Acts 5:1-11
But a man named Ananias—his wife,
Sapphira, conniving in this with him—sold a piece of land, secretly kept
part of the price for himself, and then brought the rest to the
apostles and made an offering of it.
Peter said, “Ananias, how
did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part
of the price of the field? Before you sold it, it was all yours, and
after you sold it, the money was yours to do with as you wished. So what
got into you to pull a trick like this? You didn’t lie to men but to
God.”
Ananias, when he heard those words, fell down dead. That
put the fear of God into everyone who heard of it. The younger men went
right to work and wrapped him up, then carried him out and buried him.
Not
more than three hours later, his wife, knowing nothing of what had
happened, came in. Peter said, “Tell me, were you given this price for
your field?”
“Yes,” she said, “that price.”
Peter
responded, “What’s going on here that you connived to conspire against
the Spirit of the Master? The men who buried your husband are at the
door, and you’re next.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than
she also fell down, dead. When the young men returned they found her
body. They carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
By
this time the whole church and, in fact, everyone who heard of these
things had a healthy respect for God. They knew God was not to be
trifled with.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
This story reminds me of a
television commercial that aired in the 1970s for Chiffon margarine. A
woman dressed in white and dubbed “Mother Nature” was given Chiffon
margarine for her porridge, and she argued that she was eating butter.
When the off-camera announcer insisted that she had been tricked – that
she was eating Chiffon margarine instead, lightning flashed, thunder
crashed, and she announced, “It’s not NICE to fool Mother Nature!”™
This
ad became iconic…probably anyone alive in the seventies remembers - and
thinks of it often in certain contexts. But as bad as it is to fool
“Mother Nature,” it is far more serious to play fast and loose with
God. I’m not saying that God will strike you dead if you lie to
Him…although He could! But I do believe that when we are deceitful and
dishonest – with ANYONE – we are treading on dangerous territory.
Remember
the story from the Gospels where Jesus says that when we do something
to – or for – the least among us, we have done this to/for Him. So when
we lie, cheat, steal, undercut or mistreat ANYONE, we have as good as
done this to Jesus – and our Heavenly Father.
I don’t believe that God causes bad things to happen to us…but I do think that sometimes He allows
us to go through a few things – particularly when we have sinned and
disobeyed Him. But let’s be honest…God is plenty capable of taking us
out of this world if/when He wants. There have been a few times that I
felt like maybe God called someone to Heaven to interrupt their sinful
behavior(s) on this earth and the impact these had on others. God will
not allow us to wreak havoc with His perfect plans, as the deaths of
Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 so clearly illustrate!
Search your
heart today and see where you are harboring even the tiniest smidgeon
of deception or ill will. Ask God to show you how you might be
operating in dishonesty, trickery, rumors, hatred, fear mongering, and
other sinful activities and behaviors. Humbly beg His forgiveness and
vow to do better. The “Mother Nature” commercial was funny…and the tag
line is STILL a good one. It’s not nice to fool “Mother Nature”™…but trying to deceive God is truly no laughing matter.
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label lying to God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lying to God. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for July 11, 2014
1 John 1:8-10
If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Suppose you plan a little party at your house, and you invite several people. One of these people plans a party – for the same date. Rather than say, “I can’t come…it seems I have scheduled my own party for the same night,” you get a phone call from this person with a made-up excuse about why they cannot attend your soirĂ©e.
Now you know that this person is having his/her own party. Several people who are coming to your event have said, “I can’t stay long…I’ll have to make an appearance at the other event, as well.” That’s fine…you understood that completely. You’re not even insulted that you were not invited to the other person’s party! But this person has told you a bold-faced lie…and you can’t figure out why…and their dishonesty stings! This is the perfect example of a case where the truth would be so much better.
I get that we sometimes want to spare others’ feelings. We make up excuses, rather than say, “I don’t want to do that,” or “Yes, that skirt makes you look fat,” or “I’m just not interested in you (or your hobby, or what is happening in your life…and more). We “play nice” to people we really do not like – for lot of reasons. Some would even say that this is hypocritical behavior. I am not advocating that you start saying hurtful things…or that you become honest to the point of insulting others. If we will stay attuned to God’s teachings, He will show us how to offer compassion and grace in our treatment of those we encounter…and in what we say to them.
It hurts to think someone would deliberately deceive you…for whatever reason. And when we do this to God, it hurts Him, too. He is insulted…disappointed…and grieved when we lie to Him. Claiming that we have it all together…acting as if we are better than the next guy - and at least compared to him/her, pretty much sinless – breaks God’s heart. Let’s face it, God knows better!
God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. He paid the ultimate price for them. To say that we are blameless – or superior in any way – is like saying, “Thanks for sending Jesus to take my sins…but I don’t need You anymore. I’ve got this now!” It even suggests that we feel like we really didn’t need God in the first place…or that we used our salvation as a “ticket to heaven”…and now we’ll handle things ourselves the rest of the way.
Salvation is not a one-shot deal! Don’t misunderstand me. I believe that once you accept Jesus as your Savior, He takes your sins and writes your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life…assuring you a seat at His table in Heaven for all Eternity. But I also believe that we have to keep returning to the cross (figuratively) each and every day. We have to stay close to God…and call on His Holy Spirit to keep us in check…to guard our thoughts, words, and deeds…and to restore us when we falter.
