Give Caesar Only What Is His, and Give God All That Is His!
In Matthew 22:21, our Lord gave a very important instruction.
“Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.”
There is a clear division between Caesar –human government—and God. According to Romans 13, we indeed have a responsibility to the government. But it pales in comparison to our greater responsibility to God.
When Christ spoke those words, they were a rebuke to Israel, which had abandoned its responsibility to God and as a result had become the tail, not the head, of the nations. The coin with Caesar’s inscription, in daily use in Israel, showed that they were under Rome, a Gentile government. Like the fourth beast of Daniel 7—the Roman Empire—Caesar ruled because God had established it that way. That coin with Caesar’s likeness, found in Jewish pockets, was itself a violation of the second commandment against the making of any image or likeness of anything (Ex. 20:4; Rom. 1.23). In effect, the Lord was saying that if Israel had given God His rightful place, they never would have been under Caesar’s rule nor had his coins in their pockets.
The phrase, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's” has often been misunderstood and misapplied. Christ never taught nor implied that believers should get involved in politics or government, no, not even to exert a good influence, as some say. Believers are members of the Church, the body of Christ, not members of the government, a political party or activist group. By following Christ, in and through the local church and their personal lives, we should “shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2.15). God wills that we proclaim Christ, not that we try to reform society. Darby wrote: “My business is to walk as a Christian, and shew the character of Christ, not to set the world right; when Christ comes He will do that, for He will take it into His hand.”[1]
We ought to remember our place in the scheme of things. In the New Testament, believers are subject to the authorities of their country, but they aren’t part of the government. We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, and His kingdom (Col. 1:13). But remember, He said, "My kingdom is not of this world" (Jn. 18.36).
It should not be considered an admirable achievement, but rather a sad failure, for a Christian to become part of the government. First, we have no New Testament mandate to do so. As believers, we live to serve God, and our place is in the church, not in the capital. Second, in Scripture, the governments of the world are “beasts” (Dan. 7:3, 17; Rev. 13:1, 11), wild, rapacious animals. Psalm 49:20 declares, “The man who is in honor and does not understand is like the beasts.”
It is clear in Romans 13:1-3 that the higher powers, the rulers, are divinely ordained. But the fact that God establishes human government does not make it Christian. He establishes order, not anarchy, and how true that many times He chooses “the basest of men” (cf. Dn. 4.17) to govern in this fallen world that bears the curse of sin.
What should we give to Caesar?
The Lord Jesus commands us to give to each his due: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's” (the government). So the question is, what do we owe Caesar? What is rightfully his? Our answer should not be based on logic, deductions, or opinions, but on Scripture.
First of all, we are to pray. consider 1 Timothy 2:1-2. “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” Every believer should pray for the government, not seek a position in it. Remember that when this text was written, the wicked emperor Nero ruled the Roman Empire. Even he was to be prayed for! Many people dismiss the power and influence of prayer. The lack of attention to prayer in the personal life is also seen in the neglect of the weekly prayer meeting. It seems we have forgotten the great role of prayer in the early Church (Acts 2.42, etc.). God commands us to pray for all those in authority. Who will do it if we don’t? We’re to offer prayers, petitions, and thanksgiving for them. Verses 3 and 4 imply that these folk are not believers, saying that we should pray for them, because God wants them (and all people) to be saved. We should pray for them, for the decisions they make, and for the way magistrates exercise judgment, so that conditions may be favorable for us: “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” They ought to punish evildoers and make everyone respect the laws. We should pray that they may not make decisions motivated by their personal agenda, their popularity, or their political future, but in the fear of God and for the good of the country. Praying in this way is something we “owe” to Caesar, for those poor lost people in government need our prayers.
Second, Romans 13:1 indicates that we must submit to the authorities and recognize that God has established them. Verse 3 adds, “Do good,” that is, obey the laws. No one should use the Christian faith as an excuse to oppose the government, but should respect the laws and live an orderly life. Instead of riots, strikes, and disturbances, doing good means living “quietly and peacefully.” It means living godly and honestly.
Third, Romans 13:7 adds, “Render therefore to all their dues,” because believers also pay taxes. The text says ‘tribute’ and “tax,” which include income tax, sales tax, property tax, and other fees. Believers who own businesses should not keep two sets of books, but should be honest and transparent with the government.
Fourth, we also owe Caesar “respect” and “honor.” Exodus 22:28 commands, “Thou shalt not… curse the ruler of thy people.” Cursing or reviling (insulting) is characteristic of the world. First they vote for rulers and applaud them, but then the honeymoon is over, and they insult them, publish caricatures, and mock them. Instead of speaking like the unconverted, we should pray for our rulers. “Honor the king,” commands 1 Peter 2:17, for it is a Christian duty.
1 Peter 2:13-15 teaches us a fifth thing that we owe to Caesar. “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” Our obedience to all laws and ordinances, that is, to every human institution, is part of our testimony. This includes immigration, employment, tax, traffic, and all other laws. We should not violate laws or cause trouble as criminals do, but do good.
If we have the opportunity, we should testify before rulers, as the apostle Paul did on several occasions (Acts 22-26). He appeared before them, not to lobby for a Christian organization, nor because he had done anything wrong, but because of false accusations, and he took the opportunity to give testimony. On one occasion, when he was in prison in Philippi, instead of seeking a lawyer and suing the state for damages, he prayed and sang hymns. At midnight, God gave him a wonderful opportunity to evangelize the jailer and his family and see them converted. God guided Philip to evangelize an Ethiopian government official (Acts 8) and Peter preached to the centurion Cornelius and his Roman friends (Acts 10). None of them had to start an organization or get involved in politics or government to do so. Those who say we need more Christians in politics are very mistaken, since no believer should give his time or energy to Caesar. Caesar is in one sphere –the government—and believers are in another –the church.
The New Testament teaches that government is not composed of believers, but of “the princes of this world, that come to nought” (1 Cor. 2:6). They do not have or understand the wisdom of God: “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8). The political, judicial, and religious systems collaborated in the crucifixion of Christ. Let us never forget that the world pronounced judgment on Christ when it crucified Him.
Remember, dear reader, if you are a true Christian, your life, time, talents, offerings, and strength do not belong to Caesar. Your life belongs to God, for He gave it to you, and your body is His, not yours to do with as you please (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Your time, your talents, and your strength should be used for the glory of God. What money or other resources you may have are due to the grace of God, for everything we have we have received from Him (1 Cor. 4:7). There is no time, talent, strength, or money left over to contribute to political campaigns and parties. Remember:
· Caesar is neither holy nor righteous.
· Caesar is not rich in mercy, grace, wisdom or goodness.
· Caesar does not love you.
· Caesar did not sacrifice his son for you.
· Caesar cannot save you or give you eternal life.
· Caesar has not freed any of Adam's children from their slavery and spiritual ruin.
· Caesar cannot free you from the power of sin.
· Caesar cannot pour out God's love in you.
· Caesar cannot make you an heir of God and co-heir with Christ.
· Caesar cannot give you the Holy Spirit.
· Caesar cannot enable you to serve God.
· Caesar will not be in heaven.
· Caesar will not give you any reward in eternity.
· Caesar has no eternal glory.
How many ancient remains of Caesar are preserved today in museums and archaeological sites that tourists visit! At best, the kingdoms of this world have a bleak future. For example, Nineveh (next to the modern city of Mosul in Iraq) was once the capital of the mighty Assyrian Empire, and reached its peak seven centuries before Christ. Its destruction was predicted by Jonah and Nahum, and took place in 612 BC. It was so utterly and completely destroyed that in 331 BC, Alexander the Great's army camped there without knowing it was Nineveh.
Why spend our lives trying to build up or improve something that will end in ruins? It's as if we were painting a burning building, or arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. A waste of time!
Therefore, let us be prayerful, obedient to the laws and respectful to the authorities, but we should give nothing else to Caesar. According to Romans 12:1-2, let us present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is our reasonable service! Only in this way can we experience God's good, acceptable, and perfect will. And the Bible promises: “Whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17).
What should we give to God?
Here is the truly great investment! The Lord Jesus Christ commands us to give “Render… to God the things that are God's.” This is the part that many forget or neglect. What do we think we owe God? A couple of church meetings each week? A few minutes of prayer? If we truly give God what is His, there will be no time or resources left for Caesar or for the activities of the world. Consider just a few examples of the many things that we ow God:
Our life: “It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves” (Ps. 100:3). “The LORD… maketh alive” (1 Sam. 2:6). Life is a gift from God, which we must not despise or waste. Paul said to Timothy, “I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things” (1 Tim. 6:13). So, as Romans 14:8 says, “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord,” not for the government nor even for ourselves. To Him we owe what health we have, our abilities, and our very breath. To say, “I’m too busy,” or “It's my life, and I'll do with it as I please,” is to steal from God.
Our body: We must present it as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1). We must put the members of our body at His service to serve Him (Rom. 6:13, 19). Paul exclaims, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). This includes our strength, which is God's and for God, not for Caesar.
Our spirit: “... glorify God... in your spirit” (1 Cor. 6:20). We must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:23). “In spirit we serve God and glory in Christ Jesus, not having confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3).
Our mind: “... be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2), that is, the mind, the way of thinking. “Mind” (gr. nous) refers to the faculties of perception and understanding, and those of feeling, judging and determining (Vine). Even our thoughts should be governed by God.
Our heart, soul, and strength: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” (Deut. 6:5; Mk. 12:30. see also Prov. 3:5).
But there is so much more! He is the Creator and Owner of everything, and is worthy of glory and honor (Rev. 4:11). This includes everything we are and have, our talents and possessions, since everything we have we have received from Him (1 Cor. 4:7). We also owe God our love, reverent fear, honor, glory, praise, and worship, for the Father seeks worshipers who worship Him in spirit and in truth. We owe Him our faith, that is, unshakeable trust in Him and His Word, and our loyalty to the end. We should lovingly obey Him, and be holy in all our ways.
If we remember all that we owe God, it will be easier for us to refuse to give to Caesar what is not his. In heaven, the redeemed will sing the new song: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Rev. 5:12).
Translated from chapter 13 of the book Romanos: La Justicia de Dios (“Romans: The Justice of God”), Volume 3, by Carlos Tomás Knott, Berea Books
All to Hhim I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
