Be Wise as Serpents and Innocent as Doves

Jesus said in Matthew 10:16:

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

These words of Jesus contain a powerful lesson about how we are to live in a difficult and sometimes hostile world.

Jesus advised His disciples to navigate the world with sharp awareness, wisdom, and discernment, while at the same time maintaining a pure, gentle, and kind heart.

That balance is important.

As Christians, we are not called to be naïve. Neither are we called to become hard-hearted because we have experienced difficult people or difficult situations. Jesus calls us to be wise without becoming manipulative, discerning without becoming suspicious, and strong without losing our gentleness.

Sheep Among Wolves

Jesus begins by saying that He is sending His disciples out “as sheep in the midst of wolves.”

A sheep is vulnerable. A wolf is a predator.

Jesus was not hiding the reality of what His disciples would face. He was preparing them.

Following Christ does not mean that everyone we encounter will have good intentions toward us. There will be people who misunderstand us, take advantage of kindness, manipulate situations, deceive others, or deliberately cause harm.

Therefore, Jesus did not tell His disciples to walk through the world without awareness.

He told them to be wise.

This is an important lesson for us today.

Sometimes we can assume that being a Christian means trusting everyone, saying yes to everyone, or allowing everyone unlimited access to our lives. But biblical kindness does not require the absence of discernment.

Kindness should never require foolishness.

We can have a good heart and still recognize when something is wrong.

We can forgive someone without giving them permission to repeatedly hurt us.

We can love people while maintaining appropriate boundaries.

We can be gracious without becoming an easy target for manipulation.

Wise as Serpents

Jesus then says, “Be wise as serpents.”

The imagery is striking.

A serpent is alert, cautious, observant, and quick to respond to danger. The lesson is not that we should imitate the deceptive qualities sometimes associated with snakes. Rather, Jesus is emphasizing awareness and wise judgment.

To be wise means to pay attention.

It means understanding that not every situation is what it appears to be. It means recognizing patterns, thinking before responding, and being careful about whom we trust with sensitive matters.

Wisdom asks questions.

Wisdom observes actions rather than relying only on words.

Wisdom recognizes manipulation without becoming manipulative itself.

Wisdom knows when to speak and when to remain silent.

Wisdom knows when to walk away from an unhealthy situation.

There is nothing unspiritual about discernment.

In fact, Scripture repeatedly calls us to exercise wisdom and understanding.

We should not allow our desire to be kind to make us careless.

Do not let kindness turn into naivety.

You can remain compassionate while becoming more discerning.

Innocent as Doves

But Jesus does not stop with wisdom.

He immediately adds:

“...and innocent as doves.”

This is where the balance becomes beautiful.

Jesus does not want His followers to become hardened by the difficult people they encounter.

We may discover that someone has deceived us. We may experience betrayal, manipulation, rejection, or unfair treatment. We may encounter people who respond to our kindness with cruelty.

But Jesus does not tell us to become like them.

The dove represents gentleness, purity, and harmlessness.

To remain innocent means that we refuse to respond to wrongdoing with malice, revenge, deceit, or cruelty.

Someone may treat us unfairly, but we do not have to become unfair.

Someone may lie, but we do not have to lie.

Someone may manipulate, but we do not have to manipulate.

Someone may act cruelly, but we do not have to become cruel.

Their behavior does not have to determine our character.

This is one of the greatest challenges of Christian living.

It is possible to recognize someone's wrong behavior without allowing that behavior to change who we are.

Strength and Grace Can Exist Together

There is sometimes a misconception that being gentle means being weak.

It does not.

Jesus Himself demonstrated extraordinary strength while remaining full of grace.

We can stand firmly in truth and still speak with love.

We can say “no” without hatred.

We can establish boundaries without bitterness.

We can protect what God has entrusted to us without seeking revenge against those who have wronged us.

We can be strong without becoming harsh.

We can be discerning without becoming cynical.

We can be cautious without becoming fearful.

