Fred Phelps, the patriarchal leader and self designated pastor, along with his family and other lost souls, make up this cult-like clan, known as the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka Kansas.
This groups claim to infamy is they protest at the funeral of fallen soldiers, homosexuals and celebrities pronouncing God's wrath upon them.
In a twist of cosmic justice, not one Baptist convention or association claim this odd band of accusers. For all intents and purposes the followers of WBC are "going it alone." Alone in their corrupted gospel of hate. The followers of the WBC are preaching a false gospel which is the antithesis of the gospel of Jesus.
The Christian Gospel is "good news" and is animated by God's love for a fallen and broken people-sinners who are completely lost and live under the crushing weight of sin's condemnation. With no way out, God comes to our rescue, driven by His love for us, God shows us the way out.
John 3:16, tells us what this "good news" is: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whosoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." But that's not all, we read in the next verse (17) "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through Him."
These two verses tell a story of a loving God who freely gave Himself, coming to us as in ther form of a man-Jesus-to be condemned and die on a cross in our place.
Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection provided for us a reprieve from God's wrath. Jesus became the "condemned one" in our place-He became our Savior.
Jesus broke the back of sin and for all those who believe, we are saved and no longer live under condemnation-this is the "good news," Jesus came to us not to condemn but to save.
These two verses also tell us that the Christian gospel is both grace-God gave his one and only Son and within that grace is a law-God so loved the world. This is the law of love, which is the believers imperative to "love one another" as God so loved the world. Love then is the driving force that animates the gospel of grace-not condemnation or hate.
It's important to understand that the Christian gospel is both Grace and Law. Any other teaching where grace or law is left out, is a false gospel.
If a so called "gospel" is grace without law, it would be a "cheap grace"-worth nothing. As Dietrich Bonheoffer says "cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ."
On the other hand if a so called "gospel" is law without grace, it too is a gospel without the living, incarnate Jesus. It would be a cold, condemning gospel that crushes the soul and leads to death.
The "legalistic" moralizer in some of our churches today and Pharisee of the bible, held to this corrupted "gospel." And this is the gospel practiced by the followers of the Westboro Baptist Church.
A gospel without grace leads to hate and condemnation. And then the hate and condemnation become the driving force behind the "protests" of WBC's followers. Just look at the hurtful "protest signs" and ask your self, would Jesus be shouting and carrying signs with the protesters or comforting the grieving family?
I am reminded of St Paul's warning against those who preach a false gospel:
"But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!" Galatians 1:9
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a Gospel of grace and love that leads to salvation and eternal life. It is not a Gospel of hate that leads to condemnation and death.
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