced from repentance. True faith is permeated with repentance, and true repentance is permeated with faith. They interpenetrate one another in such a way that, whenever there’s a true appropriation of the divine provision, you will find a believing penitent and a penitent believer.   (What is a Biblical Christian?  Used by Permission).

Louis Berkhoff wrote,

Moreover, true repentance never exists except in conjunction with faith, while on the other hand, wherever there is true faith, there is also real repentance. The two are but different aspects of the same turning-a turning away from sin in the direction of God.  The two cannot be separated; they are simply complementary parts of the same process. (Systematic Theology, by permission, Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA. 1998, p. 487).

Mark Dever wrote,

And what is the prescribed response? Is it to walk down an aisle? Is it to fill out a card, or to lift up a hand? Is it to make an appointment with a preacher, or to decide to be baptized and join the church? While any of those things may be involved, none of them necessarily is. The response of the Good News – the message that Paul preached and other Christians preached throughout the New Testament – is to repent and believe. Once we’ve heard the truth about our own sin and God’s holiness, about His love in sending Christ, and about Christ’s death and resurrection for our justification, then, as instructed by the first words of Jesus recorded in Mark’s gospel, our response is to “Repent and believe the good news!” (1:15). (Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, Crossway, 2000, p. 77).

CH Spurgeon wrote,

Repentance is the inseparable companion of faith. All the while that we walk by faith and not by sight, the fear of repentance glitters in the eye of faith. That is not true repentance which does not come of faith in Jesus; and that is not true faith in Jesus which is not tinctured with repentance. Faith and repentance, like the Siamese twins, are vitally joined together. Faith and repentance are but two spokes in the same wheel, two handles of the same plow. Repentance has been well described as a heart broken for sin and from sin, and it may equally well be spoken of as turning and returning. It is a change of mind of the most thorough and radical sort, and it is attended with sorrow for the past and a resolve of amendment in the future. Repentance of sin and faith in divine pardon are the ways and woof of the fabric of real conversion.

AW Pink wrote,

Repentance is the hand releasing those filthy objects it had previously clung to so tenaciously.  Faith is extending an empty hand to God to receive His gift of grace.  Repentance is a godly sorrow for sin.  Faith is receiving a sinner's Saviour.  Repentance is revulsion of the filth and pollution of sin.  Faith is a seeking of cleansing therefrom.  Repentance is the sinner covering his mouth and crying, “Unclean, unclean!”  Faith is the leper coming to Christ and saying, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.”  (Salvation From the Penalty of Sin).

A Apologetical and Reformed Response to Mr. Scott Windsor

He states,  

Mr. Petillo, in another article posted Thursday, October 11, 2012, goes on about the cleansing from sin and, though he does not mention the name, "Purgatory" as well.  Whereas his article is relatively short and a comment response on his blog would have been sufficient - he does not allow for comments on his blog.  I'll discuss that in another posting myself.

The Bible does not teach purgatory.  There is no mention of it in the Old and New Testaments.  I do not allow comments because I would rather just post my material. 

Yes, and it is Jesus who cleanses us through the "fires of Purgatory" too.  It is still Jesus who presents us to the Father, now "free of reproach and blame."

That's your personal insight but it is not the position of the Bible.  You can lose the state of grace by one mortal sin, but in the Reformed faith justification can never be lost.  It is a better deal altogether.  Your church invites this doctrine of "purgatory" because she refuses to live up to the holy godliness of the Bible.  You can't say whether your are saved or have assurance of salvation,

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13 NASB).

He states,

Yes, and we know that nothing unclean can enter heaven - so when we have sins which we have not confessed - these must be cleansed before we are allowed "in."

That's is the hypocrisy I am talking about.  Thomas Watson on Roman Catholicism wrote,

9. The ninth popish error, is their purgatory fire. There is, said Bellarmine, an infernal place in the earth called purgatory in which the souls which were not fully cleansed in this life, are purged there by fire, before they can be received into heaven. Purgatory fire the papists make satisfactory for sin; which much derogates from the virtue and benefit of Christ's sufferings, "who Himself has purged our sins," Hebrews 1:3.