This is the balance Jesus was teaching His disciples.

Wise as serpents. Innocent as doves.

Not one without the other.

Do Not Become a Wolf to Survive Among Wolves

One of the greatest lessons we can take from this passage is that we do not have to become a wolf in order to survive among wolves.

Sometimes difficult experiences can tempt us to change.

After being deceived, we may think, “I will never trust anyone again.”

After being mistreated, we may think, “I will become hard so nobody can hurt me.”

After experiencing manipulation, we may be tempted to manipulate others before they can manipulate us.

But Jesus offers us another way.

He tells us to become wiser without losing our innocence.

Learn from what happened.

Develop discernment.

Recognize the warning signs.

Establish healthy boundaries.

Be careful about whom you trust.

But do not allow someone else's wrongdoing to take away the goodness God has placed within you.

A Practical Way to Live This Out:

When you encounter difficult people or difficult circumstances, remember these three principles:

Avoid naivety.
Do not let kindness turn into foolishness or make you an easy target for manipulation.

Maintain integrity.
Stay honest and gentle, refusing to use dirty or cruel tactics even when others treat you poorly.

Balance strength and grace.
Stand firm in truth while continuing to show peace, compassion, and care.

This is not always easy.

It requires wisdom from God.

It requires self-control.

It requires knowing when to speak, when to remain silent, when to forgive, when to establish boundaries, and sometimes when to walk away.

But it is possible.

Remain Wise. Remain Innocent.

Jesus never promised His disciples that they would live in a world without wolves.

Instead, He prepared them to live faithfully among the wolves without becoming wolves themselves.

That is a message we need today.

We live in a world where discernment is necessary. But we also live in a world where kindness, integrity, gentleness, and purity are desperately needed.

So let us ask God for both.

Let us become wise enough to recognize what is happening around us, yet humble enough not to respond with pride.

Let us become discerning enough to recognize manipulation, yet pure enough not to manipulate others.

Let us become strong enough to establish boundaries, yet gentle enough to forgive.

Let us stand firmly in truth while walking in grace.

Be wise enough to recognize the wolves, yet innocent enough to remain a sheep.

That is the balance Jesus taught His disciples.

And that is the balance He calls us to live today.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus,

Give me wisdom to recognize what is right and what is wrong.

Help me not to be naïve, but also keep my heart from becoming hard.

Teach me to recognize manipulation without becoming manipulative, to establish boundaries without hatred, and to stand firmly in truth without losing my gentleness.

When I am treated unfairly, help me to respond with integrity.

When I encounter difficult people, help me to remain like the sheep You have called me to be—trusting You, listening to Your voice, and refusing to become like the wolves around me.

Give me the wisdom of the serpent and the innocence of the dove.

Help me to walk in truth, grace, discernment, and love.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Written By: Shanta S. Daniel
[Copyright@ Permission is granted to duplicate this article in its entirety, but only without additions, alterations or omissions of any kind, including the author and ministry name at the end]

Communication from the Creator – Heeding Divine Leading, Divine Guidance, and Divine Warning to fulfill Your Destiny.

This is a season of remembering and celebrating the Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is the most important event that happened, dividing history into B.C. (Before the Birth of Christ) and A.D. (After the death of Christ).    

 

God communicates to us in various ways, such as dreams, visions, scriptures, people, news, and circumstances.  I usually see visions and dreams when I seek Divine Guidance.  Dreams and visions will alert us to the forthcoming events.  Even if everything looks all right on the outset, the Holy Spirit raises an alarm from within.  People who are sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s communication will not ignore the alarm signal from within.  As we pray upon the alarm, more revelation follows through.  This revelation or discernment is given to us for our understanding and is to be shared with others only when we are led by God.  

 

It is so intriguing to read in Matthew 1 how Joseph accepted Jesus as his son when the angel of the Lord spoke to him in a DREAM.  Scriptures are given below for your reading and perusal.

