No time? No life?

It doesn't have to be that way. Christian
Stewardship Ministries can help!

Should we obey THE law or GOD'S law? Jesus gave us the answer himself when he told his disciples to render unto Caesar what was Caesar's, and to render unto God what was God's. In that case He was responding to a Pharisee's attempt to get Him into trouble with the Roman authorities by raising the politically sensitive question of taxation.

The principle is clear: Only when the law of man clearly and unequivocally conflicts with God's law are we to quietly disregard or even overtly refuse to obey the law of the land.

We are blessed in the United States with a system of law which was founded on Biblical principles. Although that foundation is under attack, there are few, if any, laws that a Christian cannot obey while maintaining his allegiance and his obedience to God.

Actually, the controversial areas have more to do with what we cannot do than what we must do. Take for example prayer in public schools. The Bible does not require us to pray in schools. So we do not have to disobey the law of the land in order to obey the law of God. The issue is simply whether our right to pray wherever and whenever we choose should be so abridged by the law of the land.

More controversial is the question of disobeying trespass laws in order to protect the lives of unborn children. Are we obligated to transgress the secular laws protecting property to safeguard those who cannot protect themselves?

Yet for most things, obedience to the law involves no such controversy. When we disobey, it is more often a matter of our convenience that our conscience.

Have you ever consciously, deliberately broken the law, for no good reason? No?

Think again. It is really the little things that can so easily snare us, causing us to drift from our resolve to obey.

Motor Vehicle Laws

How about the traffic laws? Are you committed to following the law of the land as it applies to your driving?

Not too long ago, my wife Pat and I left one car parked in a shopping center which clearly prohibited commuter parking while we drove away in our other car. While the prohibition was aimed at mass transit commuters, I knew it included us. I told Pat after the fact that if I were the Judge, I would find us guilty. We worried about her car being towed for the three hours we were gone. When we returned to find it still there, I renewed my long standing resolution to obey the traffic laws, especially speed limits and parking restrictions.

Of course, there are sometimes practical limits to obeying traffic laws. When the road is covered with snow and ice, it may be essential not to stop at a stop sign on an upgrade. But if safety is not a factor, then disregarding traffic laws is disobeying God.

Income Taxes

Just as we are all affected by traffic laws, we all must face those income tax forms every year. Some argue that because the government spends some of our money on things that are inconsistent with or contrary to Biblical principles, God does not require them to obey the tax laws. They assume that we must disobey the law when it conflicts in any way with God's law.

I believe we can effect change in other ways under a system of law that gives a choice and a voice in establishing taxes and spending revenues. The real question for most of us is: Will I obey the law of the land, which is consistent with God's law, when there is little likelihood that I will get caught if I do not?

Years ago, God gave me the easy answer. He showed me that obeying our tax laws is really a win-win situation. One year I did not have the money to pay what I thought my tax liability would be, and so I applied for several extensions. When I finally had to file my return, I decided to stop cutting the corners I had always cut in the past. I would somehow come up with the money I owed, including the additional money lost by not taking questionable deductions.

My accountant thought I was crazy for not taking some deductions which the IRS would never challenge. Nevertheless, I insisted. So,after months of fear and procrastination, I filed my forms--and got a $500 refund! God showed me I did not need to cheat on my taxes to make ends meet.

If you commit yourself to obey the law fully in only one area, make it your income taxes. Just assume the next time you do them that a miniature IRS agent is standing on your shoulder. If he would approve of the decision you are about to make, that is great. But if he would not, then God probably would not either.

Copyright Laws

Taxes may be obvious, but other legal issues can be subtle, such as copyright protections. As a Christian, your motive for not copying copyrighted material should not be the fear of the civic judgments and criminal penalties that you could face. It should be that God does not want you to do it.

If you have formed the habit of copying things frequently, you are likely to see this as an impractical limitation on daily living. But once you have illegally copied something without permission, and distributed it, it can be copied time and again by others who are unaware that it is copyrighted. What seems minor, when repeated by many people, can deprive a person of a valuable possession: their right to be compensated for something they have created.

Employment Practices

We can also run afoul of the law and God's law in our employment practices. How many of us who are employers think of disobedience to God in terms of overtime and wages and hiring and firing practices?

Christian employers are responsible to God for treating their employees in a manner that is generally superior to the law of this land. Employees are part of our the mission field. We will be judged by God for our stewardship of the human resources we are given as well as the financial ones.

Christian employers can unthinkingly violate the many labor laws in this country, taking advantage of the believers who work for them. What about salaried workers whose hours seem to extend far beyond those described for the job or hourly workers expected to work overtime at normal hourly rates?

There is also the matter of hiring and firing. How many Christian bosses take the time to look into a troublesome employee's life before dismissing him with or without cause? If an employee is habitually late to work, need there be further inquiry? Doesn't the action speak for itself? Maybe so, until you find that he is working two other jobs and getting four hours sleep a night in order to support his wife and babies--like one man at a company I advise.

Yes, there's THE law and GOD'S law. As Christians, we must obey both.
---

NOTE:  All articles © copyright 1997-2007 by Christian Stewardship Ministries. Any portion of the Principles in Practice articles may be downloaded, quoted or reproduced without further permission, provided excerpts are in context, by adding the following credit line: "Reprinted from Christian Stewardship Ministries' Principles in Practice, Fairfax, Virginia," and furnishing a copy to: CSM, 10523 Main Street, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Phone: (703) 591-5000.