I don't think that I'm alone when I express my frustration and outrage when I see a particular sect of a "religious" group who are often seen boycotting funerals of American soldiers, denominational conventions, or anything that pertains to the American government.  I'm sure that most of you have seen this group.  They have their men, women and children holding up picket-signs with degrading images and messages of hate and condemnation.  The spokespeople of this group claim to be the mouthpeice of God, and their insensitive, rude, and offensive demonstrations are (in their eyes) the faithful duties of Christian believers. 

I consider myself a believer and follower of Jesus, and I get very troubled when I see these types of protests and demonstrations of hate done in the name of God.  Their motives and actions seem to in no way align with what I see to be the central theme of the Christian life--the gospel of grace.  I would think that people who are "speaking" on behalf of God would sound an awful lot like what God has already said in the Bible. 

I understand the Bible to show that all our condemnation and punishment for sin was absorbed by Jesus on the cross.  The Bible seems to indicate time and time again that God, who was rich in mercy toward undeserving sinners, so loved us that he sent Jesus to stand in our place and to take our punishment on his own shoulders.  Jesus willing lived the perfect life of righteous obedience that we were incapable of living, and was executed on a cross as our substitute so that we wouldn't have to endure the punishment for sin that we deserved. 

The good news of what God has done for us in Jesus to rescue and redeem and renew us is called "the gospel."  And the Bible tells us that the gospel is a gospel of grace.  The good news of the gospel is that it doesn't matter who you are, or where you've been, or what you've done, Jesus can make you new.  This message of forgiveness and reconciliation is offered freely to all who would receive it.  It is called a message of grace because this good news is not based on whether or not you can earn it or whether or not you deserve it--it is based on the sheer kindness and mercy and love of God. 

These hateful protestors have either drastically misunderstood this message, or have chosen to ignore it altogether.  I don't want to say too much to condemn this group because then I would be guilty of the same kind of hypocrisy that I see in them--they will have to answer to God for their actions, not to me.  But I do want to overpower their skewed message of condemnation with the clear gospel message of grace.  All of us have failed to live perfectly.  All of us are overly-selfish.  None of us are as kind and loving as we ought to be.  If we got what we deserved, then none of us would enjoy a happy ending.  But the good news of God's great love is that he has offered to save and forgive us of our sins if we would look to Jesus and embrace him as our Savior.  The gospel is the good news of grace.  It is not earned.  It is not for the deserving.  In fact, it is only for the undeserving. 

So, I for one would like to be a champion for grace, not hateful condemnation.  (After all, I am one of the countless underserving who has been radically transformed by the unspeakable love and mercy and grace of God in what Jesus has done for me.)  Therefore, let's live this week as though we were a megaphone for the grace of God--not the hateful condemnation of men.

Blessings,

Danny