 

Joseph Accepts Jesus As His Son:

 

Matthew 1:  18-25

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place under these circumstances: When His mother Mary had been promised in marriage to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be pregnant [through the power] of the Holy Spirit.

¹⁹ And her [promised] husband Joseph, being a just and upright man and not willing to expose her publicly and to shame and disgrace her, decided to repudiate and dismiss (divorce) her quietly and secretly.

²⁰ But as he was thinking this over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary [as] your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of (from, out of) the Holy Spirit.

²¹ She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus [the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, which means Savior], for He will save His people from their sins [that is, prevent them from ^[a]failing and missing the true end and scope of life, which is God].

²² All this took place that it might be fulfilled which the Lord had spoken through the prophet,

²³ Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel—which, when translated, means, God with us.

²⁴ Then Joseph, being aroused from his sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him: he took [her to his side as] his wife.

²⁵ But he had no union with her as her husband until she had borne her firstborn Son; and he called His name Jesus.

 

This is a very major decision of Joseph to take Mary as his WIFE and the Baby within her as his SON.  I do not think anyone else would have done as Joseph did.  But Thank God for Joseph.  If he had brushed aside the dream and not done as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, do you think God would have gone for plan B?  While choosing the parents of the Lord Jesus Christ, God was 100% sure that Mary and Joseph would fully obey to execute His mandate.  

 

The WiseMen Receive Divine Guidance and Warning and Saves Child, Jesus.

Baby Jesus is growing under the protection and care of his parents, Joseph and Mary, and is almost 2 years old now.  At this time, the Wise Men of the East saw the rising of the Star of the Lord Jesus.  They came to the right region but to the wrong location. Since they saw the star of the king of the Jews, they assumed that the baby was born to the king in Jerusalem.  Baby Jesus was not in the palace, but only a king who was afraid that his replacement had come was living in the palace.  King Herod was disturbed by the news of the Birth of Christ (King of the Jews) and anxiously asked all the chief priests and scribes regarding the birthplace of Christ.  Having found out the birthplace of Christ as Bethlehem, he sent the wisemen to Bethlehem to find out and let him know the exact location of the Child.  He spoke very cunningly with the wisemen, but God, having known the intention of King Herod, redirected the wisemen from informing King Herod.  

The Bible says in Matthew 2

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men [astrologers] from the east came to Jerusalem, asking,

² Where is He Who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east at its rising and have come to worship Him    

³ When Herod the king heard this, he was disturbed and troubled, and the whole of Jerusalem with him.

⁴ So he called together all the chief priests and learned men (scribes) of the people and ^[b]anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born.

⁵ They replied to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

⁶ And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are not in any way least or insignificant among the ^[c]chief cities of Judah; for from you shall come a Ruler (^[d]Leader) Who will govern and ^[e]shepherd My people Israel.

⁷ Then Herod sent for the wise men [astrologers] secretly, and ^[f]accurately to the last point ascertained from them the time of the appearing of the star [that is, ^[g]how long the star had made itself visible since its rising in the east].

⁸ Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search for the Child carefully and diligently, and when you have found ^[h]Him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him.

⁹ When they had listened to the king, they went their way, and behold, the star which had been seen in the east ^[i]in its rising went before them until it came and stood over the place where the young Child was.

¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy.

¹¹ And on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts—gold and frankincense, and myrrh.

¹² And ^[j]receiving an answer to their asking, they were divinely instructed and warned in a dream not to go back to Herod; so they departed to their own country by a different way.”

 

After worshipping the Child Jesus, the wisemen sought further instruction and were divinely instructed and warned in a dream not to return to Herod. The Magi were not Christians but believed in the Creator, the DIVINE One, and they followed the instruction. 

