Will God 'show up' in Masterpiece Cakeshop case?

"God has never lost a battle, but there are some battles He failed to show up for." (Frank Viola)

Let's first look at the storyline for the Masterpiece Cakeshop conflict.

In July 2012, Charlie Craig and David Mullins made reservations to get legally married in Massachusetts. Colorado at the time did not recognize same-sex marriages. Afterward, they planned on returning to Colorado for a reception with family and friends. One of the things on their to-do list before leaving for the Bay Colony was purchasing a cake.

The couple walked into Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colorado, as one of their first stops in search of a cake for their upcoming wedding reception.

Jack Phillips, the owner, walked around the front of his desk and introduced himself to Craig and Mullins. One of the men said, "We're here to look at wedding cakes. It's for our wedding."

Jack knew right away he wouldn't be able to help them because of his Christian convictions. "This is not an event I can create a cake for," Jack said.

"What do you mean?" said the two men.

"I'll make you birthday cakes, shower cakes, cookies, brownies," Mr. Phillips said. "I just can't make a cake for a same-sex wedding."

Craig and Mullins departed from the bakery without further discussion.

"We were mortified and just felt degraded," said David Mullins later when he recalled the meeting with Phillips.

The continuous phone calls to the bakery began twenty minutes later with hateful language and even death threats. The calls lasted for weeks.

Craig and Mullins at first picketed Masterpiece Cakeshop, but then went to the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. There they filed a grievance against Masterpiece Cakeshop under the state's public accommodations law, the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. This law prohibits businesses open to the public from discriminating against their customers on the basis of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

The grievance resulted in a lawsuit: Craig v. Masterpiece Cakeshop. Craig and Mullins won the lawsuit. Masterpiece Cakeshop was ordered to provide cakes for same-sex marriages and also to train its staff on public accommodations discrimination. Quarterly reports were required to be filed with the state to show compliance with the law.

Masterpiece Cakeshop appealed the decision to the Colorado Court of Appeals with Alliance Defending Freedom representing them as its legal counsel. Masterpiece immediately stopped making wedding cakes and refused to comply with the state's orders. The Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the American Civil Liberties represented Craig and Mullins.

The Colorado Court of Appeals ruled against Masterpiece Cakeshop in 2015. Then the Colorado State Supreme Court refused to review the case. The next stop: the U.S. Supreme Court.

On Tuesday of this week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The ADF and the United States solicitor general represented Masterpiece Cakeshop while the ACLU and the Colorado solicitor general represented Craig and Mullins.

Nine Supreme Court justices will now decide the case. The decision is expected to be announced by June.

Will God fail to show up in this case?

Probably.

Why?

The Christian strategy to eliminate same-sex marriage is based on error. Yes, the Bible reveals homosexuality as a sin. Yes, God hates sin. But we can't mix mammon, world system logic and rebellion and then expect God to back us in our struggles against homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

God has a stubborn streak in Him. It has to be His way and only His way, which is always based upon His Word. Any other method will depend upon our efforts and not Him.

What if Jesus owned a bakery or a florist shop or or a photography studio? What if two gay men approached Him to provide services for their same-sex wedding? How would He handle the situation?

Would He grab a whip and chase them out the door? Would He quote verses from Leviticus as He chased them down the street?

"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves." (Romans 13:1-2)

The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Romans during the cruel reign of Nero. This Roman emperor eventually beheaded Paul and slaughtered hundreds of Christians. Yet, Paul specifically warned believers not to rebel against governments and their laws in these verses.

If Paul believed these verses enough to write them, shouldn't we think Jesus would also believe them and obey them if He owned a business?

Thus, it's my belief Jesus would either provide the services for the gay couple's wedding or accept the penalty for not doing so, even if it meant shutting the doors of His business. He would never rebel against His Word.

If we don't learn how to fight spiritual battles without rebelling against His Word, we can expect to have more Masterpiece Cakeshop lawsuits in the future. Most of them will end up in defeats.