CITIZENS, part 2: with Colton McDaniel and Paul Casebolt

April 8, 2026·28 min·2 clips

How do Christians reconcile paying taxes with their identity as citizens of Heaven?

1. Citizen of Heaven episode 359, hosted by Hal Hammons, continues a conversation with guests Colton McDaniel and Paul Casebolt about dual citizenship—being both a citizen of heaven and a resident of earth. 2. Hal Hammons identifies himself as 'your embedded correspondent in Satan's world' and hosts the Lakewood Strive Church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas; Colton is the son of a preacher. 3. The episode's core thesis, stated in the opening, is that every Christian faces a conflict between earthly obligations and heavenly ones, and the conversation explores which obligation takes precedence. 4. Colton opens by arguing that because all authority is granted by God (Romans 13:1-2), opposing earthly authority is implicitly an act of opposition to God's authority. 5. Hal draws a parallel between the Old Testament command to honor father and mother—punishable by death if violated in the wilderness—and the general principle that submission to visible authority trains one to submit to invisible divine authority. 6. Paul flags that in election years, many Christians allow partisan identity to override Christian fellowship, citing brothers and sisters within congregations who stopped speaking during election cycles over disagreements about government size. 7. Colton invokes Jesus's command in Matthew 5:41—'go with him two miles' when a Roman soldier forces you to go one—as evidence that Christians must comply with even unreasonable laws, provided they are not sinful. 8. The hosts connect Romans 13's command to 'owe nothing to anyone except to love one another' with Galatians 6's 'bear one another's burdens,' arguing that every law is ultimately an attempt at legislating morality. 9. Colton recounts a preacher who told him the single most divisive issue he had seen in his lifetime among churches was mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic—with congregation members refusing to worship together on both sides of the question. 10. Paul frames the stakes by asking what will happen 'if something worse than the pandemic comes' and Christians are still fighting over how to balance citizenship obligations rather than defaulting to serving God. 11. Colton's most provocative claim is that the concept of 'dual citizenship' requiring balance is itself a modern construct—the word 'secular' did not exist until roughly 1,300 years after the last Bible book was written. 12. He cites the Roman concept of pietas—duty to home, job, and country in service to one's god—as the background for 1 Timothy 5's use of the word 'piety,' arguing that everything including civil duty is an integrated act of devotion. 13. Colton cites Colossians 3:17—'whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of Christ'—as a text that collapses the secular/spiritual distinction entirely. 14. Hal responds that Colton has given him language for why he always objected to 'work-life balance' as a concept, framing it instead as: 'your problem is your life is not right with God.' 15. Paul identifies three diagnostic questions for Christians navigating civil obligations: Is this faithful to Christ? Is it loving toward people I disagree with? And am I placing too much hope in government? 16. Hal argues that when Peter and Paul, both of whom were ultimately killed by Roman emperors, still wrote 'submit to authority,' the same standard applies to contemporary leaders including Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi by name. 17. The hosts agree that Christians must obey civil government unless it directly commands something Scripture prohibits, citing Acts 5 ('we must obey God rather than men') as the operative exception. 18. The tone is calm and discursive, with three participants building arguments collaboratively; there is no debate format—all three largely agree and are working out implications together. 19. Best for Christians wrestling with how faith should shape political behavior and civic engagement. 20. Likely to frustrate listeners who expect explicit political commentary or who reject the premise that submission to government is a biblical default.

As heard by us

A practical talk on Heaven-first citizenship, taxes, and humble submission.

Citizen of Heaven podcast 359, Citizens, part two, brings Hal Hammons together with Colton McDaniel and Paul Casebolt for a straightforward discussion of what it means to live as citizens of Heaven while still living on Earth.

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Why you'd press play

If taxes, government authority, and Christian conscience are colliding for you, start with this second part of Citizens.

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