Ananias and Sapphira - Part 2 (Sin will be Punished by God)
Rev. O. K. Nkrahene | February 23 2025 | Acts 5:1-11
KEY VERSE: But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God." Acts 5:3-4 (ESV)
MESSAGE: Ananias and Saphira paid with their lives for their sin; we are not dealing with murder, fornication, adultery, or any of the so-called "high profile" sins. Why, then, should this couple suffer the ultimate punishment? We shall reflect on a few reasons why every sin should be cautiously approached.
First, whatever the arch-enemy initiates and executes is intended to strike God's people and to strike very hard. Sin is an affront to the majesty and lordship of God over His Church and our personal lives. Secondly, the ungodly acts of Ananias and Sapphira can be viewed in the same vein as that of Achan (Joshua 7). The disregard for God and order in His congregation at the initial stage of a work of God in the case of Achan in the possession of the Promised Land, as well as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira in the Early Church, would have laid a poor foundation for what God was doing.
Next, sin among God’s people puts the brakes on their victorious journey, as seen in the case of Israel in Joshua 7. Furthermore, any sin left unchecked will lead to the internal pollution of the Church and the emergence of hypocrites. We must acknowledge that we bar God's presence and support when our camp is unholy (Deuteronomy 23:12-14).
Finally, misappropriation of what is meant for the community of faith, the Church, deprives the Church of the needed resources, which are supposed to be supplied by those whom God has blessed to support the work of ministry.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
What is your position regarding the resources God has entrusted to you? Do you hold on to them tightly, or do you release the appropriate portions for ministry? Are we retaining what rightfully belongs to God for ourselves, including our bodies, finances, and other assets?
Are we pretending to have laid everything on the altar of God? God is never deceived nor mocked.
PRAYER:
Lord, please help my family and me be to scrupulously true to your Church. Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 54: Exodus 32 — The Golden Calf
DAILY word study: LIED The word “lied” in Acts 5:3-4 is translated from the Greek "pseudomai" (ψεύδομαι), meaning to deceive, falsify, or intentionally mislead. It is a strong term that implies purposeful dishonesty. In Scripture, lying is not just a social offence but a direct sin against God (Leviticus 19:11, Proverbs 12:22). Peter’s rebuke highlights that Ananias and Sapphira’s deception was not merely against the apostles but against the Holy Spirit Himself—an affront to God’s sovereignty.
Reflection:
Deception undermines trust in the body of Christ. Are we fully honest in our dealings, especially concerning what we offer to God? True worship is built on integrity.
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