Thoughts on Christian Living Book #2 by Dr. W. A. Dillard - HTML preview

IMAGES AND SUPERSCRIPTIONS OF THE ALMIGHTY

That mankind is made in the image and likeness of his Creator: body, mind, and spirit, has been a major preachment of ministry, both of myself, and of others who were studied, Bible preachers. It was therefore a special joy to hear Brother Don McCutcheon deliver a strong message on this point from Matthew 22:15-21. How many times has most everyone read the twenty-second chapter of Matthew, and simply passed on with a visualization of what is right to offer to God from our material blessings. Of course, it is right to do that, but so much more is brought home here, and doubtless the Pharisees and Herodians got the point.

There, on the coin, the tempters presented to Jesus in their attempt to entangle Him in his talk, was exactly what one might expect: a line-drawing likeness of Caesar with letters above identifying him as the emperor and authority of the Roman empire. The question posed was, “Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar, or not?” In addition to calling them what they were (nothing wrong with that), Jesus asked for a piece of the tribute they were talking about. When a coin was produced, Jesus simply asked whose image and superscription were upon it. When Caesar was so identified, the answer was brilliant and obvious: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s: and unto God the things that are God’s.”

But are not all things God’s? “All things were made by Him; and without him was not anything made that was made,” John 1:3. But this was a pitting of material things vs spiritual things, and the answer of Jesus turned it back on the hypocrites. The producer of the coin was Caesar, and the Roman Empire as attested by the image and superscription. Then what is to be rendered to God? The same thing! It is the bearer of His image and superscription: the crowning act of creation as noted in Genesis 1:26-27: mankind! To be in the image of God necessitates a trinity: mind, body, and spirit. This is what Paul affirmed in I Thessalonians 5:23, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Every person is to give himself to God! Friends, when that is done, there will be no dilemma or argumentation of what else should be given to God.

FOR THOUGHT: You are the image and superscription of God! Then, render unto God the things that are God’s!

“What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I

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