Lying to GOD – Getting What We Deserve

You are always and forever in GOD's presence.

Not only does GOD see your actions, He watches your thoughts. You are wholly known by an omniscient GOD (Psalm 139:2-3). He knows all that there is to know and all that can be known – about everyone and everything.

GOD’s knowledge is total.

Christians should know this about GOD because the Scriptures tell us so.

In both the Old and New Testaments, we learn that our thoughts and our motives are all visible to GOD – that GOD’s knowledge and understanding of the entire universe are infinite.  1 Chronicles 28:9; Job 34:21; Proverbs 15:3; Hebrews 4:13.

You have no secrets from GOD. Yet, believers are often deceitful with GOD, as if He is just like one of us. 

We behave towards GOD as if He were a naïve grandfather who is so blinded by love for his grandchildren that he can't imagine they could do wrong. So, he lets them get away with mischief and buys them whatever they want, whenever they ask. 

This is not GOD!

Not only does GOD know about our lies and pretenses but He holds us accountable. GOD judges us for all our deeds, good and evil.

“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:10

all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13b

What price, lying to GOD – Ananias and Sapphira?

A lying tongue is among the seven things the Bible says that GOD detests (Proverbs 6:16-19.) If GOD hates lying, it’s a sin.

Lying to the people in our lives is a sin against GOD; one that is especially grievous when we lie to, or about, the body of CHRIST. 

GOD judges us for the sin of lying.

What might GOD’s judgement for lying look like?

The following story from Acts 5 demonstrates:

A man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!”  (Verses 1-4)

Keeping back a portion of the proceeds they received from the sale of their property wasn’t Ananias and Sapphira’s sin. They had a right to do this, since the property belonged to them. Their wrongdoing was deception. They pretended to be generous and sincere but were exposed as cheats, liars and hypocrites.

Ananias and his wife outwardly imitated the actions of the believers (see Acts 4:32-37) while in their hearts they were the total opposite.

The believers were earnest heard-working men and women whose goal was to dedicate themselves and all that they owned to the work of spreading the gospel of JESUS CHRIST, regardless of the cost.

These were people “….of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common.” (Acts 4:32-37.)

Some of the believers were very poor. To share all possessions equally ensured that no one lacked for any personal or ministry need, so each could do what was necessary to fulfill JESUS’ great commission of taking the gospel message to the world.

They cared as deeply about the work as they did for each other, according to the teachings of CHRIST, (John 15:12; Mark 12:30-31) – an essential part of their belief and a sacred principle.  No sacrifice was too great.

On the other hand, the couple in this story acted out of selfish motives.

GOD exposed their hearts to the leaders who pronounced GOD’s equal judgement upon each of them, Acts 5:5, 7-10:

Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died…. After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you and your husband sold the land for such and such a price.” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and died.

By agreement, Ananias and Sapphira deceived their friends, and attempted to deceive their GOD. 

They made a public show of being of one heart and soul with the believers when they had only their own interests at heart. 

For their sacrilegious act of putting the Spirit of the Lord to the test, both the man and his wife suffered the same fate. Both died.

Ananias and Sapphira coveted the believers’ good reputation but were unwilling to pay the cost. They loved their comfort more than they loved GOD. They loved themselves more than they loved the people of GOD. For selfish gain, they acted on a lie.

In this story, GOD’s judgement for lying was swift and final – death without the opportunity for repentance and eternal separation from the Father.

Believers are still lying to GOD, 2,000 plus years after this event took place. 

So, why did GOD take the lives of Ananias and Sapphira but our lives aren’t taken even as we continue to try to deceive the Father?

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. Galatians 6:7

….to be continued

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Our Father in Heaven, we praise YOU, our GOD and our LORD! We are grateful for your Holy Presence in our lives. We thank YOU for loving us even though YOU know our thoughts and our hearts intimately and we thank YOU for not judging us with the harshness we deserve. We ask that YOU forgive us our trespasses and cleanse us from our sin. YOURS is the glory, and the power for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in the name of JESUS. Amen.

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile