A Biblical Worldview of Taxes and Government

Shawn (00:00): Nothing affects your wealth more than taxes, but as Christians, how should we think about what we owe the government? Is it just a burden to bear or does God actually have something to say about taxes, laws, and the role of government in our lives? Today, Bob Barber is going to walk us through the biblical worldview of all three. Let’s get some perspective. Welcome to Christian Financial Perspectives. I’m Shawn Peters, joined as always by Bob Barber. Bob, today we’re tackling a topic that everybody deals with, but most people dread, taxes. And you’ve actually written about this as part of our biblical worldview series, which I believe you’re planning on turning into a book or something, right? Bob (00:45): That’s correct. Yeah. I’m not going to share what the title’s going to be. Shawn (00:48): Yeah, we’re not going to do it too much.. Yeah. Well, why don’t you get us started? Bob (00:53): Well, about taxes, one of the things is when I was writing a biblical worldview of taxes, of course, the first thing I did was just, we know what Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesars.” And most Christians know that scripture. But I realized as I started writing about taxes, I was like, “Well, why are we paying taxes?” Well, it’s to fund the government. So I wanted to write it about taxes, laws, and the government. Shawn (01:16): Gotcha. Bob (01:17): But yeah, Shawn, there’s nothing that affects wealth more than taxes. As you know, this biblical worldview series is called, “A Biblical Worldview of Money and Wealth.” And I’ve seen firsthand with myself from some large real estate holdings that we’ve sold, along with clients, just how much taxes really affect the future of a portfolio. I mean, literally not just hundreds of thousands, but it could be millions over the long run because of the compounding effect. Shawn (01:54): Through the loss of compounding, right? Bob (01:57): Yeah. And when a guy like me looks at that, I’m like, I get kind of upset about it. So I really have to realize I’ve got to submit this to a biblical worldview of what God says about it. Otherwise, I just start getting selfish and frustrated. So what is the biblical worldview? Ownership, God owns it all. We’ve covered that a couple weeks … Or not a couple weeks ago, but a few sessions back. We covered the biblical worldview of ownership. So if you really believe God owns it all, which I do, then I need to stop this fretting over paying taxes. I mean, how else is the government going to run? And it’s not for me to decide if the government’s efficient or not. Shawn (02:44): Yeah. Well, we all know it’s not. That’s a different episode. But a government cannot operate without funds. Bob (02:52): That’s right. They can’t. Shawn (02:53): And taxation is how it gets them. So if the laws are not followed and enforced, the whole system can collapse. And as Christians, we are called to obey tax laws under which we live as long as they do not violate biblical principles and to pay our taxes due. Bob (03:11): You hear that? Y’all hear that? Okay. I mean, as Christians, we’re called to obey the laws that are … And what is this law? Where do these laws come from? We’re going to go into that from a biblical worldview. But first, we’re going to cover the biblical worldview of taxes. And here we go. We’re going to get right into that scripture about paying to Caesar what is Caesars. Shawn (03:31): Would you like me to read this? Bob (03:32): You’re my guy that reads the scriptures. So I read the word every day, but I mean, you’re my guy that reads the scriptures. Shawn (03:36): He lets me read the long ones. So if anybody stumbles with the words, it’s me, not him. Bob (03:40): Yeah, exactly. Shawn (03:41): Matthew 22:15-21, “Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘We know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?'”Now I’m thinking about it like they’re kind of laying it on thick. Bob (04:12): They are. They are. They’re trying to trap him. Shawn (04:14): “But Jesus, knowing their evil intent said, ‘You hypocrites. Why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.’ They brought him a denarius and he asked them, ‘Whose image is this and whose enscription?’ ‘Caesars,’ they replied. Then he said to them, ‘So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.'” Bob (04:38): There you go. Kind of hits right there, doesn’t it? Shawn (04:40): Yeah. Bob (04:42): There’s some key biblical principles when it comes to regarding taxes. Shawn (04:46): This scripture in particular, just the short version, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” I remember growing up, my dad would talk about how it’s like, “Yeah, you pay your taxes. