There is a straight and narrow path that leads straight to Heaven from where each of us is, right now. There are two things we must do to make progress on that path:
Believe and obey, every step of the way.
Most of us are not able to believe and obey, every step of the way.
That’s why we were given the Sacrament of Confession. We could, by the power of Christ’s sacrifice, be forgiven for our sins. After we have sought and received forgiveness, we may return to the straight and narrow path leading from us to Heaven.
Some of us do wrong, refuse to admit that we have erred, and still believe that we will go straight from where we are now to Heaven. Some will justify ongoing disobedience by saying, “I am saved because Jesus loves me.”
That is the theological equivalent of a “mixed metaphor”. The truth is this: “If I believe and obey, I will be saved because Jesus loves me. If I believe, disobey, seek His forgiveness, and become obedient, I will be saved because Jesus loves me.”
Are we believing and obeying by using artificial birth control? If not, is the wrong compounded if we insist: “I am not doing anything wrong.”
In the Book of Genesis, Onan was killed for wickedly spilling his seed on the ground. Does his sin differ from ignoring the instructions of The Roman Catholic Church on artificial birth control?
When we answer, as honestly as we can, “Am I believing and obeying sufficiently?”, we may remember the end of the Bible’s last Book, Revelation, 22:13. It is clear about who won’t get into Heaven:
“Those others must stay outside; dogs, fortune-tellers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone of false speech and false doctrine.”
Christians are under assault as never before. Nations that were once Christian now find themselves unable to defend themselves against coordinated, aggressive invasions of people who believe that artificial birth control is a sin. It is increasingly obvious that God has turned away from those who turned from Him. The most important thing we can do is believe and obey sufficiently to get our own soul into Heaven.
There is still time for all of us to believe and obey, every step of the way.
