I've always loved the story of the man who wrote this to the IRS: "Last year when I filed my taxes, I deliberately misrepresented my income, and I can't sleep. So enclosed is a check for $150. If I still can't sleep, I'll send the rest."

One of our struggles as believers historically has been the balance between God and the government. Matthew 22:15-22 is a classic passage on this tension:

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

The two groups who came to Jesus were the Pharisees—the most religious group in the land—and the Herodians—a political group that was the least religious among the Jews. They hated each other, but they both hated Jesus more. It was a plot to trap Him, to turn the people against Him. No matter how Jesus answered, one of the groups would not be happy. So they thought they could trap Him.

But He knew their motivations and thoughts. And we know His answer: "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (v. 21). It was a very simple but profound answer. This one-sentence biblical view of God and government reveals our earthly obligation and our heavenly obligation.

Render doesn't just mean to give. It means to give back or pay back, implying debt. So in essence, Jesus was saying, "Yes, it is right to pay taxes to Caesar because that is Caesar's domain." We are to submit to earthly authorities (see Romans 13:1, 6-7; 1 Peter 2:13-15). But more importantly, we are to render to God what is His. Caesar had the right to collect taxes but not to command worship. Only God is worthy of total allegiance.

Whose image was on the coin? Caesar's. Give it back to him. Whose image is on you? God's. Give back to Him what is His due. You are stamped with His image. Your life, the totality of your being, belongs to Him.

Now, I want to note that allegiance to God and allegiance to country are not mutually exclusive. It's not either/or. Here's the general rule: the Christian is to be a good citizen until being a good citizen means being a bad Christian. In Acts 5, when a law was passed in Jerusalem prohibiting the preaching of the gospel of Jesus, Peter said, "We ought to obey God rather than men" (v. 29).

Have you rendered to God what belongs to Him? You're made in His image. You bear the stamp of God Almighty. Have you rendered to Him the things that are His—your worship, your obedience, your time, your talent, your treasure? There's no greater life than one lived in submission to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.