Problems of Family Living
When Family Members Take God For Granted
“There was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. 3 Then Peter said, 'Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!'
As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died.. . . . Later Peter said to Sapphira, 'How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this?'. . . .. she fell to the floor and died.
Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened."
Acts 5:1-11
Pastor's Blog
In our society which “spins” everything and tells half truths, God has warned us. Lying to Him is dangerous.
We can’t have it both ways. If we love the generosity, power, boldness, and miracles generated by God in the early church . . . if we love how the New Community had become the new holy residence of God, then we must not be surprised when God takes his church, us, seriously enough to make it clear that there is no such thing as cheap grace. God is not mocked.
The New Testament tells of the same God we read of in the Old Testament. He is still holy and still dangerous. Check out Leviticus 10 about Aaron’s sons taking God lightly. Or Joshua 7 where Aachan bends the rules. Same thing in 2 Chronicles 26 with King Uzziah.
Annanias and Sapphira lied to their church family (which is the new temple) and to God.
God lies down his Marker. Lying is a way of saying “I don’t trust God”. In our society which “spins” everything and tells half truths, we have this warning.
DO NOT TAKE GOD FOR GRANTED
The lack of total obedience to God when His Spirit warns you about something is in the same boat as lying to the Spirit. Saul had been told by God to “utterly destroy all that they (the Amalekites) have and do not spare them” but Saul spared their King Agag and all of his good things. 1 Sam 15. Later on, as told in Esther 3, Haman got Xerxes’ permission to “annihilate all the Jews, young and old, little children and women”. Well, Haman was an Agagite and Agag was an Amalekite. The lesson is clear: when you fail to totally obey God when He tells you to get rid of something, as Saul did, then what you fail to get rid of (the Amalekites) will come back to destroy you (Haman).
ReplyDeleteThe issue in both of these examples is the heart. Annanias & Sapphira could have sold their land and kept the money, but their heart or motivation was superficial, they didn't want to look cheap basically.
ReplyDeleteThe others in the group weren't asked or instructed to sell their land and give the proceeds, they did so out of their heart to share with those in need.
A & S, did not have the heart, but they wanted it to look like they did.
The point is that others were moved by the Holy Spirit to give and so they gave. A & S pretended to give in this vein where the Holy Spirit had not worked this in them.
Saul, if I remember correctly, claimed (and actually lied) about killing the Amalekites, which is obvious.
Of course, it is the wisest thing we can do to obey the Holy Spirit at all times, for God loves us and wants what is best for us. But, do we all do that? Have you not 'ever' failed to follow the Holy Spirit. I know I have and am grieved by it. But, this grief is also followed by the conviction that God is a God of second chances-with a repentant heart we come to Him over and over again, for His mercies are new every morning.