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…
Acts 5:1-11
The church in Jerusalem was made up of many people of different economic, social and, political status. Ananias and Sapphira, husband and wife, members of the church, are given here as an example of the nature of all humans, sinful. Christians must never think that our salvation has made our natural bodies sin free. It is the soul that has been redeemed and the body we inhabit in this life will be resurrected and glorified when Christ comes again. Paul writes of the struggle every Christian has, whether the Christian acknowledges it or not, with the sinful natural body against the redeemed soul of the Christian. Paul writes that the Christian finds himself doing what he should NOT do and NOT doing what he should do. Then, Paul asks who will deliver him from his body of death. It is God Almighty who delivers the Christian. Just as Ananias and Sapphira conspired to lie to God about their property’s sale, Christians in every age sin. It is our natural inclination, even though the Holy Spirit in-dwells each Christian. Yes, our sins, past, present and, future are forgiven and covered by the blood of Christ. No, we do not live this life sin free. Our future in Heaven will be free of the presence of sin and we will not be able to sin. Ananias and Sapphira were dealt with immediately by God, just as God dealt with Aaron’s sons who used the instruments of the Tabernacle in an unholy manner by burning “strange fire” in the censers and God killed them in the very act. So, Ananias and Sapphira were also killed promptly for their sin. The resulting holy fear of the Lord was the same in both cases and the people were fearful of such a powerful God. God is not to be taken or treated lightly. He is the Giver of all life, temporal and eternal. He is the Destroyer of life by death of temporal life and eternal destruction in the fires of Hell. May all Christians today come to our great God and Father with the awesome fear of respect that God alone deserves and may we praise Him in all that we think, say and do in this life.
Source: S C Ball June 5, 2023
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