BiblicalInsights.net

     This year, 2011, is the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War in America.  Many commemorative events are scheduled throughout the year in significant places where battles were fought and history was made.  Recently, Wayne Motts, director for the Civil War Museum in Gettysburg, PA, wrote an article which told the story of Aaron T. McNaghten, a Civil War soldier.  Wayne is the son of Warren Motts who is the director for the Military Museum in Groveport, OH. 
     The title of the article was, “For The Last Time On Earth.”  It appeared in the publication called, From the Trenches published in the spring of 2011 (vol. 19, issue 1).  Motts relates some of the background on McNaghten.  Not far from the boyhood home of Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman in south-central Ohio, stands a memorial stone to a Civil War soldier named Aaron T. McNaghten who never made it home from the war.  McNaghten served in Company D, 62nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment, he died in the famous attack againt Battery Wagner on Morris Island during the campaign to take Charleston, South Carolina in the summer of 1863. 
     While he had been in the military service some two years, McNaghten had never before been engaged in a military battle.  We do not know how, but McNaghten knew he would not survive his first action.  He tore a piece of paper from his stationary and penned a note: “If anything happens to me while out on this expedition send this to my brother James N. McNaghten, New Salem, Fairfield Co., Ohio.”  A short time later he  penned his last letter.  The last line read, “I now subscribe my self in my full name for the last time on earth.”  He then signed his name for the last time to the letter.  He was killed in battle on July 20, 1863. 
     The Bible says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27).  All of us have an appointment with death!  All of us will be held accountable before God for our words and deeds (Rom. 2:6).  It is sobering to consider that at some point in our lives we will say or do something for the last time.   James declares, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14).  Life is both brief and uncertain.  This means that we should live every day to the fullest and we should live every day as if it were our last.  Perhaps McNaghten was thinking these very thoughts before he wrote the last line of his letter and signed his name for the last time on earth.

     Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s and unto God the things which be God’s” (Luke 20:25).  The context in which He spoke these words is very interesting.  The chief priests and the scribes (Luke 20:19) set out to entrap the Lord through a devious design.  Luke reveals their intent, “And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor” (Luke 19:20).  They watched Him, sent forth spies to spy on Him, and were willing to twist His words to accuse Him.  They designed a question for the purpose of entrapment.  “Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or no?” (Luke 19:22).  The question was designed to put Jesus on the horns of a dilemma.  If He answered yes, He would incur the displeasure of Jewish patriots who hated to pay taxes to Caesar.  If He said no, then He would incur the displeasure of the Romans who required it. 
     Jesus orchestrated a masterful escape from their devious intentions.  Jesus knew their diabolical hearts.  He asked, “Why tempt ye me?”  He knew that they were testing His faithfulness to God.  Jesus said, “Shew me a penny.”  The penny was a denarius–a Roman coin with an image of Caesar on it.  Jesus asked, “Whose image and superscription hath it?”  They correctly replied, “Caesars.”  Jesus said unto them, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.”  Several observations on this statement are in order.
     First, paying taxes recognized the authority of Caesar.  The authority possessed by Caesar was delegated to him by God (Rom. 13:1; John 19:10-11).  Paying taxes was an act of obedience to the authority of Caesar (a delegated authority).
     Second, the coin had Caesar’s inscription on it.  The image of Caesar on the coin denoted a claim to ownership.  Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things which be Caesar’s.” 
     Third, when Jesus said, “Render unto God the things that are God’s,” He recognized God’s ownership of the universe and of each of His creatures.  Every person was given life by God (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Dan. 5:23).  By virtue of the fact that He is our creator, we must glorify Him as God.  Every Christian is bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ (I Cor. 6:20).  God makes a claim on us.  We owe God our obedience, homage and faithfulness.  We are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26,27).  Render unto God the things that are God’s!  God’s authority is supreme.  Yes, you must pay your taxes.  But, you owe God everything.  You owe Him your life and your all. We glorify God when we accept His rule in our hearts.  We glorify God whenever we obey Him.

     My blog is linked to the church of Christ of Groveport website.  On the church’s website, you can listen to sermons recently preached during the morning or evening worship.  This is a new feature for the church’s website that I believe you will find valuable.  Please check back often for new material posted on my blog and for new sermons on the church’s website.

     Yahoo News, March 25, 2011, reported that an Ohio man received a $16.4 million dollar cable bill.  Daniel DeVirgilio of the Dayton, Ohio area attempted to make a payment on his cable bill to Time Warner, but was rejected because the company calculated his past due amount at more than $16 million dollars.  His bill usually runs about $80.00 per month.  DeVirgilio stated, “Had I known this, I would have bought Showtime.” (news.yahoo.com).
     The king of all billing mishaps happened to Jon Seale, a Texas man, who received notice that he owed a 17-figure sum that totaled almost 2,000 times the national debt.  The total amount was:  23 quadrillion, 148 trillion, 855 billion, 308 million, 184 thousand, and 500 dollars!  Another billing mishap happened to Josh Muszynski, a New Hampshire man, who was charged 23 quadrillion dollars after buying a pack of cigarettes at a gas station.  It seems to me that that would be a surefire way of getting people to stop smoking.
     Even though both of these debts are enormous, they pale in comparison to the greatest debt.  The greatest debt we will ever owe is the debt we incur when we sin against God.  This is a debt that we can never repay.  It is a debt that would cause our eternal ruin.  If our soul is the most precious thing that we possess, then losing our soul would be the greatest loss we could ever sustain.
     God’s Word declares, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:  by whose stripes ye were healed” (I Pet. 2:24).  Remarkably, Jesus paid the debt for us!  This thought is captured in the American Folk Hymn:  He Paid A Debt.

He paid a debt He did not owe.
I owed a debt I could not pay.
I needed someone to wash my sins away.
And now I sing a brand new song
Amazing Grace.
Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.

     Peter emphasizes three important things.  First,  Jesus provided the sacrifice for our sins and so made forgiveness possible.  Second, He suffered in our place.  We deserved the punishment that He suffered for us.  Third, He died that we might live.  He gives new life spiritually and the promise of eternal life in the world to come.
The greatest debt that any individual will ever know has been paid by the Lord Jesus Christ.  We must obey the truth in order to secure the salvation offered through Jesus Christ (I Pet. 1:22-23).