The Scripture nowhere asserts this doctrine of purgatory. It mentions no middle place. The wicked, at death, go immediately to hell. Luke 16:23, "The rich man was buried—and in hell he lift up his eyes in torment." Believers, at death, go immediately to heaven. Luke 23:43, "This day you shall be with Me in paradise." Christ was to be instantly in heaven, and the penitent thief was to be with Christ that very day. So that he was in no such place as purgatory—but went immediately from the cross to paradise. Christ's blood is purgatory in this life, 1 John 1:7. If men are not purged by Christ's blood, there is no purging by fire. Not only the Scripture but the Fathers were against purgatory. We do not read of two fires, said Augustine, only of hell-fire, not purgatory-fire. But this imaginary fire of purgatory, makes for something to sell in the pope's kitchen. For when men are about to make their will, if they leave good sums of money to the pope and his priests—they tell them that they will pray for them that they may be speedily released out of the pains of purgatory!

 He states,

If we are walking with the Church He founded and seeking forgiveness from the successors of the men whom He empowered to forgive or retain sins - then yes.  John 20:23 - "If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (NIV)

Peter is not the rock and the Roman Church is not founded by Jesus Christ.  No can forgive sins except God alone and the Jews knew this in ancient Israel.  1 John 1:9 speaks of forgiveness by God through His Son by His Spirit but devoid of the Roman church,

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9 NASB).

He states,

When we first commit them?  While I think that is possible, I would say it is not typical.  Repentance tends to come after reflection - though I could see it happening as the sin is committed.  Repentance is one thing, forgiveness is another.  God provided us with the means of getting our sins forgiven through men whom He empowered to do so.

I think once someone repents of their sins to God they are forgiven.  CH Spurgeon wrote,

Repentance is the inseparable companion of faith. All the while that we walk by faith and not by sight, the fear of repentance glitters in the eye of faith. That is not true repentance which does not come of faith in Jesus; and that is not true faith in Jesus which is not tinctured with repentance. Faith and repentance, like the Siamese twins, are vitally joined together. Faith and repentance are but two spokes in the same wheel, two handles of the same plow. Repentance has been well described as a heart broken for sin and from sin, and it may equally well be spoken of as turning and returning. It is a change of mind of the most thorough and radical sort, and it is attended with sorrow for the past and a resolve of amendment in the future. Repentance of sin and faith in divine pardon are the ways and woof of the fabric of real conversion.

D.M. Lloyd Jones wrote,

So the Cross does not merely tell us that God forgives, it tells us that that is God’s way of making forgiveness possible. It is the way in which we understand how God forgives. I will go further: How can God forgive and still remain God? – That is the question. The Cross is the vindication of God. The Cross is the vindication of the character of God. The Cross not only shows the love of God more gloriously than anything else, it shows His righteousness, His justice, His holiness, and all the glory of His eternal attributes. They are all to be seen shining together there. If you do not see them all you have not seen the Cross.

 He writes,

We strive to live holy lives because we wish to please our Lord, our Savior and God.  If it is judged that we must be further purified before entering Heaven, then sobeit - God is sovereign.

Spurgeon wrote,

How these verses shut the gates of purgatory!  It is held that there are some who die who are believers, but who are not quite purified from sin, and in an after state they must undergo a purgatorial quarantine to be purged by fire, so that they may become quite complete.  Beloved, when the thief died on the cross he had but just believed, and had never done a single good work, but where did he go to? Well, he ought to have gone to purgatory by rights, if ever anybody did, but instead of that the Savior said to him, "Today you shall be with me in Paradise." Why? Because the ground of the man's admission into Paradise was perfect. The grounds of his admission there was Christ's work, and that is how you and I will get into heaven, because Christ's work is finished. The thief did not go down to purgatory, nor, blessed be his name, neither shall you nor I if we trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus.

"The death he died, he died to sin once for all..."
Romans 6:10
"He sacrificed for their sins once for all when
he offered himself." Hebrews 7:27
"He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his
own blood, having obtained eternal redemption."
Hebrews 9:12
"But now he has appeared once for all at the end
of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice
of himself." Hebrews 9:26
"so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the
sins of many people...." Hebrews 9:28
"we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the
body of Jesus Christ once for all." Hebrews 10:10

He states,

If there were no such thing as purification after death, or sins being forgiven in the next life, then why does Scripture make mention of such things?

Yes!  May we?  I hope we do and I hope we objectively look at what has been said and consider the following too...

