God’s Will for Your Taxes
April 11th, 2008
(By John MacArthur)
The following is adapted from a sermon on Romans 13:6-7.
Romans 13:6-7 is the setting for our message: “For, for this cause, pay ye tribute also; for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render, therefore, to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.”
It is a basic reality of human behavior that no one likes to pay taxes. Poor people don’t like to pay taxes because they start out with so little money. When they have to pay taxes, they end up with even less. Rich people don’t like to pay taxes because the more they have, the more tax they have to pay. Most everyone is negative about taxes. The United States was originally founded as a protest against taxation. It was born out of a revolution built on taxation without representation.
We live in a society that doesn’t like to pay taxes. It does everything it can to avoid paying them, both legally and illegally. What should the Christian’s attitude be toward paying taxes, especially if we disagree with the government’s usage of our tax money? What should we do if we disagree with its policies? If I send them my money, I’m allowing the government to use it in ways I might not agree with. We might also think that the present tax structure is unfair. Perhaps you think the escalating tax percentage based on income should be reduced to a common percent for everyone, no matter how much they make. If we believe that the graduated tax program has the ultimate effect of penalizing the poor and stifling incentive in those who are more enterprising, shouldn’t we have the right not to pay?
Even with all those criticisms, the Bible is explicit. Without equivocation it tells us to pay our taxes. It doesn’t even qualify that statement. It doesn’t say to pay them if you agree with what they’re used for; it just says to pay your taxes. If we can come up with criticisms of our present tax structure, the people in the time of Paul could as well. Actually, their government was worse than ours in many ways. But that is never the issue. It wasn’t the issue in the time of the Lord, and it isn’t the issue today. The simple statement of Scripture is to pay your taxes.
To read the rest of this message, click here. A second part can be read here. The audio for this message can be purchased through Grace to You.
Give to Uncle Sam, the things that are Uncle Sam’s. And to God the thinga that are God’s.
I hate the way my state of Maryland has raised taxes through the roof. It’s not right, but I have no choice in the matter, not because of the government, but because of what John MacArthur teaches us right here. But the State will come to your house with officers carrying guns to arrest if you don’t give the State some of the money you worked hard for, and that’s weird.
Looking forward to glory, where there’s no more taxes.
1 Peter 2 and 1 Peter 4 (among many others) make it clear. I was grieved to hear a ‘Christian’ woman on the radio once saying she wouldn’t pay the portion of tax that went to the military because the Bible (allegedly) says ‘do not kill’. Incredible. We are supposed to live such as to be above reproach and put to silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Trying to evade taxes surely wouldn’t qualify./
Are some believers really arguing we shouldn’t pay taxes? Seems a rather difficult argument to make from scripture. Some people will try anything when it comes to their pocket book!
I would encourage everyone to take a closer look at Romans 13. It says absolutely nothing about “obeying the government.” If it is looked at in the context of Romans 12 and 14, the only “submitting” to authorities in view is in the context of chapter 12 of “not taking your own revenge.” If somebody commits a personal crime against you, don’t take revenge, but leave that to the state. Romans 13 is saying this: “If you have committed a crime against somebody else, submit to the punishment because that is what the state is for. You don’t get a free ticket because you’re a Christian and already forgiven by Christ.”
When Romans 13:6 says, “for THIS CAUSE” it must be noted that this is in the SINGULAR. There is only one cause for taxation: criminal justice. Romans 13 only deals with criminal activity, and that as defined by God, not man. All other taxation is contrary to God’s word. Since it is done by force, all other taxes would be armed robbery by the state, and thus should be vigorously opposed, exposed, and preached against by Christians. Should we wink at sin just because it is the state that commits it?
1 Peter 2: 13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
and later
well, the whole 1 Peter seems to leave little doubt. Obey and leave the results to God seems to be the overarching principle of scripture.
David M, you left off the part of the passage that limits obedience to the punishment of evildoers; the next verse: “or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.” 1 Pet 2:14. The punishment of evildoers IS what it’s speaking about as “every ordinance of man.” If you commit a crime, submit to the punishment. But…it has to be a crime as defined by God.
