Dr. John Reddy

"You didn't lie to people. You lied to God!"

When God is working in power, Satan is on hand to counterfeit, corrupt, and contend. But where there is real spiritual power, deceit and hypocrisy will be readily exposed. Ananias and Sapphira were apparently moved by the generosity of Barnabas and others. Perhaps they desired to receive the praise of men for some similar act of kindness.

Ananias and his wife Sapphira also sold a piece of property. But they agreed to cheat and keep some of the money for themselves.
No one had asked them to sell the property. After it was sold, they were not obligated to give all. But they pretended a total dedication, while actually they held some back.

   So when Ananias took the rest of the money to the apostles, Peter said, "Why has Satan made you keep back some of the money from the sale of the property? Why have you lied to the Holy Spirit? The property was yours before you sold it, and even after you sold it, the money was still yours. What made you do such a thing? You didn't lie to people. You lied to God!"

Peter charged Ananias with lying to the Holy Spirit and not just to men. In lying to the Holy Spirit, he lied to God. As soon as Ananias heard this, he dropped dead, and everyone who heard about it was frightened. Some young men came in and wrapped up his body. Then they took it out and buried it.

Three hours later Sapphira came in, but she did not know what had happened to her husband. Peter asked her, "Tell me, did you sell the property for this amount?"

 "Yes," she answered, "that's the amount."

Then Peter said, "Why did the two of you agree to test the Lord's Spirit? The men who buried Ananias are by the door, and they will carry you out!" At once she fell at Peter's feet and died.

When the young men came back in, they found Sapphira lying there dead. So they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. The church members were afraid, and so was everyone else who heard what had happened.

"Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?"

 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?  Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”  When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.  Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.    [Acts 5:3-6]

 Ananias fell down and died

   

"  Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood."