Acts 5:3-5—“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!” Now when
Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died.
Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, wanted it all—a secure place
in the kingdom of God all the while coveting a stockpile of earthly
treasures. Not only did they desire wealth,
but they went as far as to lie about it and pretend they had altruistic and
pure motivations. This kind of deceit
and hypocrisy is dangerous to the life of a Church. God, of course, saw right through it, and
they were both punished harshly. The
thing about entering into a relationship with God is that it requires a
complete surrender. We can’t build a
relationship with Him when we have one foot in the secular world and the other
in His kingdom. We might look like the
best Christian, the most active church-member, the most capable disciple of
God, but if we are holding something back God will know it, even if other Christians
have no clue. The call of Christianity
requires us to daily renew our faith in the Lord by surrendering each day to Him.
Today, as you meditate and pray on His Word, ask God to
reveal to you those areas in your life that you have yet to surrender entirely
to Him. Pray that your Spirit would be open to His healing, and thank God for
instilling in you a desire to surrender your life to Him.
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