Bible verse: But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. – Acts 5:1-2
God’s glory and power were seen mightily in the church, but so was his judgment. We often pass over these verses about this tragic incident. Right in the middle of revival, this couple died. They may still have come to heaven but their life’s course was cut off. Why? They were put to death because they were dishonest. Now you might reason that everyone is dishonest to a certain degree. It may be so, but this case was unique. The Lord does not expect us to be perfect, but He does require us to be wholehearted. Everyone makes mistakes, makes incorrect judgments and occasionally wanders down the wrong path; however, the case of Ananias and Sapphira represents a deceitful heart. The couple merely imitated what others had done.
Many people contributed to the church with hearts full of devotion. This was not the case with Ananias and Sapphira. Perhaps they offered money in an attempt to secure a prominent position in the church. Their sin was not that they kept a portion of their earnings. Their sin was their dishonesty, their conspiracy to appear wholeheartedly generous and their agreement to lie. It was supposed to seem as they had given everything. This sin would have corrupted the church from the inside had it not been exposed. When it was supernaturally exposed, the fear of the Lord came over the entire church. The Lord is careful with His Church. A lifestyle of holiness is required. We all sin, and therefore, need Jesus and His forgiveness. However, to accept a lifestyle of sin and consciously bring it into the church and maybe even defend it has catastrophic consequences both for the body of Christ as a whole and for its individual members.