Joseph Receives Instruction Via a Dream to Escape to Egypt 

Matthew 2:

The Escape to Egypt

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”[c]

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

18 

“A voice is heard in Ramah,
    weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
    and refusing to be comforted,
    because they are no more.”[d]

Joseph Receives Instruction Via a Dream to Return Back to Israel

The Return to Nazareth

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

21 So he got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

We discuss much less about Joseph, the father of Jesus.  His part in executing the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, protecting the baby and mother and providing for them in Egypt and in Nazareth is very significant.  He was a just and righteous man who was divinely led in fulfilling his destiny given to him by His Creator.   

How About You and Me?

How many of us Christians in the current days inquire the Lord and follow divine instructions received in a dream or vision or any divine revelation? How many of us give heed to the communication of the creator or the voice of God, the Holy Spirit, and follow it? We hear the voices of men, prophets, friends, pastors, or voices on social media and make decisions, right?

 

Through this meditation on the scriptures, it is understood that we need to be divinely led to navigate through life’s journey to fulfill our destiny on the face of the earth.  

 

What are your thoughts on this?  Do you think mere knowledge of scriptures or worldly knowledge will be enough to fulfill your calling as per Your Creator’s Will?  Please feel free to share.

 

Written By: Shanta S. Daniel

[Copyright@ Permission is granted to duplicate this article in its entirety, but only without additions, alterations or omissions of any kind, including the author and ministry name at the end]

 

 

Understanding the Body of Christ - Part 2

This is a continuation of my previous post Understanding of the Body of Christ. I strongly recommend you to read the first part to get better understanding.

Body of Christ built on the Foundation of Apostles and Prophets:
Ephesians 2: 20 You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself the Chief Cornerstone.

Just like a building is built on a strong foundation, God builds His Ekklesia - the Assembly of His Called out ones - on the foundation of Apostles and Prophets.

Apostolic Function:
The Apostles receive the superior authority to govern the Body of Christ.  They are special messengers of God.  They are the "sent" ones.  God would send them from one place to another.  They also govern and oversee from one place different churches in the Body of Christ.  Invariably, God would assign at least one Apostle to one church.  No church that is found in Christ would be without an apostle connected to it.  In the first century A.D., churches were governed by the Apostles, and they had local overseers who would report to the group of Apostles who would be spiritually governing them.  Now, the local pastors have full autonomous administration. They also miss out on the Apostolic and Prophetic functions.

The making of an Apostle is not an easy thing.  Apostles are hand-picked by God. They are chosen.  They are disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.  They follow Him wherever He leads.  They are with Him in life and death.  They bear the marks of the crucified savior on their bodies.  They may not be highly impressive by their backgrounds or looks.  Peter was a fisherman by his background, and Paul was not impressive by looks.  In fact, Paul was timid and not a very good speaker.  He was not accepted by the Corinthians, though He went to them with a powerful demonstration of the Power of God, not just with wise, enticing, impressive words.

Paul’s Defense of His Ministry in 2 Corinthians 10 says

1By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! 
2I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 
3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 
4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 
5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 
6And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
7You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. 
8So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.
9I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. 
10For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” 
11Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.
12We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
13We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you.
14We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ.
15Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, 
16 so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory.
17But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. 

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NIV
“And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”

Marks of an Apostle:

The signs, wonders and miracles will be the mark of the Apostle.  An Apostle of God can be a woman, even a young-looking person; the calling of God upon a person does not change. He sees the End from the Beginning.  God trains them in such a way, they will do nothing without hearing from Him and they are disciplined in many ways in order to attain that authority.  They are also matured through the sufferings in Christ.  They also participate in the sufferings of Christ. Their sufferings cannot be despised, and they cannot be looked down on because they are suffering for the Body of Christ.

Paul says in Colossians 1:24-29 NIV
“Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”

The enemy will shift your thinking against them and use you to sift them as a tool in the hand of Satan. God forbid that you do not yield yourself to that situation because there is sure punishment for those who follow satan and all his evil devices.