It does not.  It is simply your tradition being placed upon the text of Scripture.   May I say that the Lord does not like "Catholic theologians" to write about His Word.  It is safe to say that the Lord is angry with you by what you teach, but I call you to repentance.  He states, 

Matt. 5:26,18:34; Luke 12:58-59 – Jesus teaches us, “Come to terms with your opponent or you will be handed over to the judge and thrown into prison. You will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” The word “opponent” (antidiko) is likely a reference to the devil (see the same word for devil in 1 Pet. 5:8) who is an accuser against man (c.f. Job 1.6-12; Zech. 3.1; Rev. 12.10), and God is the judge. If we have not adequately dealt with satan and sin in this life, we will be held in a temporary state called a prison, and we won’t get out until we have satisfied our entire debt to God. This “prison” is purgatory where we will not get out until the last penny is paid.

Jerome and Augustine commented on these verses and never mentioned purgatory (Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture, New Testament Ia, Matthew 1-13, pg. 106-107).

Matt. 5:48 - Jesus says, "be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect." We are only made perfect through purification, and in Catholic teaching, this purification, if not completed on earth, is continued in a transitional state we call purgatory.

This verse has no reference to purgatory.  It refers to sanctification but later Christians are glorified.  

Matt. 12:32 – Jesus says, “And anyone who says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but no one who speaks against the Holy Spirit will be forgiven either in this world or in the next.” Jesus thus clearly provides that there is forgiveness after death. The phrase “in the next” (from the Greek “en to mellonti”) generally refers to the afterlife (see, for example, Mark 10.30; Luke 18.30; 20.34-35; Eph. 1.21 for similar language). Forgiveness is not necessary in heaven, and there is no forgiveness in hell. This proves that there is another state after death, and the Church for 2,000 years has called this state purgatory. Luke 12:47-48 - when the Master comes (at the end of time), some will receive light or heavy beatings but will live. This state is not heaven or hell, because in heaven there are no beatings, and in hell we will no longer live with the Master.
Luke 16:19-31 - in this story, we see that the dead rich man is suffering but still feels compassion for his brothers and wants to warn them of his place of suffering. But there is no suffering in heaven or compassion in hell because compassion is a grace from God and those in hell are deprived from God's graces for all eternity. So where is the rich man? He is in purgatory.
1 Cor. 15:29-30 - Paul mentions people being baptized on behalf of the dead, in the context of atoning for their sins (people are baptized on the dead’s behalf so the dead can be raised). These people cannot be in heaven because they are still with sin, but they also cannot be in hell because their sins can no longer be atoned for. They are in purgatory. These verses directly correspond to 2 Macc. 12:44-45 which also shows specific prayers for the dead, so that they may be forgiven of their sin.
Phil. 2:10 - every knee bends to Jesus, in heaven, on earth, and "under the earth" which is the realm of the righteous dead, or purgatory.
2 Tim. 1:16-18 - Onesiphorus is dead but Paul asks for mercy on him “on that day.” Paul’s use of “that day” demonstrates its eschatological usage (see, for example, Rom. 2.5,16; 1 Cor. 1.8; 3.13; 5.5; 2 Cor. 1.14; Phil. 1.6,10; 2.16; 1 Thess. 5.2,4,5,8; 2 Thess. 2.2,3; 2 Tim. 4.8). Of course, there is no need for mercy in heaven, and there is no mercy given in hell. Where is Onesiphorus? He is in purgatory.
Heb. 12:14 - without holiness no one will see the Lord. We need final sanctification to attain true holiness before God, and this process occurs during our lives and, if not completed during our lives, in the transitional state of purgatory.
Heb. 12:23 - the spirits of just men who died in godliness are "made" perfect. They do not necessarily arrive perfect. They are made perfect after their death. But those in heaven are already perfect, and those in hell can no longer be made perfect. These spirits are in purgatory.
1 Peter 3:19; 4:6 - Jesus preached to the spirits in the "prison." These are the righteous souls being purified for the beatific vision.
Rev. 21:4 - God shall wipe away their tears, and there will be no mourning or pain, but only after the coming of the new heaven and the passing away of the current heaven and earth. Note the elimination of tears and pain only occurs at the end of time. But there is no morning or pain in heaven, and God will not wipe away their tears in hell. These are the souls experiencing purgatory.
Rev. 21:27 - nothing unclean shall enter heaven. The word “unclean” comes from the Greek word “koinon” which refers to a spiritual corruption. Even the propensity to sin is spiritually corrupt, or considered unclean, and must be purified before entering heaven. It is amazing how many Protestants do not want to believe in purgatory. Purgatory exists because of the mercy of God. If there were no purgatory, this would also likely mean no salvation for most people. God is merciful indeed.
Luke 23:43 – many Protestants argue that, because Jesus sent the good thief right to heaven, there can be no purgatory. There are several rebuttals. First, when Jesus uses the word "paradise,” He did not mean heaven. Paradise, from the Hebrew "sheol," meant the realm of the righteous dead. This was the place of the dead who were destined for heaven, but who were captive until the Lord's resurrection. Second, since there was no punctuation in the original manuscript, Jesus’ statement “I say to you today you will be with me in paradise” does not mean there was a comma after the first word “you.” This means Jesus could have said, “I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise” (meaning, Jesus could have emphasized with exclamation his statement was “today” or “now,” and that some time in the future the good thief would go to heaven). Third, even if the thief went straight to heaven, this does not prove there is no purgatory (those who are fully sanctified in this life – perhaps by a bloody and repentant death – could be ready for admission in to heaven).
Gen. 50:10; Num. 20:29; Deut. 34:8 - here are some examples of ritual prayer and penitent mourning for the dead for specific periods of time. The Jewish understanding of these practices was that the prayers freed the souls from their painful state of purification, and expedited their journey to God.

