Catholics hear Protestant friends and family saying “I believe in Jesus and The Bible.” At first, it may seem like a good thing. We may think: “It’s nice that Cousin Fred believes in Jesus and The Bible.”
Why does Cousin Fred want us to think that he believes in Jesus and The Bible? Why does Cousin Fred think it’s a good belief to have? Why do hundreds of millions of people sincerely say the same thing: “I believe in Jesus and The Bible.”
“I believe in Jesus and The Bible.” is another way of saying, “I am a good person.”
“I am a good person.” is the devil’s most popular lie. Not one of us is a good person. Most of The Bible teaches what is summed up in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
The great Protestant falsity is that the 43,000 schisms allow any person to excuse their sin by encouraging this erroneous connection, “Since I believe in Jesus and The Bible, I am a good person.”
Many of us have met hardened sinners who spoke glowingly of the “personal relationship I have with My Jesus”, even as they persisted in sin.
Catholics, on the other hand, know that sin must be avoided. No Catholic can sin and say “I am saved because I have been Baptized and Confirmed.” When a Catholic sins, Confession must be made before Absolution may be obtained. Every Catholic knows that the sin must stop.
What happens is this: The priest, The Church, and Jesus say “Go and sin no more.” That leaves the sinner with two choices. The person may choose to stop sinning and remain in The Church Jesus Founded. Or, the person may choose to continue to sin. They leave The Church, saying something to the effect of “I outgrew Catholicism.”
Pastor Bobs are waiting to pounce! The sinner soon hears, “You don’t have to worry about Catholic Confirmation, Communion, and Confession. You only need to believe and you will be saved!” A mind confused by sin is easily led to conclude that “Sola Scriptura” or “Sola Fides” or some such silliness will replace The Sacraments of The Only Church Jesus Founded.
The entirely of Catholicism’s 2,000 years of prayer, work, study, and the Blood of the Martyrs is buried by the urgency of justifying ongoing gratification.
There is an even greater danger of taking seriously “I believe in Jesus and The Bible so I am saved.” The sin which caused that conclusion to be reached is compounded by the most self-hurting lie it is possible to tell.
Murder, theft, adultery, fornication and the other sins are made worse by choosing to bear false witness. It is an additional sin to tell self, neighbors, and God “I believe in Jesus and The Bible.” while continuing to sin. Such a person turn him or herself into a living insult to The Jesus and The Bible in Whom and which they say “I believe!”
Those involved in the great Protestant falsity tend to become anti-Catholic to the degree that they have separated themselves from The Only Church Jesus Founded. We must pray that Cousin Fred gets straightened out at least enough to seek Absolution while time remains.