God will back up His authority, His chosen ones, whom He has placed over the Body of Christ in the spiritual realm. Paul says Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil.—Most probably, the same Alexander, mentioned in the First Epistle (1 Timothy 1:20), “as delivered to Satan”. It has been suggested that this Alexander, an influential Ephesian Jew, had done much injury to the cause of the Christians generally, and to St. Paul personally, with the imperial authorities at Rome. Paul surrendered this man to the Lord's Judgement; He says the Lord shall reward him according to his works. 

Spiritual Authority and Demonstration of Gods Power: 2 Corinthians 13:10 NIV
“This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.”
God gives them Divine Authority for building up of the Body of Christ.

“since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.

2 Corinthians 13:3-4, 10 NIV
“since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.

Paul governed the Corinthian Church and many other churches from remote.  God would show Paul the spiritual condition of the church and would make him write letters to them.  The church there would read them and follow His instructions.

Traveling Function:
Like a pastor or a teacher of the church, an Apostolic function is not tied to a place.  He/She would go wherever and whenever the Lord sends him or her.  Apostle means "Sent." God would send them to different places to execute His Divine Assignments. The key to this is that they can hear from God directly.  They would get instructions from God and they would execute them.

Jesus told His disciples who were well-trained under His direct leadership to travel to different nations and make them disciples like themselves. This commission is not given to newly born babies. A newly born Christian can lead another to a church congregation to hear from a mature Spiritual Pastor but he cannot himself teach another in an enthusiasm to bring people to Christ.  This action actually frustrates the recipient/hearer and they would not come to Christ.  As the new-born Christian grows in Christ, the Christ in him will lead automatically others to Christ.  

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

Full of the Spirit:
Apostles are full of the Holy Spirit.  They move by the Spirit and with the Spirit.

Acts 13:1-2, 4 NIV
“Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.”

Acts 13: 9 NIV
Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said,

Apostles Can Marry:
Among the apostles of the Bible, Peter was married, and Paul did not choose to marry.  So it is not required that an Apostle must remain unmarried to carry out his or her spiritual calling and function.  Nobody can enforce this on anyone. God is the one who ordained marriage, and the Bible says it is Holy.  In the perfect Will of God, the relationship between the Bride and the Groom is Holy in the sight of God.

Apostolic Function - Not Gender Based:
John 20:16-18 NIV
“Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.”

Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Jesus, and she was the first to see the Risen Christ. She received a direct message from the Lord Jesus to deliver to His other disciples.  She was an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, though much of her ministry is not recorded, perhaps because of a male-dominated society. There is no male or female, but all are one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:26-28 NIV
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

To be Continued.

Written by Shanta S. Daniel

[Copyright@ Permission is granted to duplicate this article in its entirety, but only without additions, alterations or omissions of any kind, including the author and ministry name at the end]

Give Back To God What Is God's

Give back to God What is God's

These are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, spoken in an incident in which some of his haters were trying to catch Jesus in an offence against the then political system.  Most of the teachings of Jesus was not a threat to the Roman Empire which was ruling the Provinces of Israel and Palestine though Christ came preaching about a different Kingdom in the Roman King’s Rule, but it was unbearable for religious leaders.  The elders of the religion, chief priests, and pharisees were closely watching and spying to see in what manner they could catch Jesus Christ in His teaching and preaching that He had committed an offense against the Ruling Government and hand him over to the Governor’s rule and authority.  This Governor was sent by the Roman Kingdom to be in-charge of the provinces.


So, they find one moment to trap Jesus by asking a question whether to pay taxes or not.  Because Jesus was preaching about another Kingdom, they were expecting that Jesus would say “when you belong to the Kingdom of God, you don’t need to pay taxes.”  However, Jesus gave them an amazing answer and they were not able to catch Him by His word.  It is described as below. 

Luke 20

20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.

21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.

22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them,

24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

The above Bible verses say that Jesus read their thoughts and intentions and understood that they did not ask Him out of a genuine thirst or a drive to know the truth but out of their craftiness to catch Him by His own word and bring upon Him some kind of danger or harm.  He told them to show a coin.  He puts forth a question back to those who asked Him the question, Whose image and inscription does it have? They had to reply Caesar’s because that was the image that was inscribed on it.  Then He says give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. 

