Luke 20:21 And they asked him, saying, Maste"..... 22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no? 23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? 24 Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's. 25 And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.
This passage of scripture, coming from Christ, teaches us that as Christians it is our duty to render unto Caesar the things which are His, and unto God the things which belong to God. In other words, a true Christian will both acknowledge and obey as far as possible, the powers that be, for we recognize that those who are in power, were thereby installed by God, and as such we are cautioned not to live in violation of the laws of the land, whenever they do not conflict directly with what God has commanded us.
As a matter of fact, a true Christian will be a law-abiding citizen, whenever and wherever he can, for the general tenor of scripture t6eaches us to submit ourselves first to God, and then to the powers that be of God. Let's read:
Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good"... 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
The problem is that sometimes, what Caesar requires, is not always in harmony with what God requires, and at times like these, a conscious and deliberate decision has to be made as to who gets the preeminence in our obedience and service, either God or Caesar. For instance, in our day Caesar requires in most cases that we desist from smoking in public places, especially in all federal buildings, for it is a known fact that second hand smoke causes cancer in others, and is responsible in many cases for birth defects in unborn children. This is all well and good, for the requirement has good cause.
But the same Caesar also stipulates that we desist from speaking about religion in the work place, and as a result, many Christians have gone silent, when we should have been lifting our voices in prayer and supplication, in witnessing and entreaty, for those who have not a saving knowledge of God. Thus, smoking and religion have been lumped together under a common ban, because of Caesar's requirement, and the commission which has been given us of Christ, has now taken a back seat in many instances, whilst we are sucked into conversations about other subjects which have nothing to do with the salvation of our fellowmen, nor are they a savor of life unto life.
Christians are now engaged in conversations about sports, movies, soap operas, the latest fashions, music, and the usual office gossip that is passed around from person to person, while the name of Christ and the solemn issues just ahead, hardly, if ever get mentioned. Whenever we are brought into situations such as these, in which we must choose between the sacred requirements of God, or Caesar, let us always remember that God comes first, and Caesar next, and this order must never be reversed for any reason. In other words, the stipulation that we desist from speaking about religious issues on the job, is contrary to the mandate we have gotten from Christ, and therefore, the counsel of the apostle Peter, is relevant to us in our day. Let's read:
Acts 5:27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine"... 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Let us therefore not be muzzled into silence by those who may not know better, especially at a time when God is counting on us to give the trumpet a certain sound, for if we remain silent, whilst our fellowmen and co-workers wander in darkness, we will bear a fearful responsibility if they are lost, for we are indeed our brother's keeper. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which confirms this sacred truth, and it is the will of God that we now step up to the plate, and speak forth the truths that are pertinent to our time, for we are Christ's hands and feet, to carry the gospel to a dying world. Let's read:
Ezekiel 2:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to".... "a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. 4 "And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God. 6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks".... 7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear"...
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!