Day 977: Is lying serious? - Acts 5 vs 1- 11

1-2 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 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? 4 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 men but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

7-8 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9-10 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. Acts 5:1-11 English Standard Version

Did you notice the common phrase in verses 5 and 11 after the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira?

We’re told that 'great fear came upon all who heard of it.' I don't think this was that reverence which we should all have towards God, but a deeper dread of what offending God can lead to. That's not a bad fear to have in our life. The apostle Paul said “I make it my aim to please God.” Why? “Because”, said Paul, “we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.” (2 Corinthians 5:9-11)

In the very early days of the Church, the followers of Jesus Christ were given a dramatic incident to remind them of God's awesome holiness. He is not someone to put to the test, or to lie to. The real sin of that couple was not that they wanted to retain some of the proceeds of the land they’d sold, but that they thought they could deceive God.

Fortunately, what happened in Acts was given as a warning example of how serious it is to lie to God, and not something that happens every time someone does that. But this doesn't make lying, and especially lying to God, less dangerous for our lives. In the last book of the Bible God says: “The one who conquers will have this heritage . . I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable; as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars – their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:7-8

Does that mean that if I've ever lied, or, in a moment of panic, tell a lie, that I'm doomed forever? No it doesn't. But it surely does mean that if our life is consistently a lie, if we think nothing of deceiving others, if our profession to be a Christian is only a pretence so that we look good to others, then we are in danger of the fate that awaits all liars. That is something to fear. The apostle John said: “If we say we have fellowship with God while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practise the truth.” 1 John 1:6

Lying isn’t a small matter. It's as wrong in God's eyes as other wicked deeds. Paul said to Christians: “Put to death what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you've put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Colossians 3:5-9.