Let’s take the latter part of the verse which says “Give back to God what is God’s.”  Let’s try and analyze, where we can see the image and inscription of God?  The earth and its fulness belong to God.  God is the creator.  Also, Mankind is created in the image and likeness of God.  In another words God has inscribed His Image upon us and He has stamped upon us that He is the Creator and that we belong to the Kingdom of God.  Not all are in the Kingdom of God.  Those who are not under the Lordship and Ruler-ship of God are strangers and aliens to the Kingdom of God.  Kingdom of God is not visible to the eyes (Luke 20:21) It is within us in our hearts.  When we accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ through believing that we are made righteous by the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus, we become the citizens of the Kingdom of God.  This process is called “to be born again,” because we are re-created in the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.  So, as the citizens of the Kingdom of God, God stamps upon us His Image and the inscription that says that we are His Royal Children, we belong to His family, and we are His possession. 

Since we belong to God, we are God’s.  Now, we don’t belong to ourselves, but Christ the King.  Our eyes are not ours, our ears are not ours, our feet are not ours, the members of our bodies are not ours, our passion, our liking, our wills, emotions, our properties, our possessions, everything should be centered on the Will of God.

It is not suffice that we are saved and born-again, but we need to have the understanding that we are not our own and we belong to the Kingdom.  We need to give ourselves back to the Kingdom.  It does not mean that all of us have to leave our current occupations and professions and become full time serving the Lord.  But it means in our capacity, in our circles which God has placed us in, we need to be doing the Will of the King. 

I once again would like to remind ourselves that Kingdom of God is not outside in any church or organization, it is within us in our hearts.  The Lord is ruling as King from our heart and the principles and precepts of the King are already given to us in the book called Bible.  Dr. Myles Munroe who has been my inspiration ever since I stumbled upon his book “Kingdom Principles,” calls Bible as the Constitution of the Kingdom of God.

It is so sweet to give ourselves back to the Kingdom than paying taxes to the government.  Because our Ruler, our King is generous and benevolent.  He does not rule us with Iron Hand.  Look how He rules us when we surrender to His Lordship....

Isaiah 11:

1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—

3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;

4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together; and a little child will lead them.

7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

The shoot that comes up from the stump of Jesse indicates the Lord Jesus Christ and the rest of the verses speaks of His rule, how He will rule.  The result of which there will be no harm or destruction in His Kingdom.  Though this speaks of His 1000-year rule, just like that God is able to provide us goodness and His care in our lives and keep us out of the evils of this world.

Is it not a wise and best decision to come into the Lordship of Jesus and come under His Kingdom care and protection?  If your answer is yes, shall we then pray the following prayer?

Dear Father in Heaven, holy be your name.  I understand and conceive that Jesus has paid the price for my sin through His death on the cross.  I repent for my sins and I ask for forgiveness of my sins and washing of my sins through the Lord Jesus Christ.  I believe in Him and receive Him as my savior and Lord.  I come under the Lordship of Jesus.  I want to be reborn into your kingdom.  Thank you for taking me from this world of darkness and translating me into the Kingdom of Your Dear Son Jesus Christ.  Holy Be Your Name.  Your Kingdom come upon my life as it is in heaven.  Your Will be done in my life as it is heaven.  Thank you for making me a citizen of the Kingdom of God and stamping upon me Your Image and Inscription declaring that I belong to You.  Having thoroughly understood that I belong to you, as the Lord Jesus said, I give myself back to You.  Lord have Your way in the every day of my life and teach me Your precepts and statutes from the Constitution of the Kingdom of God.  Help me to walk in loving obedience to Your Will and Ways.  In Jesus Name I pray.  Amen. 

So...readers...hope that this post must have been a blessing to you.  Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments on this post.  Thanks!!

Written by Shanta S. Daniel

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