The Most Ugly Sin in God's Eyes

 

George Verwer, the founder of Operation Mobilization, tells of a time when he was about 19. He heard a man deliver a powerful sermon. It moved Verwer to rededicate his life to Christ. He went up to talk with the man at the end of the service. As he stood there, he noticed all of the church people in their expensive clothes. He also noticed that the speaker was very well dressed, exuding an aura of success.

He asked him whether he thought that these people would respond to the message of giving everything for Christ. He speaker looked down at Verwer and said, “See here, young man, I’m an evangelist, and this is my living. This is how I make my money, by preaching and doing God’s work. What I was speaking about, that was all true, but I doubt if anyone would really live that way, unless perhaps there was a war on.” Verwer walked away feeling very shaken.

In the first Church God was very real, Christ was exalted and the Holy Spirit was moving in a powerful way.  But, Satan was also active for he had long ago declared himself in open rebellion against God; he would design to thwart every purpose of God. In Acts 5 we see the first incident of sin in the Church. We see the beginning of that which has continued to plague, cripple and even in some cases, kill the church throughout history.

Satan, by his effort to persecute the church, had failed. In an effort to persecute Peter and John, he had only given them the opportunity to preach the gospel to the Sanhedrin. In an effort to stop the church’s boldness, he had only allowed them the privilege of increasing it. In an effort to halt the number of conversions, he had only multiplied it. And Satan found out that external pressure only tends to fan the flame. He knew that he had to get at the very base of the fire and put it out there.

In Acts 4 Luke has given an account of the Christians willingly giving up their property to provide for the poor and has mentioned the case of Barnabas as worthy of special attention. In chapter 5 he proceeds to mention a case, quite as striking, of insincerity, and hypocrisy and of the just judgment of God on those who were guilty of it. The case is a remarkable illustration of the cunningness of the devil in attempting to destroy the church and God’s view of hypocrisy.

Acts 5:1-2 says “but a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet”. The word "But" (5:1) introduces another sacrificial act that looked just as generous as Barnabas' was (4:37). They presented their gift to the apostles exactly as Barnabas had done. However in this case the motive was quite different.

The word translated here “kept back” speaks of secretly setting apart for one’s self that which should or does belong to someone else.  The word is only used 3 times in the Scriptures (Acts 5:2,3 , Titus 2:10, Joshua 7:1).  In Titus 2:9-10 we read “exhort bondservants ...to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things”. Here "keep back” translated as “pilfering” conveys the idea of stealing in small quantities.

When the Israelites conquered the city of Jericho, Joshua gave these instructions “the city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the LORD… keep yourselves from the things under the ban, so that you do not covet them and take some of the things under the ban, and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it (Joshua 6:17-18). ” The chapter closes with the words “the Lord was with Joshua and his fame spread throughout the land v.27.

The next chapter opens with the word “But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel” (Joshua 7:1). Joshua 7 begins with the word “but” connecting it to the last verse of Joshua 6, which spoke of Joshua’s spreading fame.  There is an intentional contrast. Fame was spreading throughout the land but suddenly things changed.

Jericho was one of the most fortified and the best-defended city of Canaan. It was the most difficult to conquer yet the Israelites conquered it with ease. The next town AI was small and weak yet Israel was defeated and they fled. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water V.5. Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark .

The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant vv.10-11. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies vv. they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction (Joshua 7:1-12). One soldier disobeyed the command and the entire nation soon suffered shame and disgrace.

Joshua's instructions had been crystal clear, so Achan's sin seems to fall into the category of presumptuous sin. In Deuteronomy 17:12-13 we read Moses' warning, "The man who acts presumptuously by not listening to the priest who stands there to serve the LORD your God, nor to the judge, that man shall die; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel. Then all the people will hear and be afraid and will not act presumptuously again."  

Ananias and Sapphira's  sin was not their retaining part of the price of the land. They could have kept the land or all the money from the sale, had they wanted since the church did not practice socialism or communism. Their sin was claiming that it was the total payment that they had received when it was really only a portion of it. Their sin was hypocrisy which was based on a desire for spiritual status.

Barnabas seemed to have gained praise and power by his self-sacrifice. The praise and publicity of Barnabas incited their pride and they believed that they would be applauded for a sacrifice. They sought to deceive the Christians by trying to gain a reputation for greater generosity than they deserved. But deeper and more devastating, was to stoop to spiritual hypocrisy and to feign being spiritual, when you were carnal to the core.

In other words Peter says, “why Ananias, this is not necessary. Why did you open your heart to Satan in this sinful way? You did not even have to sell the land; it was  in your power, you could have done what you wanted. Why have you lied to the Holy Spirit? You have not lied to men but to God. Ananias and Sapphira were under Satan's control (v. 3). Peter recognizes his work here. So, how did Peter know this? He was under the Holy Spirit's control (4:31).

For the first time in the community of the saints two persons set out deliberately to deceive their leaders and their friends. This was the first fall from the ideal. By deceiving the church Ananias was also trying to deceive the Holy Spirit who indwelt the church. It is so easy to pretend. When Christians act hypocritically, by giving in order to be noticed; boast of good works they never did, or make the good works they do more or better than really they are, they come under the guilt of Ananias's lie.

Luke emphasized the sobering effect that these events produced in "all who heard" about them. Great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things (vv.5,11). Why was God’s punishment so severe? It’s because the future of the church was at stake. Persecution could not stop the gospel, but a lack of holiness could. Satan had switched strategies. God made it clear to all that personal holiness was also an essential element for the survival of a Church.

The case of Ananias and Sapphira  is similar to the case of Achan (Joshua 7:1-26) . In both cases an act of deceit interrupts the progress of God’s people. And in both cases serious discipline was required. The Bible says you reap what you sow  ( Gal 6:7). We may think our sin is hidden from others, but it is always visible to God. Numbers 32:23 says: “You may be sure that your sin will find you out”. God is gracious when he defers judgment, but we all eventually reap what we sow. God hates hypocrisy above all sins.

Their sin was the evil intent of their hearts, to make others think that they were more spiritual than they really were. They were motivated by love of self, not by love of God and others. God, who always knows the motives of our hearts, judged them. Hypocrisy is always motivated by self-love. We want to impress others, to make them think that we are something that we know in our hearts we are not.

If Ananias and Sapphira had been thinking about the shortness of life and the certainty of judgment and eternity, they would not have done what they did. But whether we get struck down instantly for our sin or have to stand before God at the judgment, in a few short years we all will face God. We are all a heartbeat away from standing before God and giving an account. Keeping eternity in view will keep us from the sin of hypocrisy.

Ananias and Sapphira’s gift was quite substantial. If Peter had not been a man of integrity, he could have thought, “I dare not offend these wealthy donors.” Even if he suspected some deception, he would have been careful to praise them for their generosity in hopes that they would give more in the future. But Peter was more concerned with purity in the church than he was with taking a gift that was given with the wrong motives. So he strongly confronted their deception.

Any time we take a strong stand against sin in the church, someone will accuse us of not being loving. But to tolerate sin in the church, sin that will spread like leaven and contaminate and destroy many others, is not to act with love or compassion. Later on, Peter would write “ For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?  And, ‘If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?’” (1 Pet. 4:17-18).