4/14/2013

And He said unto them, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,

and unto God the things that are God’s.”

Luke 20:25

Does that mean we should pay all our taxes, without cheating? Absolutely! This is not merely an April 15th, friendly reminder. Read on.

It may sound like there is little difference between paying taxes and serving God. It is true that both involve an obligation. Paul also underscored the importance of diligently discharging our duties when he wrote, “...Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” Romans 13:7. Now think about the difference between paying taxes and serving God.

Most people try to minimize their tax bill. Who wants to pay more than they owe? But here is the subtle trap Satan has set. We tend to forget that God does not measure our service quantitatively. Unlike the IRS code that has a provision for a “minimum alternative tax”, there is no place in the N.T. where you can read about “minimum acceptable service” to the Lord.

Consider Jesus’ evaluation of the size of contributions being made at the temple. He said the poor widow’s two mites were MORE than the rich men’s generous gifts. (Luke 21:1-4). Jesus does not count the same way we do. You will never get a notice of “overpayment” or “underpayment” from an auditor in heaven. So, how do we know how much to render?

Let’s do some calculations. We have five worship opportunities here each week. How many must you attend to get a “passing grade” from the Lord? 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5? Be careful now; watch out for Satan’s snare. Think about the poor widow and other scriptures that speak to this question before you answer. (Hint - It’s the same number that defines the minimum amount of money we must put in the collection plate; the minimum number of hours we should spend studying the Bible and praying each week, etc.)

The answer is NOT “1”, its “0”.

Paul explains, “For if there is a ready mind, a man will have God’s approval in the measure of what he has and not from what he has not”. (2 Cor. 8:12 BBE) We can’t “render to God” what we do not have. And we cannot please Him with a “pay the minimum ” mind set. He accepts nothing less than 100% of our love and devotion. (Mat. 22:37). Rendering unto God is not a numbers game, it’s a heart matter. If He has ALL of your heart, it will show!  KD