 I do not see how any of these support purgatory.  John Napier wrote,

The god of Roman Catholic doctrine is not the God of the Bible; therefore, that leaves only one alternative, the “god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4).  Thus, the vast majority of those in the Roman Catholic Church are lost.  However, those in Roman Catholic churches who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ alone and do not embrace the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church in their heart may be saved.  (Charismatic Challenge by John Napier, Providence House Publishers, 2003, p. 177. Used by permission. All rights reserved).

 RC Sproul says,

At the moment the Roman Catholic Church condemned the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone, she denied the gospel and ceased to be a legitimate church, regardless of all the rest of her affirmations of Christian orthodoxy. To embrace her as an authentic church while she continues to repudiate the biblical doctrine of salvation is a fatal attribution.  (Is the Reformation Over? September 2009, Tabletalk, p. 7. Used by Permission).

He states the non-canonical books of the Bible,

The Jews receive the Old Testament in 22 books, according to the number of their letters, dividing them into three sections: Law, Prophets, and Hagiographa...There is a fourth section of the Old Testament among us, whose books are not in the Jewish canon. First of these is the book of Wisdom; second Ecclesiasticus; third Tobit; fourth Judith; fifth and sixth the books of Maccabees; which although the Jews separate among the Apocrypha, the Church of Christ honors and preaches among the divine books. (http://christiantruth.com/articles/Apocrypha3.html).

I do not change the subject and I do not have a weak apologetic.  I can talk about that you mix the two natures of Christ in the Eucharist because you lack the Spirit of God to teach you about your total inability and total depravity (without making it a personal attack).  I suggest to you that Satan can easily deal with you, because you lack biblical divine truth. 

By the way, you call me "Mr. Petillo" when I have an earned doctorate of theology.  I earned it at the age of 24 in 2004: it was a 531-page dissertation on the Reformed doctrines of the Bible.  But I pray for you (I really do) that you would embrace the doctrines of the Bible before it is too late.  I stood before Jesus (going to Mass everyday) and He said it did not matter. 

He must stand in Him in His unified IMPUTED righteousness through a forensic declaration.  I said that Mary did not suffer redemptively and Jesus does not accept her in that way because He is the only One the Father said He was well-pleased with. Go to Jesus alone!  I call you to repentance.

Luke 11:26-28 KJV 
²⁶ Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

²⁷ And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
²⁸ But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

The Reformed Sacrament of the Lord's Supper

How do we understand the sacraments?  Let's look at the Puritan Catechism by CH Spurgeon,

Q. What is the Lord's Supper? A. The Lord's Supper is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ; wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to his appointment, his death is shown forth (1 Cor. 11:23-26), and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporeal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace (1 Cor. 10:16).

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Q. What is required to the worthy receiving of the Lord's Supper? A. It is required of them who would worthily partake of the Lord's Supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord's body (1 Cor. 11:28-29), of their faith to feed upon him (2 Cor. 13:5), of their repentance (1 Cor. 11:31), love (1 Cor. 11:18-20), and new obedience, (1 Cor. 5:8) lest coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves (1 Cor. 11:27-29).

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Q. What is meant by the words, "until he come," which are used by the apostle Paul in reference to the Lord's Supper? A. They plainly teach us that our Lord Jesus Christ will come a second time; which is the joy and hope of all believers (Acts 1:11 1 Thess. 4:16).