Jesus paid the tax for Himself and Peter which ultimately went to idolatrous Rome. Seems pretty clear it doesn’t matter what they do with the money, we have to pay it anyway. I don’t think that qualifies as winking at sin or being partaker of the evil. That’s my opinion anyway.
Steve,
You said:
“All other taxation is contrary to God’s word. Since it is done by force, all other taxes would be armed robbery by the state, and thus should be vigorously opposed, exposed, and preached against by Christians. Should we wink at sin just because it is the state that commits it?”
God’s Word says:
“Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap Him in what He said.
And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?”
But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax.” And they brought Him a denarius.
And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”
They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.”
And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away.”(Matt. 22:15-22)
The same account is given in Mark 12 and Luke 20. The Lord was not talking about paying fines. He was talking about paying taxes. All our money has the country’s name on it anyways, right? Let’s not worry about that which will burn, but desire the treasure which is in heaven.
You need to rethink this one, brother. I’d hate for you to end up like our fellow saint, Dr. Dino.
In Christ,
Keith
in Illinois we pay such a high rate of tax on everything, it is ridiculous. It is almost better for us to drive 45 miles into Iowa to get the cheaper gas on the other side of the mississippi river!
too often we worry so much about the money, we need to be careful not to fall into a worship of money. While we are to be good stewards of our money, how many people are being good stewards of their time? Are we out reaching the lost while there is still time? or are we staying home watching american idol?
what do you value? it is seen in the way you live your life!
Keith, if you look at the text, the poll tax is the only thing in view. Jesus asked to see the coin. The coin is the only thing that is taxed. Jesus did NOT answer with the typical evangelical interpretation, “Render to Caesar anything and everything that Caesar claims is Caesar’s”, but rather, “render to Caesar those things that ARE Caesar’s.” They have to be Caesar’s before Christ requires rendering. Jesus gave a test: He asked whose likeness and inscription was on the coin. What would His answer be if they brought Him a temple shekel?
Property taxes: whose likeness and inscription are on my house? My family’s. Caesar’s likeness isn’t in my house, therefore it isn’t required bu Jesus to be rendered to Caesar. Therefore it is theft by the state. If Christians realized what Jesus actually said and held the government accountable to it (being salt and light), we wouldn’t be living in such a country where we are taxed to death.
Theft by the state? I have never believed the money I have is my own; God entrusts me with His resources, as His steward. Anything the government decides to “steal” is actually being stolen from God. That is, if one is agile enough to perform the Biblical acrobatics it requires to bring themselves to the “theft” conclusion. Apparently, I am not.
Steve,
You said:
“Romans 13 only deals with criminal activity, and that as defined by God, not man. All other taxation is contrary to God’s word.”
I thought you said that the Roman poll tax was ok because it had Caesar’s image on it? But before you were saying it is contrary to God’s Word.
By the way, what about the dollar? It has Washington’s image on it. And it says United States of America. How about any other denomination you “own”? Someone elses image and the words “United States of America.”
Please don’t use “salt and light” out of context to back up this whole taxing issue. If you take it in context (which I know you like to do), it has nothing to do with taxes.
Another by the way… Who collected the poll tax from the Jews? It was Publicans. These went down in history books as notorious thieves, taking for themselves first and giving the overflow to the state. By your argument, the Jews should not have paid the poll tax, but that is the opposite of what Jesus said.
This is a really clear issue in Scripture. Let’s not muddy it up.
In Christ,
Keith
This is a very interesting topic, thanks for posting about it. I have a question regarding specifically the income tax. I have Christian friends who are not liberal by any means, but question whether we should be paying an income tax. They have searched and searched and found no law or statute that requires a citizen to pay it. They have shown me a case in which a man was acquitted by a jury for income tax evasion because they could find no law that would convict him. They have many other compelling aruguments such as it being unconstitutional, and so on. If there is indeed no law requiring us to do so, does the government have a right to take our hard earned money? They argue. How to respond?
Thanks for any help.
I wonder how our thinking on this topic would change if we stopped thinking about “our hard-earned money” and thought (more biblically) about “the money with which God has entrusted us.”