What is purgatory, and are Catholics and Protestants actually closer on salvation, sanctification, and purification than we often think?

In this episode of The John Lockwood Show, I sit down with Keith Nester, Catholic author, speaker, YouTuber, and Executive Director of Down to Earth Ministry, for an in-depth Catholic and Protestant conversation about purgatory, salvation, sanctification, and whether a Christian can lose his salvation.

Keith brings a particularly interesting perspective to this discussion because he spent more than 20 years in Protestant ministry before becoming Catholic in 2017. He served in United Methodist, Assemblies of God, and Evangelical Free churches before his conversion to Catholicism.

Keith is the author of The Convert’s Guide to Roman Catholicism: Your First Year in the Church, a book about the challenges, questions, joys, and transitions that come with becoming Catholic. He is also the author of Unpacking the Mysteries of the Rosary: Connecting the Spiritual Fruits to Your Daily Life.

Keith has become a well-known Catholic voice and has appeared on Catholic programs including Pints With Aquinasand The Counsel of Trent.

In our conversation, Keith represents the Catholic perspective while I approach these questions from a Protestant perspective. Rather than simply debating Catholicism vs. Protestantism, we wanted to understand what each side actually believes and find out where genuine common ground exists.

We discuss questions including:

• What do Catholics actually believe about purgatory?
• Is purgatory biblical?
• Do Protestants believe in purification before heaven?
• What is the relationship between justification and sanctification?
• Can a Christian lose his salvation?
• What happens to a Christian who dies before becoming perfectly holy?
• Is purification after death fundamentally different from Protestant ideas of glorification?
• Where do Catholics and Protestants truly disagree about salvation?
• Are Catholics and Protestants sometimes using different language to describe similar realities?

There are significant theological differences between Catholic and Protestant Christianity, and we don't attempt to hide them. But as we worked through these questions, we also discovered more agreement than I expected—especially surrounding the biblical reality that nothing unclean enters the presence of God and that every Christian must ultimately be made perfectly holy.

This conversation isn't about scoring points for Catholicism or Protestantism. It's an attempt to understand each other accurately, challenge our assumptions, and seek the truth about Jesus Christ, salvation, grace, sanctification, purgatory, and eternal life.

Whether you are Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, Reformed, Methodist, Pentecostal, considering conversion to Catholicism, or simply trying to understand the Catholic teaching on purgatory, I hope this conversation helps you think more carefully about what Christians believe happens between salvation and entering the presence of God.

Guest: Keith Nester

Ministry: Down to Earth Ministry

Books: The Convert’s Guide to Roman Catholicism: Your First Year in the Church and Unpacking the Mysteries of the Rosary: Connecting the Spiritual Fruits to Your Daily Life

Episode 8 of The John Lockwood Show is a conversation with longtime family friend, mentor, surgeon, and author Andy DeWitt.

I grew up with Andy’s kids, and I’m incredibly thankful for the influence he has had on my life over the years. He is charismatic, entertaining, deeply rooted in his faith, and simply one of those people I always enjoy talking with. So when I found out he was going to be in town, I jumped at the opportunity to get him on the show.

Andy shares the story of his career, how he unexpectedly got into writing, and some of the experiences that shaped him along the way. We talk about how he began writing for pro-life organizations and the new venture he is launching to help pregnancy centers raise money and communicate their mission through books that tell the real stories happening inside their organizations.

Andy also reads a story from his first book, Life With Clarity, and shares the heart behind the project—why these stories matter, how he hopes these books can help pregnancy centers, and why he believes the work of the pro-life movement is so important.

This is a conversation about faith, storytelling, purpose, using your gifts to serve others, and finding new ways to support organizations doing meaningful work in their communities.

In Episode 2 of Applying the Text, I'm joined once again by my friend Andrew Crisman, an elder at Candeo Church, as we walk through Ephesians 1 and one of the most important questions every Christian must answer:

Can I truly know that I am saved?

Ephesians 1 presents a breathtaking picture of God's work in salvation. The through line of the chapter is simple: God is on a mission to save His people. Our assurance doesn't rest on our ability to hold on to Him—it rests on everything He has already accomplished for us in Christ.

Throughout this conversation, we explore the truths that anchor our confidence:

• God predestined.
• God revealed.
• God adopted.
• God saved.
• God sealed us with the Holy Spirit.
• God gave us to Christ.
• God gave Christ to us.
• God will finish what He started.

As we work through the text, we share personal stories, answer difficult questions, and unpack why the gospel gives Christians genuine confidence in the face of death, judgment, and hell.

Our hope is that this episode strengthens your faith, steadies your heart, and reminds you that your salvation is grounded not in your performance, but in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Whether you're wrestling with assurance, studying Ephesians, or simply longing to know God more deeply, we pray this conversation points you to the hope that is found in Christ alone.