Does the government own us? It’s right to tax its citizens suggests that it thinks so. Try not paying your property tax, if you want to discover who actually owns the land for which you hold the deed. Our nation’s founding fathers believed it is “self-evident” that our freedoms originate in God, which inspired them to rebel against a British government that had stripped colonists of the rights guaranteed them as subjects of that nation. They believed that a government must fulfill God’s intent for government, to administer justice according to Romans 13, in order to be legitimate. They believed stealing – taxation without representation – is wrong, whether it is carried out by an individual or a government. No sane people would or should submit to tyranny because God never intended that we do so. Jesus came to set us free from Satan’s despotic rule, indicating his general condemnation of all such governments.
In our own day, we generally have a much lower education level than did our forefathers, even if we go to school for a longer period. We have not been taught the basics of critical thinking. Citizens of the United States have never even been taught the basic principles behind our Constitution. Instead we have been “dumbed down” to uncritically believe the government propaganda machine.
Belief in inherent God-given rights requires an a priori belief in God. But if we do not believe in God’s existence, we have no basis for assuming freedom is a birthright. Instead we will accept the humanistic presupposition that freedoms and rights derive from human government, which can issue or retract them at will.
The state, by its nature, assumes that everything derives from it, belongs to it, and must serve it. In other words, it tries to take the place of God.
Our forefathers did not trust any form of government because they understood the corrupt nature of humanity, just as did our Lord Jesus. (John 2:25) That is why they built numerous safeguards into our Constitution. Sadly, however, every system of human government is flawed by nature and eventually gets “played” by conniving people, and that has happened to us as a nation. Our very freedoms have been turned against us to enslave us. Our constitutional and God-given freedoms are being routinely stripped by lawless people in our government who dare us to do anything about it.
But back to our topic… Here is a passage that addresses the fundamental issue of ownership.
Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap Him [Jesus] in what He said. 16 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. 17 "Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?" 18 But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, "Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? 19 "Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax." And they brought Him a denarius. 20 And He *said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" 21 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." 22 And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away. Matthew 22:15-22 (NASB)
The presupposition behind taxation is that the government has authority over us to take our money to pay for its operations. In Jesus’ day, the Romans imposed heavy taxes upon subjugated people groups, which were often exacerbated by greedy middle men who acted as tax collectors. These taxes were punitive in nature and served to drive home the second-class nature of the citizenry under Roman rule. Rome believed that might makes right and dared anyone to oppose them.
The Jews resented being dominated by an outside rule and the taxes imposed on them. Hoping to ensnare Jesus in the trap of speaking against Rome, they posed their question. Either our Lord would acknowledge the Romans’ right to impose such taxes, incurring the resentment of the common people, or he would get himself in trouble with the Roman authorities. Jesus, however, managed to answer their question in a way that surprised everyone. Instead of focusing on the issue of taxation, Jesus addressed the underlying presuppositions: whose identity do we bear and who owns us?
Caesar’s likeness had been stamped on Roman coinage, which made it clear that Rome created and, in a sense, owned the money, acknowledging Rome’s authority to collect taxes. People, however, bear the stamp of God’s image, meaning that they belong to him, not to the state. The implication is clear.
Whenever the state acts as if it owns people, it transgresses the limitations put upon it by God.
Recently we have witnessed an example of such tyranny. Governments mandated their citizens to be injected with an experimental gene therapy against their will. Lots of people did not want to receive this injection, but were compelled to do so lest they lose their employment or other privileges. Never mind that no one knew for sure if these shots might permanently alter our God-given immune systems. Such mandates assume that we belong to the state rather than to God. Conscientious objections be damned. The “good” of the many was said to nullify our basic freedom of choice under God. In such cases, we cannot submit to a tyrannical state without losing something precious, something our forefathers were willing to sacrifice everything to obtain.
When the state tries to overrule our conscience, it has overstepped its authority and should not be obeyed in that area. Where governments operate within their God-given boundary, to preserve justice, they should be obeyed. (Romans 13:1) Jesus died to set us free to serve God.
Voluntarily surrender to an overstepping government is to choose enslavement.
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 (NASB)
Jesus gave up his life to deliver us from satanic tyranny. It is sadly and dangerously irresponsible to willingly submit to it again.
Never doubt for a moment that the state ultimately wants to own and control you. It is the beast rising out of the waters in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 13:1), whose antagonism against God will not be stopped until Christ ultimately destroys it at his Second Coming. (Revelation 19:11-20) Stand firm.
My father, affectionately called Papa Pete, died at the age of 93. He experienced a rich and full life, serving God for 51 of those years as a disciple and church leader. He left behind the love of his life and wife for 71 of those years, four sons, fourteen grandchildren, twenty great grandchildren, and two great-great grandsons, along with countless friends and partners in the ministry. Many regard him as a kind of legend. For us in the family he was Dad, granddad, or something familiar. It is pretty difficult to be a legend among those who see you often and know you well, but he was highly respected and well-loved by his family.