^“12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, ¹³ saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” ¹⁴ But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. ¹⁵ But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” ¹⁶ And he drove them from the tribunal. ¹⁷ And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.”

Acts 18:12-17

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In today’s world, it seems that people outside of Christ have taken it upon themselves to begin judging what we who follow Him can or cannot do. They want to dictate to us what is acceptable for us and in doing so force us to conform to their patterns of behavior. But here we see a man, Gallio, outside the church, outside the Judeo-Christian ethic & he understood that it was not for him to judge what they did or did not do within the sphere of their religious practices. If Paul had been disruptive, violent or unlawful, then he would have begun a conversation with them. But he understood the boundaries and where his opinion was needed and where it was not. Secularists in our world today are not quite so restrained in their opinions.

As Christians, though, it will always come down to obedience to God above all else. Paul reminds us elsewhere, on more than one occasion, that we are to obey the governing authorities. They have their positions for a reason. God is a God of authority & order & so we should comply to help support & maintain that understanding, especially where our witness shines to those outside of Christ. But when it comes down to the line, we follow God with no hesitation or apology. We are bound to Him & His will far beyond the social pressures of secular society. Kim Davis’ stand for her beliefs is one such example, but there are so many more around the world that suffer deeply for their faith in Christ.

Both examples are meaningful, and all of our examples together build the reputation of the Church & for Christ in this morally compromised & compromising world. So, yes, render to Caesar, honor the king & be a good citizen. But understand where the line is drawn between civil authority & moral authority & don’t let the human side win out over God’s. Compromise in faith is more than just a slippery slope, it is stepping away from truth. Stand with God first and foremost and let Him be your guard & guide as you bear witness for Him & GoLove others in His Name.

Stand firm then, in Christ, and be true to what God has laid out for us in the unwavering truth of His Word. It’s not going to be easy, but most things worth doing rarely are.