In their attempt to trap Jesus, the Pharisees and the Herodians asked whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar (Matt. 22:15-17). Jesus asked for a denarius, a coin which displayed Tiberius’ image with the blasphemous inscription, “Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus” (Matt. 22:19). The reverse side of this coin read, “pontifex maximus” meaning “The most high priest.” After asking whose picture is on it, Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matt. 22:21). If they were going to use Caesar’s money, then they should pay taxes, but Caesar is only a man, and man is made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). Thus, all men have an obligation to God.

The Jews had a long, troubled history with other gods competing for the adoration that ought to belong to Jehovah alone. Isaiah wrote of the folly of a man cutting down a tree and using part of it to build a fire to serve his needs of warmth and cooking food then using the rest of the tree to carve an image, a god to which he bowed down and worshiped (Isa. 44:14-17). What was so appealing about idolatry? Idolatry gave religion without rules. Romans 1:28 shows the idolatry of the Gentiles world was due to the fact that “they did not like to retain God in their knowledge.” The concept of the Holy God who holds men accountable makes men uneasy, so they form their own image and call it god (Rom. 1:21-25). Today many say they believe in “God” but what do they mean by “God”? Many believe in a god who would never punish anyone in hell, but just wants everybody to be happy. This is a god made in their own image. “God” as the Bible defines Him is both loving and just (Rom. 11:22). Far fewer believe in Him.

Man making images goes way back; it can be found in the first book of the Bible. Rachel stole images that were her father’s gods (Gen. 31:19, 30). The Hebrew word for “images” is teraphim and refers to domestic gods who were the “guardians and givers of a comfortable life.”¹ The reference to Tiberius on the denarius as being both “son of the divine Augustus” and “most high priest” continued a tradition that permeated the ancient world—regarding rulers as gods:

Kings were revered, in many cases not merely as priests, that is, as intercessors between man and god, but as themselves gods, able to bestow upon their subjects and worshippers those blessings which are commonly supposed to be beyond the reach of mortals, and are sought, if at all, only by prayer and sacrifice offered to superhuman and invisible beings. Thus kings are often expected to give rain and sunshine in due season, to make the crops grow, and so on.²

However, the Bible shows that rulers are not to take the place of God, but to be subject to His rules. While the earth and everything in it belongs to God (Psa. 24:1), even the king could not claim land that did not belong to him, as Ahab tried to do (Lev. 25:23; Num. 36:7; 1 Ki. 21:17-22). Israel rejected God and asked for a king in His place (1 Sam. 8). God knew of this rejection aforetime, and ordered the king to keep a copy of God’s law in order to follow Him (Deut. 17:18-20). We understand now under the New Covenant that while earthly rulers are to be obeyed if their requirements do not interfere with God’s, when it comes to ungodly laws, we must obey God rather than men (Rom. 13:1-8; Acts 5:29).

Many in our nation want rulers that will give them everything to live comfortably in sin while silencing any reference to the true God who will punish sin (Rom. 1:32; 2:5-9). They are so fanatical about this that they will sacrifice anything to get their kind of rulers in power. These rulers are their gods who promise them abundance and freedom from restrictions. Will you stand up for the true God? Will you seek rulers who will honor His ways? Will you value the life of every human being as made in the image of God?

-Mark Day

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1 Wilhelm Gesenius. Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979. p. 875.

2 James G. Frazer. The Golden Bough. New York: Avenel, 1890. pp. 8-9.

God gave a law to the Jews. The law highlighted sin, making them more conscious of God’s will (Rom. 2:17-20). However, it did not cleanse them from sin; instead, the commands of the law showed how far short man falls from God’s mark (Rom. 7:11-13). The Gentile world without the law was filled with inexcusable wickedness (Romans 1:18-32). The Jews, though they had the law, did not perfectly keep the law, so they were no better than the Gentiles (Romans 2:23-25). Thus, all people, Jews and Gentiles, are guilty of sin before God (Rom. 3:10-12, 23).

Thankfully, God has provided a way through Jesus Christ for us to be saved from our sins and the death we deserve (Rom. 6:23). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s power to salvation; those who respond in faith can be made righteous before God (Rom. 1:16-17; Gal. 2:16). The law could not do this, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ can. God does not owe us salvation. Our works do not merit salvation (Eph. 2:8-9). We cannot stand on our own merits, we must appeal to God’s good grace. God’s grace is extended to all, Jews and Gentiles: “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom. 10:12-13). To appeal to God’s grace in faith is the only means by which we can be saved. Faith that saves is faith that puts the Lord on in baptism (Gal. 3:26-27).

Peter preached to Jews on Pentecost day who were guilty before God (Acts 2:36). He quoted Joel 2:32 in his description of what was happening that day in order to point the way to salvation, “that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). What did this mean? When the receptive crowd—convinced of their guilt—asked what they should do in Acts 2:37, Peter responded, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Calling on the Lord was not saying a prayer, but rather was believing the Gospel message, turning from sins, and being baptized to receive remission of sins.

When Paul had seen Lord on the road to Damascus, Jesus told him to go into the city and he would be told what to do (Acts 22:10). Ananias, the preacher commissioned by the Lord (Acts 9:10-16), came to Paul and said, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Paul had been praying (Acts 9:11). Yet, he still needed to arise and be baptized to have his sins washed away (Acts 9:18; 22:16). This is what it means to call on the name of the Lord.

The Jews trusted in circumcision as their mark of being God’s people. But Christians today have been spiritually circumcised by the Lord. The Lord operates and cuts off the sins of the flesh at baptism (Col. 2:11). Those who respond in faith to this operation of God are united with Christ in burial and resurrection (Col. 2:12; Rom. 6:3-4). It is in this identifying with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection in baptism that baptism saves us (Rom. 6:3-7; 17-18; 1 Pet. 3:21). Disciples of Jesus are those who have submitted to the Lordship of Jesus by believing and being baptized (Mt. 28:19; Mk. 16:16). Baptism is an essential part of God’s plan for justification.

 

-Mark Day

By Phil Sanders

I know there are brethren who are weak, foolish, selfish, legalistic, progressive, lazy, rude, and given to fleshly lusts. I know there are some slow to forgive and quick to divide the church. I know there are some who have remained immature and have caused harm in the church. I know there are wolves in sheep’s clothing, people who have taken advantage of the church, and I also know the Lord loves every faithful member of the body of Christ and every member who is trying to walk worthy of his calling. I know Christ does not want any brother or sister to perish but for all to come to repentance.

If the Lord could love a person as weak as me, could willingly forgive me, could see something good in me, and is willing to mold me into the man I ought to be, I reckon I should be able to see something lovely and worthwhile in my brethren. I know there are some who need to grow in Christ, but I also see my own shortcomings. I need to extend grace to others, just as the Lord extended grace to me. I believe it is high time we loved each other and loved the brotherhood. What is right with the church…

1. The church of Christ has the right LORD.
2. The church of Christ rightly belongs to the LORD Jesus and not to man.
3. The church of Christ believes the one, true Gospel (Gal. 1:6-9).
4. The church of Christ expects people to believe in Jesus, repent of their sins and to love the LORD. We expect people upon the confession of their faith to be immersed in water for the forgiveness of their sins.
5. The church of Christ worships in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). It observes the instructions of the New Testament concerning giving, communing, praying, singing, and in hearing God’s Word. It has not gotten lost in the present culture.
6. The church of Christ is still made up of autonomous congregations led by Biblically qualified elders and served by faithful deacons.
7. The church of Christ has not forgotten the Great Commission. Flavil Yeakley says we are still the sixth fastest growing religious group in America. Our congregations in India and Africa are booming.
8. Studies indicate that churches of Christ ranks first in these areas:

• Our people attend better than any religious group in America.
• We have the fourth most congregations of any religious group in America. We are the best distributed for our size.
• Barna found that churches of Christ gave at a greater rate than any religious group in America.
• org found in the 2008 US Religious Landscape Survey that churches of Christ have 22 percent of its adult members ages 18-29. This is two percent above the national average and the highest of any major religious group in America.

9. The church is keeping 67 percent of its young people. At age 30 they are still attending faithfully (according to a study by Flavil Yeakley).
10. God is still in charge of the church. He still prunes us to make us grow. He still loves us. The Lord Jesus is preparing a home for us.

 

Daniel 2:44, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” Fulfilled in the 1^st century, recorded in Acts 2, existing today.

 

–submitted by Jerry Sturgill

 

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” 2 Peter 3:3-4

By inspiration Peter foretold that scoffers (mockers) would come in the last time. These would poke fun at Jesus’ promise to come again, citing the long-standing constancy of the created order as purportedly proving the possibility of a final day as ridiculous.  However, it is evident that the universe had a starting point, when the eternal Creator brought it into existence; there is no excuse for failing to recognize this truth from creation (Romans 1:20).  Just as the universe had a starting point, it will have an ending point.  Observation is all that is required to see that the physical world is wearing out, or winding down from its original state of creation.  Unlike God, the world has an expiration date, “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail” (Hebrews 1:10-12).

Peter goes on to tell us the attitude we ought to have based on this truth:  “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (2 Peter 3:11-12). Instead of mocking, as those described in verse 3 do, we ought to take serious stock of our lives and prepare for the final day.

It is difficult to get some people to be sober-minded about anything. While there is time for joking, eternal spiritual matters are of great importance. Because these scoffers deny the Lord’s coming, they walk in lusts. They indulge the flesh because they do not consider the judgment of God a serious matter.  The devil wants us to dismiss the seriousness of the judgment. This is why people can recognize what the Bible teaches on how they are to live and turn from it — they focus on what they want now rather than preparing for later (2 Peter 2:21-22). But the dismissal or ridicule of the plain truths of the Bible will not make them go away. In chapter 2 of his second epistle, Peter had reminded his audience that God punishes sin. The angels that were not content to stay in their place were cast down to hell (2 Peter 2:4). The ungodly in Noah’s day were drowned in the flood (2 Peter 2:5). The ungodly practices of Sodom and Gomorrah, which are so glorified among many in our day, were the cause of their destruction by God (2 Peter 2:6). Because those cities would not repent of their fornication —going after “strange flesh” (Jude 7) — they were turned into ashes and stand as an example of God’s judgment on the ungodly.  We should take God’s attitude toward sin seriously and live right before it is too late!

 

-Mark Day