Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Acts 5:3-4 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God."
LYING TO GOD
Of course, it all started with Joses of Cyprus, but he was not to blame. Joses just sold a piece of land and donated the entire proceeds to the apostles. They called him Barnabas, which means Son of Encouragement. When Ananias saw that, he craved the same attention, so he went and sold some property and pretended to donate the entire proceeds also. But it was a lie.
That was the problem. There was no need to give the entire proceeds, so there was also no need to lie. But Ananias wanted to look like Joses. Instead he looked like Judas Iscariot, whose heart Satan had filled to betray his Savior for money. Instead of bestowing a name of honor, Peter says that Ananias was lying to the Holy Spirit.
What a remarkable thing to say! There are some who think that the Holy Spirit is like electricity, a power or force that goes out from God. But you don't lie to electricity, or a generator, or to any other object. You lie to a person. When Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit, he was lying to a person. Who was that person? Peter explains, "You have not lied to man but to God."
Why was that so serious? Because Ananias has lied to "the Spirit of Truth" (John 14:17), who testifies about the Christ, our Savior.
