A Passion to Obey

“But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.’ And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came upon all who heard of it. And the young men arose and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter responded to her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?’ And she said, ‘Yes, that was the price.’ Then Peter said to her, ‘Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they shall carry you out as well.’ And she fell immediately at his feet, and breathed her last; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all who heard of these things.” Acts 5:1-11

Respect is an essential ingredient in any healthy relationship. In fact, you can’t really like someone if you don’t respect him first. When you recognize a person’s worth and innate value, you naturally hold him in esteem and are able to show him affection.

That is the lesson God taught the believers in the early church. In Jesus Christ, God initiated the new covenant with His people. The sacrificial system was replaced by the Lamb who atones for sins forever, so God’s children had unlimited access to Him. They needed to understand the “terms” of this new relationship.

God gave them a stunning reminder through Ananias and Sapphira, who lied to the church about their monetary gift. The Lord responded by striking each of them dead in the very act of falsehood. Did God intend to terrify the church and make them dread harsh punishment? No. Does God respond this way to everyone who lies? No.

But God did make a strong statement about His holiness to an infant church. We need to understand who He is in order to worship Him in spirit and in truth. It was a hard lesson, but a loving one designed to instill reverent awe for God and his purposes.

When you have proper respect for your Lord, your love for Him grows in the way it should.