“Then Peter said, ‘Ananias,why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirt, and you have kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us, but to God!’ As soon as Ananias heard these words he fell to floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified.” Acts 5:3-5 NLT
As we have been reading through the Bible, we have come across many examples to illustrate that our disobedience to God results in death, and below are a few examples to remind ourselves. We read of Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26) for looking back after they were commanded not to. In the book of Leviticus, we read how Aaron’s sons were consumed by fire brought on by the Lord due to their offering of unauthorized fire, which was contrary to His command (Leviticus 10:1). Uzzah, a Levite who was helping to escort the Ark of the Covenant for King David, was killed instantly when he attempted to steady the Ark because the oxen stumbled as it travelled from Judah to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:6-7).
In today’s reading, the penalty of Ananias and Sapphira’s sin once again was death, and the same rings true for our sin today. Though Christ came to earth to pay the physical price for our sins, the sin we commit still causes spiritual death and separation from God. Romans 6:23 tells us that, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
As we celebrate Christmas this year, may we be reminded of the greatest gift given of all time to all people – the gift of salvation and life eternal!
Lock Your Wings 
“Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.””
Acts of the Apostles 5:8 NLT
I wonder why they chose to lie about the price of the land? It was his land to sell and his choice to donate the money. What did it matter if he gave the full amount or not? Did they lie to make themselves look better? Did they lie because they needed some of the money themselves? Did they agree to lie together and was Sapphira tempted to be honest when she came looking for her husband? Regardless of motive or excuse, the reality is that they lied and were immediately punished. We may not be immediately punished for lies we tell or lies we help perpetuate but we should be aware that punishment is inevitable and unavoidable.
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