At the beginning of this chapter we read the story of Ananias and Sapphira, the couple that lied to the "Holy Spirit". As I read this I thought about the many times I have lied to the Holy Spirit as well as to the Lord and to people, etc. We all lie. Now, I don't choose to lie about things, but I know I don't tell the whole truth or I miss tell things.......that is really the same as lying. Why was it such a big thing for this couple and at this time? I believe it is always a big deal but the Lord doesn't always see fit to punish us immediately - in fact we think we get away with things because we don't experience the punishment at that very moment - and many times that allows us to lie to ourselves that it didn't really matter and we lie again. This couple experienced judgment at the same moment they sinned - when this happened there was a very strong reaction from everyone that heard about it. The scripture tells us that "great fear gripped the entire church". Because of the obvious example before them, people feared the Lord!!! I believe God knew the heart of this couple and that they were going to continue to sin so judgment was immediate AND He used this occasion to lead others into the correct path - Fear of the Lord - Good fear - respect Fear!
I saw two things in this story - 1. just because judgment isn't swift and timely it doesn't mean we didn't sin - we know when we sin! 2. God uses strange things in our lives to motivate us to do the right thing. People's lives affect us and when Christian friends do things that aren't right and then God's judgment falls on them, it affects us and it SHOULD, in the right way. It should challenge us to FEAR the Lord and follow Him and His ways!!!
This time in the early church was intense and God was moving in a very miraculous way. Christians were being persecuted just because they believed in Jesus. I believe we are moving closer and closer to those same kinds of times. "Lord - let us FEAR You and Your ways!!! And let that FEAR lead us to obey You!"
2 comments:
Ananias and Sapphira . . . lying to the Holy Spirit and to God . . . because we first lie to ourselves. Ananias and Sapphira is also about the power of agreement/unity, especially between a husband and a wife. In this case, a negative unity. Verse 2 says, “His wife had agreed to this deception.” And verse 9 says, “How could the two of you even think of doing a thing like this – conspiring together to test the Spirit of the Lord?”
Unity/agreement is powerful. We are either going to be in unity with the natural way of doing things or be in unity with the spiritual way . . . God’s way and His word. Ananias and Sapphira’s unity with the natural (lying to God and the Holy Spirit) brought physical death to both of them.
We need to always be sure that what we are agreeing to lines up with God’s Word. Setting ourselves in agreement with the Word of God is the most powerful unity we can walk in.
Thanks for your insight, Arlene. I agree - so we are in unity, haha!!! Thanks for your comment.
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