Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? “Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” They brought one. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar's.” And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they were amazed at Him. (Mark 12:13-17)We often use Jesus’ teaching in the passage above to show that we have both the authority and the duty to pay taxes to civil government. As Christians we do not want to neglect our duty to our government. However, Jesus’ statement implies that we have an even greater obligation: Render ... to God the things that are God's.

The Roman coin Jesus used to teach the lesson bore the image of Caesar, indicating that ultimately it belonged to Caesar. Similarly, we bear the image of our Creator thus, belonging to Him. Just as the Roman government demanded taxes of its citizens, God demands that we fulfill certain obligations to Him.

While all things belong to God by virtue of his Creatorship, human beings are created in the image of God, distinct from all other creatures (Ps. 24:1; Gen. 1:26-27). Christians belong to God in another sense as well. We are His not only because He made us, but also because He bought us (I Cor. 6:20; I Pet. 1:18, 19). God paid the price for our redemption, enabling us to take on the image of His Son (Col. 3:10; Rom. 8:29). Having been created and re-created by God, we must do our best to meet the obligation embodied in our relationship to Him.

At the very least, we owe to the Creator our praise, adoration, and worship. The very act of creation entitles Him to adoration and exaltation (Ps. 148:5-6; 139:14). Like the Psalmist, we should be constantly aware of the wonders of our existence and, as Christians, conscious of our redemption. Being mindful of what the Lord has done for us causes such gratitude and love that praise for Him will be a natural part of our daily lives (Heb. 13:15).

Our salvation also makes us debtors to others. Paul felt this obligation and it motivated him to preach the gospel (Rom. 1:14-15). A similar feeling of duty led the early Christians to help their needy brethren (Rom. 15:26-27). Having received abundant spiritual blessings from our Father, we should be willing to share both our spiritual and temporal blessings with those in need. To do so fulfills a responsibility to God as well as to our neighbor (Heb. 13:16).

Our gratitude and love for God also inspire our faithful obedience to Him (1 Jn. 5:3; Jn. 14:15) Jesus taught that the entire old law hinged on love for God and for others (Matt. 22:36-40). Likewise, a Christian’s love for God and Christ is the essential element in her life; as new creature in Christ, she lives to do the will of God (2 Cor. 5:14-17). Jesus taught in Luke 17:10 that even if we do all that God commands we are still “unworthy slaves.” In our efforts to give to God those things due Him we should be constantly seeking for ways to serve Him.

How we are able to offer up praise and worship, to share with others, and to faithfully obey the Lord each day? The answer is found in our original text, “Render ... to God the things that are God’s.” When we became Christians we gave ourselves to be bondservants (slaves) of God (Rom. 6:16-17). By constantly reaffirming our commitment to Him, we equip ourselves for further service. The saints at Macedonia were able to give “beyond their ability” because “they first gave themselves to the Lord” (2 Cor. 8:3-5). The process involves both our minds and our bodies – we “present [our] bodies as living sacrifices” as we renew our minds, bringing our way of thinking into accordance with God’s (Rom. 12:1-2).

We are reminded often of the taxes we are required to pay to the government. Similarly, we must make a conscious daily effort to give to the Lord what is His due. The penalties for our delinquency in this area are much more severe, but the rewards for fulfilling our responsibility are far greater.

The writer of this good article is our granddaughter-in-law (wife of Stephen).
Via South Brundidge Street Church of Christ, Troy, AL Website