Lie and Die!

Have you ever given your word to someone or something and just could not come through? As I read through Acts chapter 5 yesterday, I found myself white knuckled (literally) from gripping on to my pants, shirt, or whatever was near. This was an all day thing. Here's a quick summary of Acts 5:1-10. The Holy Spirit is new and filling the hearts and minds of Christians. Everyone is selling their land and possessions to serve the poor, help widows, and further the ministry Jesus has left for the apostles to begin. A married couple, Ananias and Sapphira, sold their property and gave half the money to the ministry. Here's the issue: They lied and said they were giving all of it.  Peter says, "You have not lied to men, but to God." Earlier in verse 3, Peter says they lied to the Holy Spirit.

The reason I was wrestling with this all day was because I figured that for them to lie to the Holy Spirit, they had to have the Holy Spirit. So, they must have been saved right? Well, we lie, we sin, we are evil but we are not killed instantly because of little white lies. Why did they die? I first thought it was to make an example of how powerful and just the Holy Spirit is. Then I started to wonder, are Ananias and his wife in heaven? Maybe Peter said they were lying to the Spirit and they dropped dead because they did not actually have the Spirit. Who knows. Not me!

However, Philippians 2:12 says we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling. My good friend Geoff Francian always says that verse reminds him of me. I seem to have this fear of God when I read scripture. But if I truly feared Him, would I knowingly sin? Yes we might be sinful by nature, but fear can bring a discipline that I believe can keep us from knowingly sinning. All I know is that wrestling with God is good. I challenge everyone to question God. Question the things you do not understand. He wants to know. He wants to show you these things. Fear Him, Love Him.