Godly Living
Christians must live for God in an ungodly world.
Mark 12:12-17
Can you feel the tension between ungodliness and Godliness today? Do you find it difficult to live for God? How much harder will it be to remain steadfast for truth when persecution comes? As Christians who strive to live for God in an ungodly world, we must…
Beware of Man’s FLATTERY (v.13-14a)
And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearance but truly teach the way of God.
Flattery can be an effective tool for the ungodly as they try to ingratiate themselves to others with excessive compliments.
Beware of Man’s DUPLICITY (v.13-14b)
And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk… Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?”
We must be wise and discerning. Beware of the insincere, duplicitous question askers with an agenda, and be prepared to answer truthfully, yet with grace and wisdom.
Discern and Promote TRUTH (v.15b-17)
…he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.
Everything is God’s – He is over, all. And that includes government – including this Caesar – and because God is sovereign, we submit to His will for our lives – even if that means an undesirable government. If we must choose between honoring God and honoring man, we must honor God.
As Christians who strive to live for God in an ungodly world, we must discern and promote the truth – just as Jesus modeled for us. For us, it’s about Godly Living in an Ungodly World.
Mark 12:17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.