Think of our life in Christ like a delicate china teacup that falls off of the shelf and breaks. The teacup can be glued back together, but it will be forever fragile. Tender care will have to be exercised in its use…and there may be some repeat or additional breakage along the way that must be repaired. So it is with Jesus. We are broken…sinful. He restores us through His death on the cross. But we are fragile, vulnerable…and subject to more sin and breakage that only He can repair. To claim that we are “as good as new” and able to manage on our own - or that we are better than the next guy - amounts to lying…and God sees right through this!
The truth would be so much better. Admitting that we are fragile, vulnerable human beings who need Jesus each and every day is anything but shameful. Claiming the blood of Jesus…and acknowledging that we must be covered in it daily…attests to our faithfulness and dependency on Him for continual care and maintenance…for grace, mercy and forgiveness.
While we might not always recognize when someone lies to us…God always knows! This passage tells us that to lie to God is to not really know Him…to not fully understand who He is and how He operates. Where have you lied when the truth would be better…to others – and to God? Isn’t this the perfect day to “come clean”…to ask God to forgive you and restore you? Isn’t this the time to seek God’s guidance in living honestly with others…showing them compassion, grace, and mercy as you do your best to be truthful with them – but in a loving way?
Where do you need to admit your sins and shortcomings…and ask God to forgive you for them? Are you ready to operate in truth and receive the favor of God upon your life? Will this be the day that you begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Suppose you plan a little party at your house, and you invite several people. One of these people plans a party – for the same date. Rather than say, “I can’t come…it seems I have scheduled my own party for the same night,” you get a phone call from this person with a made-up excuse about why they cannot attend your soirĂ©e.
Now you know that this person is having his/her own party. Several people who are coming to your event have said, “I can’t stay long…I’ll have to make an appearance at the other event, as well.” That’s fine…you understood that completely. You’re not even insulted that you were not invited to the other person’s party! But this person has told you a bold-faced lie…and you can’t figure out why…and their dishonesty stings! This is the perfect example of a case where the truth would be so much better.
I get that we sometimes want to spare others’ feelings. We make up excuses, rather than say, “I don’t want to do that,” or “Yes, that skirt makes you look fat,” or “I’m just not interested in you (or your hobby, or what is happening in your life…and more). We “play nice” to people we really do not like – for lot of reasons. Some would even say that this is hypocritical behavior. I am not advocating that you start saying hurtful things…or that you become honest to the point of insulting others. If we will stay attuned to God’s teachings, He will show us how to offer compassion and grace in our treatment of those we encounter…and in what we say to them.
It hurts to think someone would deliberately deceive you…for whatever reason. And when we do this to God, it hurts Him, too. He is insulted…disappointed…and grieved when we lie to Him. Claiming that we have it all together…acting as if we are better than the next guy - and at least compared to him/her, pretty much sinless – breaks God’s heart. Let’s face it, God knows better!
God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. He paid the ultimate price for them. To say that we are blameless – or superior in any way – is like saying, “Thanks for sending Jesus to take my sins…but I don’t need You anymore. I’ve got this now!” It even suggests that we feel like we really didn’t need God in the first place…or that we used our salvation as a “ticket to heaven”…and now we’ll handle things ourselves the rest of the way.
Salvation is not a one-shot deal! Don’t misunderstand me. I believe that once you accept Jesus as your Savior, He takes your sins and writes your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life…assuring you a seat at His table in Heaven for all Eternity. But I also believe that we have to keep returning to the cross (figuratively) each and every day. We have to stay close to God…and call on His Holy Spirit to keep us in check…to guard our thoughts, words, and deeds…and to restore us when we falter.
Think of our life in Christ like a delicate china teacup that falls off of the shelf and breaks. The teacup can be glued back together, but it will be forever fragile. Tender care will have to be exercised in its use…and there may be some repeat or additional breakage along the way that must be repaired. So it is with Jesus. We are broken…sinful. He restores us through His death on the cross. But we are fragile, vulnerable…and subject to more sin and breakage that only He can repair. To claim that we are “as good as new” and able to manage on our own - or that we are better than the next guy - amounts to lying…and God sees right through this!
The truth would be so much better. Admitting that we are fragile, vulnerable human beings who need Jesus each and every day is anything but shameful. Claiming the blood of Jesus…and acknowledging that we must be covered in it daily…attests to our faithfulness and dependency on Him for continual care and maintenance…for grace, mercy and forgiveness.
While we might not always recognize when someone lies to us…God always knows! This passage tells us that to lie to God is to not really know Him…to not fully understand who He is and how He operates. Where have you lied when the truth would be better…to others – and to God? Isn’t this the perfect day to “come clean”…to ask God to forgive you and restore you? Isn’t this the time to seek God’s guidance in living honestly with others…showing them compassion, grace, and mercy as you do your best to be truthful with them – but in a loving way?
Where do you need to admit your sins and shortcomings…and ask God to forgive you for them? Are you ready to operate in truth and receive the favor of God upon your life? Will this be the day that you begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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