Isn't it okay for Christians to shade the truth a little when it comes to paying taxes?

Q: Stephen, what about taxes? Since the government uses so much of our tax money for immoral purposes, isn't it okay for Christians to shade the truth a little when it comes to paying taxes? Aren't we actually honoring God if we hide some of our income from the IRS?

A: It certainly sounds appealing, doesn't it! Save money on taxes and honor God, all while keeping the hard won fruits of our labor out of the greedy grubby hands of government bureaucrats!

Over the years, many Christians have enthusiastically bought into that kind of almost irresistible reasoning and decided not to pay all the taxes they owe. Where are they now? Well, unfortunately, many of them are in jail, their families wrecked, their careers ruined, and their witness for Christ tarnished with shame.

Sometimes, our best human reasoning and self-justification just doesn't measure up to God's clear standards for our behavior. Sometimes, for our own good, we need to listen to God's guidance, especially when God's guidance is perfectly straightforward: Pay the taxes you owe!

The story is told in three of the four gospels. Jesus is approached by some religious people who think they know his character. They are sure he will advise against paying taxes to the corrupt Roman government. And they plan to use his opposition as a way to trap him with legal trouble and shut down his ministry. But Jesus surprises and amazes them by saying, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.” It's that simple. Jesus says to pay the government the taxes we owe!

Yet many Christians inexplicably seem to struggle with honesty and full compliance when it comes to paying taxes. And some Christians continue to dance around the issue of taxes almost as if they believe there is an entirely separate standard of morality that applies, as if the distinction between lies and truth mysteriously evaporates in the realm of taxation.

So here's the real deal: Lying about taxes is still lying. The book of Proverbs, at Chapter 21, verse 6, warns us, “A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.” I don't know about you, but I'd rather just pay the government what I owe than get caught up in a deadly snare. I don't have to like paying my taxes, and I don't have to like what the government is doing with my tax money, but, as a Christian, I do have to pay my taxes, honestly and in full!

Key Scripture: He said to them, "Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Luke 20:25 (TNIV)

Stephen Bloom is a Christian lawyer and author of “The Believer's Guide to Legal Issues” (Living Ink Books, ISBN 0899570313). He is a frequent media guest, speaker and writer on Christianity and law. He is a Lecturer at Messiah College , and a Consultant at the United Methodist Stewardship Foundation of Central Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit his website at IsThereALawyerInTheChurch.com “The Believer's Guide to Legal Issues” is available at christianbook.com and other major online retailers.

Please note: This column contains generalized information only and is not a substitute for the specific legal advice of your own attorney.