We can learn important lessons from the Bible. The book of Acts records a very serious lesson that the earliest Christians learned about telling lies.
The happenings in the early church teach very important lessons for us today. Whether these events are good and pleasing, or tragic and depressing, all of it brings to us insight and learning that will refine us and make us ready for the return of the Lord Jesus.
Story Overview:
Because so many Jewish Christians stayed in Jerusalem after Pentecost, some Christians sold property and gave the money to the church so those in need could have enough. Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, sold some of their property and then decided to give part of the money to the church. They proceeded to lie and say that they had given it all. Peter confronted Ananias in front of the church and told him that by doing this he had lied to God. Ananias fell down dead. Unaware of what had happened to her husband, Sapphira came before the church and lied again about the money. She too fell down dead. The whole church was afraid.
One such event that teaches us very important lessons is the tragic death of a couple, Ananias and Sapphira. Their deaths, recorded in Acts 5: 1-11, did not come as a result of persecution or trouble. They died because of something else: they lied to God.
The event of Ananias and Sapphira is set against the backdrop of life in the early church. The church was on fire and growing rapidly every day. Passages such as Acts 2: 44-47 and Acts 4: 32-37 describe the unity of the early church and of selling their possessions and sharing with those in need.
We understand that Ananias and Sapphira also sold something that they possessed so that they could give. The problem here is not that they didn't give; the problem is they decided to lie.
During His ministry Jesus had encouraged his followers to not hold to any material attachments in this world, knowing that they would one day have to literally leave everything behind, whether due to persecution or the pending destruction of Jerusalem, or to the call of God. Jesus also taught the importance of caring for those in need through His words and example. With these teachings in mind it is not surprising that the early church radically embraced these ideals in selling their property and sharing their profits.
Ananias and Sapphira agreed to sell their property, but they lied about the current selling price. In their greed, and apparent stinginess, they gave a false amount so they could keep some money.
Of course, they owned the possession they sold; it was theirs. When they sold it, they still had control over what to do with the proceeds. They didn't have to lie - they could've just said they will give "a part of the proceeds," and it would be OK. But no, they lied.
They lied to God, and they died. And their deaths caused people to fear the LORD even more (see Acts 5:11).
1) God sees everything, even what we keep in secret
Ananias and Sapphira tried to lie to Peter and the apostles, but they could not lie to God. He knows what we hide in our secret places.
We can never hide from God; why hide anyway?
2) Greed will always cause us to commit sin
The Bible did say that the love of money is the root of all evil (see 1 Timothy 6:10). Greed will always cause man to commit all sorts of sin.
In this couple's case, it was lying to the Holy Spirit and faking an image of generosity. In other cases, it could be anything from stealing, manipulation, lying, coercion, robbery, and the like.
3) When we lie, we lie to God and not to men
We must realize that when we Christians lie, we don't just lie to man; we lie to God.
We have to realize that everything we do, we do unto the Lord. If we lie to man, we lie as His ambassadors. If we steal from man, we steal as His children. Everything we do affects our relationship with Him.
4. Fear is a part of worship.
Unsurprisingly, these dramatic deaths caused a great deal of fear (Acts 5: 5, 11). But we may be shocked to see that even in light of this, “more and more people believed in the Lord” (Acts 5:14). Fear is an integral part of worship.
For those of us familiar with the idea of an infinitely loving God, this is a jarring realization. But God ’s love only makes sense when we know the magnificence of his glory and the might of his power. That is why John Newton wrote, “Tis grace that taught my heart to fear.” As the fear of God increases, so does the sense of his love of him, because we understand more fully what we have been saved from.
My favorite definition of the fear of God is awe mixed with intimacy. We are invited into the closest possible relationship with God, but this intimacy must never overshadow the majesty of who God is.
5. Sin is a deadly serious matter to God.
If we’re honest, many of us find God’s actions here offensive — but that merely reveals our ignorance of our sin and God’s holiness. We shouldn’t ask the question, “Why did they die?” Instead we should wonder, “Why do we remain alive?”
Yes, God is patient with us and slow to anger. But as R.C. Sproul says, we forget that God’s patience is designed to lead us to repentance, not to become bolder in our sin. If Jesus really went through the tormenting hell of the cross to redeem us, and we neglect that in pursuit of our sin, what will it be like to stand before God? "How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" (Hebrews 2: 3).
When teaching this story with the background in mind, it could be useful to explain why God takes dishonesty so seriously. Dishonesty can destroy marriages, families, churches, relationships and our witness. It hurts us. It hurts others. It hurts God. If we are honest, even when we make a mistake, things can be made better.
Satan will attack God’s church from both without and within. The incident of Ananias and Sapphira was the first noted internal spiritual attack in church history. God needed to protect the purity and the witness of the church. Should that lie have been overlooked or allowed to stand as it was, it would have allowed for further dishonesty, corruption and hypocrisy and thus could have destroyed the fledgling church. Ananias and Sapphira were killed both as an example and as an an act of protection.
No matter how much we try, nothing can be kept secret from God.
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