Mere Missions

48 • M ere M issions : M oving F orward to M ultiply

‘Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ When they heard it, they marveled, and they left him and went away.” Jesus looks at a coin and asks his questioners whose image is on the coin, and they answer, “Caesar’s.” Jesus’s reply is to render, or give back, to Caesar the coin since his image is branded on the coin. The obvious question then, is, “Whose likeness and inscription are on us?” God Himself answers the question, “Let us make man in our image; after our likeness” (Gen. 1.26a). If God’s image and likeness is inscribed on us, then we must render ourselves to God, that is, give back to God ourselves since his image is branded on us. Endearment to the Lord Jesus is rendering to Him what is rightfully His. The phrase, “Who you are is more important than what you do” is a true statement. Activity cannot be a replacement for intimacy with Jesus. In fact, this is the foundation upon which all our activity, our identity, and our purpose is formed. John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” Abiding in Christ is being filled with the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit is abiding in Christ. Endearment was the way of the Apostles, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men (the Greek word used is idiotai from which we get the word, idiot), they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4.13). Anyone, male or female, rich or poor, slave or free, young, or old, “red, yellow, black, or white” who endear themselves to Jesus have common spiritual roots in Peter and John – idiots for Jesus. That endearment alone is all that is needed to shake the foundations of the forces of darkness, for when the disciples went out in “idiot pairs”, they came back and said, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (Luke 10.17b).