A Tale of Two Lawsuits

March 7, 2019

The attack on Jack Phillips has finally come to an end—hopefully it stays that way. Last year, Phillips obtained victory at the Supreme Court in a case about his decision to decline to create a cake for a same-sex wedding. Afterwards, the losing party, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, pursued yet another complaint against Phillips for declining to make a cake celebrating a sex transition. The Commission agreed to dismiss its complaint once more evidence of its hostility emerged.

Alliance Defending Freedom, a religious liberty law firm, had helped Phillips fight back against the second complaint. They filed a lawsuit on his behalf against the Commission for demonstrating overt hostility towards his beliefs, though he agreed to drop his suit once the Commission dismissed its complaint.

This saga has no doubt involved a lot of suffering for Phillips, his family, and his business and employees. As Phillips stated,

When I set out to build my dream of opening my own cake shop, combining my love for art and baking in a family business, I never imagined this chapter would be part of the Masterpiece Cakeshop story … I have and will always serve everyone who comes into my shop; I simply can’t celebrate events or express messages that conflict with my religious beliefs. The Supreme Court affirmed that government hostility against people of faith is unconstitutional, and that Colorado was hostile to my faith. That hostility cost me 40 percent of my business and the wedding work that I love to do.

The story is certainly one of resilience in the face of suffering. But it also shows us how enduring pain in a Christ-like manner can influence others’ lives. Phillips’ nephew, Sean, “didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus,” so “he didn’t fully grasp why Jack was willing to take such a stand.” What he did know, however, was that Phillips was “one of the most genuine, kind, and generous people” he knew.

Sean was also shocked at the hateful treatment Jack endured. In fact, it made him angry.

But in observing and talking with Jack, he saw a quiet example of what it looks like to live a life in obedience to Christ.

Over time, Sean let go of his anger. He dug into the Bible to understand the comfort that Jack had in Christ and how he could withstand such hardship with grace and peace. And eventually, God drew Sean to Himself.

Because of how Phillips reacted in the face of suffering, God was able to draw someone closer to Christ. So, even though it is good that these cases have a positive outcome, “Jack counts the eternal implications of his case as even greater and more precious.” Truly, it is a remarkable story of how God utilizes all things for the good of those who trust in Him. With so many people across America watching this case, we look forward to how God will use Jack Phillips’ story to draw more people even closer to Him.