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But when it comes to paying your taxes, don’t pay any more taxes than you have to.” Bob (05:01): Yeah. Give to Caesars what is Caesar’s, but not anymore. Shawn (05:04): Whatever the system is, if there’s stuff you can write off for the business or things you can deduct or whatever it is, it’s like, I mean, you may as well use it. So don’t pay more than you have to, but pay what you have to. Bob (05:16): So you ready for this first key biblical principle? I mean, because this hits you right in the heart. And you know who told me this? Who this comes from? This comes from Kingdom Advisors. And I remember Ron Blue saying this. Don’t complain about taxes because taxes are a reminder that God has provided us with the income. Shawn (05:37): Now I know I just mentioned my dad, but this reminds me of another one that he said kind of right at the tail end of that, is that if you’re paying taxes, then that means you actually made mone. You actually had enough of an income because if you don’t make enough income, you don’t pay taxes, you technically get money back. So yeah, taxes are a reminder that God has provided income. That’s a very true statement. Bob (05:59): That’s hit me hard over the years because I’m an entrepreneur and I’ve done well and I follow biblical principles, but the taxes always remind me. Yeah, God, you provided that. And by law as Christians, we must pay what is due to the authorities and submit under that and truly maintain integrity by paying what is owed. That’s a Christian’s obligation to do. Shawn (06:28): By law, we must pay what is due to the authorities. It makes me think of Al Capone was involved in all kinds of stuff. They’re like, not exactly a model that we would want to model as Christians, but what was it that he finally got nailed on? It was like, it was tax evasion. Bob (06:46): Yeah. Shawn (06:47): So it’s like whether you’re a Christian or not, I mean, tax evasion is not something you want to mess around with. And as Christians, I like this, the maintaining integrity. It’s like, well, we should pay it because we’re supposed to be people of integrity. Bob (07:02): And there’s 10 commandments that talks about not lying. So here’s another area that really hits me when somebody says, “Well, can you pay me in cash?” And I’m going, “Why do you want me to pay you in cash?” “Well, so I don’t have to report it.” You know what? As a Christian, not reporting all income sources like cash, if that’s to avoid taxes, that’s unethical and it’s illegal and it’s a sin to do. Shawn (07:29): It goes directly against what Jesus said. Bob (07:31): That’s right. Shawn (07:32): I mean, he put it pretty simple, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s,” or in this case government was … So I mean, I don’t think I heard anything in the scripture we were reading about Jesus saying, “Unless you get paid in cash.” Bob (07:45): Yeah. Yep. And that justifies that sin and you can’t justify it. And tax planning should be done. When it’s done, it shouldn’t cause all this anxiety or turn into all these financial matters because what happens is you end up idolizing money. And again, in the 10 commandments, we’re not supposed to make idols of anything, okay? Shawn (08:10): Including money. Bob (08:10): And that’s where we’re going to get into this now because we’ve got to look at it when we’re talking about taxes and paying them. We know that’s the law. So we got to look at the biblical worldview of laws in the Bible. Shawn (08:21): All right. Speaking of, Exodus 20:3-17. Bob (08:24): 10 Commandments. Shawn (08:27): “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them. For I, the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days, you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it, you shall not do any work, neither you nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. (09:14): For in six days, the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Honor your Father and your mother so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God has given you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. And finally, you shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You should not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Bob (09:47): What does all this have to do with taxes? Because these are key biblical principles regarding laws in our society. The first four commandments focus on the relationship between us and God. Okay? Shawn (10:01): So between the individuals and God. Bob (10:03): Yep. While those last six address interpersonal relationships and community, how we regard our community. And over many centuries, governments, they’ve used the 10 Commandments as a backdrop. When you go visit the Capitol and you go into where they meet in the Congress and Senate, you look and you’ll see the 10 commandments because that’s what the law is based on. And those who lie or steal or cheat or commit murder, they’re dealt with in our society. And so a society, it prospers when it follows these 10 commandments. Shawn (10:46): That’s right. Bob (10:47): It’s just 10 of them. And really, like I say, the last six have to do with the society where the first four have to do with our relationship with God. But there’s some good things in there and how it … Like the Sabbath, it highlights the need for a dedicated time for rest in our country and worship and community restoration. So these laws are serving to define sin and they act like a mirror to show us that we need grace and love of God and a guideline for living a righteous life. And that plays in to paying taxes, doesn’t it? Yeah. Shawn (11:25): Which takes us into the biblical worldview of government. Bob (11:28): Yes. Shawn (11:28): Romans 13:1-7, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, you’re afraid. For rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoers. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment, but also as a matter of conscience. (12:19): This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them. If you owe taxes, pay taxes. If revenue, then revenue. If respect, then respect. If honor, then honor.” Bob (12:34): You notice it kind of hits on all three here, doesn’t it? It hits on taxes. It hits on the government. It hits on the laws. And what happens when you don’t obey them? Shawn (12:44): Not good things. Punishment. Bob (12:46): It’s not. It’s not. So when you talk about a biblical worldview of taxes, there’s really not a lot of easiness in there. It’s not feel good. But it’s extremely important as Christians that we follow this biblical worldview of taxes, biblical worldview of following the laws, biblical worldview of coming under the government’s authority. Because like it says, when we don’t … We have to fear, don’t we? Shawn (13:15): Yeah. Bob (13:16): And we’re not supposed to live in a spirit of fear. And these scriptures point out that actually all authority is ultimately established by God. Shawn (13:27): Yeah. Bob (13:27): Yeah. Shawn (13:29): Now that doesn’t always mean that the authorities or the individual that’s the current authority is someone that you like or someone that agrees with everything in the Bible. But yeah, ultimately though, that they are in authority because God allowed them to be in authority. Bob (13:49): Yeah. Shawn (13:49): So I think of Saul versus David. So, “We want a king, we want a king.” And God’s like, “Okay, fine. Here’s the guy that this is who you said you wanted, but if you had waited, I was preparing someone that was the king that I wanted you to have.” Bob (14:08): Yeah. Shawn (14:09): Of course, even he made mistakes too, but that’s another- Bob (14:11): So some other biblical principles I saw of the government is to maintain order. Think about it. If we didn’t have government, it’d be chaos. They carry out moral laws, they punish wrongdoers, reward good behavior, and protect their own citizens.That’s what they’re supposed to do. Shawn (14:28): Including commerce. We have the interstate, you have the being able to do business with people in completely different areas of the country, different states. Well, it’s because there are certain rules that govern that and then there’s a process if people step out of line. All right. Next point. Christians are instructed to submit to authorities, pay taxes, and respect them. However, when the government directly contradicts God’s commands, obedience to God takes precedence. Bob (14:56): You hear that? So as long as it’s under the godly, under the 10 commandments, so if a government gets out of hand and starts going against all the laws that are under the 10 commandments, then things start changing a little bit. But that’s not to say go be rebellious at all because we’re instructed to submit under those authorities. And God has the power, doesn’t he? He has the power to … And he uses us as people, Shawn, to raise up or remove rulers and to exercise control over it. But this last point I think is important for us as Christians as much as we may not want to say it. The Bible doesn’t prescribe to any specific form of government. Shawn (15:48): Yeah. It doesn’t say like there’s a specific type of government that’s the right kind of government. Bob (15:52): Right. Shawn (15:53): Yeah. Bob (15:53): But it does say that the government should value life and treat others fairly as demonstrated in the 10 Commandments. And I think there’s some main key takeaways that we want to take with this here. Shawn (16:05): And number one is pay taxes with integrity and according to the law. Bob (16:08): Amen. When we complain about paying taxes, we’re complaining about God’s provisions, just like we mentioned earlier. Shawn (16:15): Number three, report all types of income, including cash. Bob (16:20): It’s never ethical to lie or cheat on your taxes. Shawn (16:24): God owns it all. So give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. Bob (16:27): Yep. And you know what? The last one, we don’t have to fear repercussions from the authorities when we are humble, honest, and we do the right thing. Shawn (16:35): That’s right. Well, thank you so much for joining us. And if you have questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to call or text us at 830-609-6986. You can also visit our website www.christianfinancialadvisors.com, or if you’re on one of the platforms that has comments below where we’re currently talking, feel free to leave us comment. And that’s all. Thank you. Until next time, God bless.