Let's look at the Westminister Catechism on the Lord's Supper,

Question 168: What is the Lord's Supper?
Answer: The Lord's Supper is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine according to the appointment of Jesus Christ, his death is showed forth; and they that worthily communicate feed upon his body and blood, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace; have their union and communion with him confirmed; testify and renew their thankfulness, and engagement to God, and their mutual love and fellowship each with other, as members of the same mystical body.
Question 169: How has Christ appointed bread and wine to be given and received in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper?
Answer: Christ has appointed the ministers of his Word, in the administration of this sacrament of the Lord's Supper, to set apart the bread and wine from common use, by the word of institution, thanksgiving, and prayer; to take and break the bread, and to give both the bread and the wine to the communicants: who are, by the same appointment, to take and eat the bread, and to drink the wine, in thankful remembrance that the body of Christ was broken and given, and his blood shed, for them.
Question 170: How do they that worthily communicate in the Lord's Supper feed upon the body and blood of Christ therein?
Answer: As the body and blood of Christ are not corporally or carnally present in, with, or under the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper, and yet are spiritually present to the faith of the receiver, no less truly and really than the elements themselves are to their outward senses; so they that worthily communicate in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, do therein feed upon the body and blood of Christ, not after a corporal and carnal, but in a spiritual manner; yet truly and really, while by faith they receive and apply unto themselves Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death.
Question 171: How are they that receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper to prepare themselves before they come unto it?
Answer: They that receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper are, before they come, to prepare themselves thereunto, by examining themselves of their being in Christ, of their sins and wants; of the truth and measure of their knowledge, faith, repentance; love to God and the brethren, charity to all men, forgiving those that have done them wrong; of their desires after Christ, and of their new obedience; and by renewing the exercise of these graces, by serious meditation, and fervent prayer.
Question 172: May one who doubts of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation, come to the Lord's Supper?
Answer: One who doubts of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, may have true interest in Christ, though he be not yet assured thereof; and in God's account has it, if he be duly affected with the apprehension of the want of it, and unfeignedly desires to be found in Christ, and to depart from iniquity: in which case (because promises are made, and this sacrament is appointed, for the relief even of weak and doubting Christians) he is to bewail his unbelief, and labor to have his doubts resolved; and, so doing, he may and ought to come to the Lord's Supper, that he may be further strengthened.
Question 173: May any who profess the faith, and desire to come to the Lord's Supper, be kept from it?
Answer: Such as are found to be ignorant or scandalous, notwithstanding their profession of the faith, and desire to come to the Lord's Supper, may and ought to be kept from that sacrament, by the power which Christ has left in his church, until they receive instruction, and manifest their reformation.
Question 174: What is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper in the time of the administration of it?
Answer: It is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, that, during the time of the administration of it, with all holy reverence and attention they wait upon God in that ordinance, diligently observe the sacramental elements and actions, heedfully discern the Lord's body, and affectionately meditate on his death and sufferings, and thereby stir up themselves to a vigorous exercise of their graces; in judging themselves, and sorrowing for sin; in earnest hungering and thirsting after Christ, feeding on him by faith, receiving of his fulness, trusting in his merits, rejoicing in his love, giving thanks for his grace; in renewing of their covenant with God, and love to all the saints.
Question 175: What is the duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord's Supper?
Answer: The duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, is seriously to consider: How they have behaved themselves therein, and with: What success; if they find quickening and comfort, to bless God for it, beg the continuance of it, watch against relapses, fulfil their vows, and encourage themselves to a frequent attendance on that ordinance: but if they find no present benefit, more exactly to review their preparation to, and carriage at, the sacrament; in both which, if they can approve themselves to God and their own consciences, they are to wait for the fruit of it in due time: but, if they see they have failed in either, they are to be humbled, and to attend upon it afterwards with more care and diligence.
Question 176: Wherein do the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper agree?
Answer: The sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper agree, in that the author of both is God; the spiritual part of both is Christ and his benefits; both are seals of the same covenant, are to be dispensed by ministers of the gospel, and by none other; and to be continued in the church of Christ until his second coming.
Question 177: Wherein do the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper differ?
Answer: The sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper differ, in that Baptism is to be administered but once, with water, to be a sign and seal of our regeneration and ingrafting into Christ, and that even to infants; whereas the Lord's Supper is to be administered often, in the elements of bread and wine, to represent and exhibit Christ as spiritual nourishment to the soul, and to confirm our continuance and growth in him, and that only to such as are of years and ability to examine themselves.

