We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. Since the practice of infant baptism has become common, we have, perhaps, lost the dramatic nature of baptism in the early Church. For St. Paul Baptism is a radical break with a “before” and “after,” not merely a life transition. “Dead to sin but alive in Christ” is the Biblical language which describes what happens at baptism. We are different people after baptism. That understanding is what lies behind the idea of purgatory. The elect are dead to sin through baptism but sin somehow still infects the believer’s life. We need a purging, a cleansing before entering fully into risen life and if the purgation was not completed in life, it is accomplished after death. Since there is no time on the other side of death what the purgation looks like is a matter of speculation. The important take away is that God will find a way to save us even if we don’t fully reflect our dignity as children of God.
