Jesus fulfilled the prophecies that predicted that He would come to earth. He did so because Mary chose to become “the handmaiden of The Lord”. If she had not obeyed God, Jesus would not have been born at the appointed time and place.
Protestants, particularly among the lower end Pastor Bobs, tend to diminish Mary’s importance in God’s Plan. Without her obedience, there would have been no Jesus at the predicted time and place. If St. Joseph had not obeyed the dream God gave him, there would have been no earthly guide to protect the Holiest of Families in its prophesied sojourn to Egypt and back.
Jesus’ life on earth began, and was protected by, the obedience of The Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. From that time, The Body of Christ on Earth, The Only Church He Founded, has been similarly protected by the faithful and obedient. While few of us will make the contribution that Mary and Joseph made, if we have any sense at all, we see the need to obey.
John 14:15 is clear: “If you love Me you will keep My commands.”
John 15:10 is the flip side of John 14:15: “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love. . .”
His clear preference for those who obey Him is reinforced in John 15:14, “You are my friends, if you do the things that I command you.”
He came to earth through the obedience of Mary and Joseph. Jesus died an awful death, obedient to the end. His instructions are clear: “Obey, obey, obey!”
Simplistic teachings about the need to “believe and be saved.” are popular at the lower levels. Belief is an important beginning, but Jesus does not say “If you believe in me, you are My friends.” He makes it clear. His friendship is reserved for those who obey.
We all fail. Our thoughts, words, and deeds are polluted with “Look at me! Aren’t I smart/good/handsome/tasteful/stylish/beautiful/clever/charming/quick/strong!” as we seek to swell our vanity with approval from neighbors rather than shrinking our swollen vanity through obedience.
Can we obey God while knowingly avoiding The Only Church Jesus Founded? The answer is a clear, resounding “No.” Why is that true? Because one of His Commands is His Great Winnowing Sentence: “If you do not eat My Body and drink My Blood you do not have life in you.”
So:
Can anyone sanely believe that the only people whom Jesus loved enough to want them to “have life in you” were at The Last Supper and received His Body and Blood there?
Can anyone sanely believe that Jesus despised every other person who was to be born so much that there was no opportunity for them to “have life in” them?
Or, can we more reasonably believe that He empowered The Only Church He Founded with the power to change bread and wine into His Body and Blood through the ages so that His obedient friends could be identified, both in this life and at Judgment.
It is a sad Protestant deception to believe that belief is all we need to get to Heaven. We must be obedient. God help us all to do His Will.