We ought to understand that it is the Father's will for us to partake of the Eucharist through the divine and holy remembrance of His only-beloved Son by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  The Eucharist is different then other meals of a Christian because it is set apart; that is, it is essentially holy.   We agree with St. Augustine that the Son is localized at the right hand of the Father; that is, He is at the right hand of Power.  We ought to understand that the Eucharist is celebrated with unleavened bread to show forth the purity of the sacrament. We ought to understand that Jesus said "This is my body."  Some do not understand the plain context of the verse, but they take an over literal meaning of the verse.  I would suggest to you that the "is" means a representation of the body of Christ.  It depends on how one understands the "is."  I suggest to you that the human nature of Christ cannot be everywhere like the divine nature.  Once one says that the human nature is taken everywhere it becomes the divine nature.  Its in violatiion of the Definition Chalechon.  We cannot mix the natures of Christ but we ought to make a distinction.  I would say that the Roman Eucharist is a Monophysite Jesus; that is, they mix the natures of Christ to make it merely a divine nature.  We say that the divine nature is everywhere but the human nature is at the right hand of the Father.  We believe this a consistent and logical understanding of the Eucharist.

Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us.

Let's look at the London Confession of Faith,

Chapter 30: Of the Lord's Supper

1._____ The supper of the Lord Jesus was instituted by him the same night wherein he was betrayed, to be observed in his churches, unto the end of the world, for the perpetual remembrance, and shewing forth the sacrifice of himself in his death, confirmation of the faith of believers in all the benefits thereof, their spiritual nourishment, and growth in him, their further engagement in, and to all duties which they owe to him; and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him, and with each other.
( 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17,21 ) 2._____ In this ordinance Christ is not offered up to his Father, nor any real sacrifice made at all for remission of sin of the quick or dead, but only a memorial of that one offering up of himself by himself upon the cross, once for all; and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God for the same. So that the popish sacrifice of the mass, as they call it, is most abominable, injurious to Christ's own sacrifice the alone propitiation for all the sins of the elect.
( Hebrews 9:25, 26, 28; 1 Corinthians 11:24; Matthew 26:26, 27 )
3._____ The Lord Jesus hath, in this ordinance, appointed his ministers to pray, and bless the elements of bread and wine, and thereby to set them apart from a common to a holy use, and to take and break the bread; to take the cup, and, they communicating also themselves, to give both to the communicants.
( 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, etc. )
4._____ The denial of the cup to the people, worshipping the elements, the lifting them up, or carrying them about for adoration, and reserving them for any pretended religious use, are all contrary to the nature of this ordinance, and to the institution of Christ.
( Matthew 26:26-28; Matthew 15:9; Exodus 20:4, 5 )
5._____ The outward elements in this ordinance, duly set apart to the use ordained by Christ, have such relation to him crucified, as that truly, although in terms used figuratively, they are sometimes called by the names of the things they represent, to wit, the body and blood of Christ, albeit, in substance and nature, they still remain truly and only bread and wine, as they were before.
( 1 Corinthians 11:27; 1 Corinthians 11:26-28 )
6._____ That doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine, into the substance of Christ's body and blood, commonly called transubstantiation, by consecration of a priest, or by any other way, is repugnant not to Scripture alone, but even to common sense and reason, overthroweth the nature of the ordinance, and hath been, and is, the cause of manifold superstitions, yea, of gross idolatries.
( Acts 3:21; Luke 14:6, 39; 1 Corinthians 11:24, 25 )
7._____ Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this ordinance, do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually receive, and feed upon Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death; the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally, but spiritually present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses.
( 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 )

Who cleanses us from sin?

The Bible teaches that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ cleanses us from all defilement, sin, iniquity and transgression. (Hebrews 1:3 and Colossians 1:22).  Jesus has cleansed us from our sins and sat down at the right hand of God the Father.  Jesus presents us holy, free of reproach and blame. 

However, Rome teaches that if we die in the state of grace and friendship we will undergo purification to achieve holiness and enter the joy of heaven (CCC 1030). 

Are we walking in line with Jesus?  Do we repent of all our sins when we first commit them?  Do we live holy lives so we will not have to make the excuse of a purification after we die?  Do we know that Jesus cleansed us from all of sin now and how we can live triumphantly and not some purification after we die?  May we contemplate what is being said.  Amen.