Acts Chapter Five and Faking Piety

We're all familiar with products which warn that misusing the contents may be harmful to our health. Is it not the same with spiritual matters? In the first-century church, God made an example of a lying couple and showed that the Holy Spirit is in fact part of the Godhead.

Acts 5:1 and 2 (BBE) introduces us to these scheming congregants. "But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, got money for his property, And kept back part of the price, his wife having knowledge of it, and took the rest and put it at the feet of the Apostles."

What was wrong with what they did? These two lied? Both said they gave all the money from the sale of the property to the church. We hear what Peter's answer was in Acts 5:3 and 4 (BBE). "But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has the Evil One put it into your heart to be false to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? While you had it, was it not your property? and after you had given it in exchange, was it not still in your power? how has this purpose come into your mind? you have been false, not to men, but to God.'" So the Lord struck Ananias dead on the spot.

The same thing happened to Sapphira a few hours later. Those young men must have been tired after burying two church members in one day.

Fear came upon those church folks and outsiders alike at the news of that couple's demise. They all realized that trying to trick God to get praise from  people led to two deaths.

Though the Lord doesn't strike down phoney Christians now, it's still dangerous to people's spiritual health to fake piety. Christ warned his audience in Matthew 6:1 and 2 (BBE), "Take care not to do your good works before men, to be seen by them; or you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. When then you give money to the poor, do not make a noise about it, as the false-hearted men do in the Synagogues and in the streets, so that they may have glory from men. Truly, I say to you, They have their reward."

And if our Master doesn't return by Saturday, I hope to post about the temptation to sell out and join the crowd of takers in this world.