September 6; When Does The Submissive Believer Break With Authority?
MANAGEMENT BY THE BOOK:
365 Daily Bible Verse &
One-Minute Management Lessons For The Busy Faithful

Chapter Nine: Finance; September 6

“Show me the coin used for paying the tax.”

They brought him a denarius, and he asked them,

“Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them,

“So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s,

and to God what is God’s.”

Matthew 22:19-21

Disobedience

Believers in the Risen Christ are commanded to obey all those in authority and all the laws imposed on us. Obedience and compliance to our rulers is a public definition of Christianity.

We are to obey every law.

Except one.

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Those in authority over us can be those whom we contract within a business relationship where we render a service for a fee. This is our employer, our company where we work. We accept the authority of the managers as a condition of employment.

We are not indentured servants; we can quit at almost anytime for any reason. Even with the joke about those slaving away in the software giant as ‘MicroSerfs,’ employment is at-will for both employee and employer.

We accept the manager’s authority or quit the job. If we are directed to cross an ethical line we will challenge the boss, of course. But if the culture of the company is the challenge, then we should be prepared to depart.

Every person should have savings set up in place to give the employee the confidence found in independence. Integrity is easy to maintain when we can walk away from evil. There will be times when your integrity will be tested and must be financed.

But there may be authority problems that cannot be escaped by leaving a job.

There are governmental authorities appointed and elected to make laws and rule over us. These rules, however questionable, must still be obeyed. A 55-mile per hour speed limit might make no sense on a large empty interstate highway in the dead of night. But the limit should still be observed. Disobey and be ready to get the resulting traffic moving violation. If you don’t want to do the time, don’t commit the crime and or pay the fine.

Don’t like paying taxes? Then go to jail. (But you will still owe the IRS Tax Man.)

But what of unjust laws? If abortion is the taking of innocent human life, shouldn’t we break law to serve a higher purpose? This is a complex calculus where life and property should not be destroyed to preserve life and property.

But the solution is simple and law abiding: Abortion doctors do not have to be put out of their misery; they just have to be put out of business. Laws can be passed to protect women, for example, clean clinic regulations, parental consent, and demanding that doctors have hospital working privileges.

This will increase the cost of doing business, driving abortionists out of business. This solves the problem of unjust laws.

Bad bosses can be left, bad behavior paid for, bad law circumvented. But what of bad, intrusive government?

For example, the Navy had once directed that all Bibles would be removed from any hotel and lodges under its control. There was to be no spreading of the Good News by the Gideons. (Caller 2014)

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Do we work to stop evangelism? This is a law, or policy, or procedure, or regulation that can be deliberately disobeyed. Any prohibition from any source, anywhere, anytime that forbids the transmission of the Gospel is to be disobeyed. This is the single case where Scripture demands anarchy. (Randolph O. Yeager) page 184

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The Follower and Disciple of Jesus Christ can still expect to be fired from work, hated by the public and thrown in jail and your life destroyed. But this scorning of authority is not a sin. This civil disobedience will light-up the heavens. This is the real separation of Church and State.

“Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Matthew 22:19-21

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