I hope you will listen to all of today's story. It is a very unpleasant one, but it does have a happy ending. If one member, or part, of your body had a disease like cancer and it wasn’t found out, the disease could soon spread to your whole body, and kill you! Perhaps, if it was discovered in time, the only way to save the rest of your body would be to remove the part that had the incurable disease.
God compares His Church on earth to a body with many “members. These members, the people who believe in Jesus as their only Priest and Saviour, all belong to one another and need one another. (Acts 2:38-42. Romans 12:5.) They work together to serve and please the HEAD, which is of course the LORD JESUS CHRIST. (Ephesians 4:11-16. 1stCorinthians 12:12-31.)
We might think of the Christian Church at the very beginning as being like a little new fragile “baby” with underdeveloped members. Its members were all new to each other, and learning to work together. Like a new-born baby, the Christian Church had to grow stronger.
A man called Ananias, and his wife Sapphira agreed together to join with the true believers, but they decided to only pretend to be Christlike people; they were going to live a lie! (verses 1-2.) In their hearts they were deceitful and dishonest people, who obviously had not believed in Jesus Christ to forgive their sins, and to take sin out of their lives.
Peter asked Ananias, “Why did you let Satan take control of you and make you lie to the Holy Spirit … You have not lied to men - you have lied to GOD!” (verses 3-4.) Their “disease” that they wanted to keep hidden, was discovered! But, maybe now they would turn away from their sin to God, for forgiveness and a changed life. (1stCorinthians 5:17.) By trusting in Jesus as their Priest and Saviour they could even now be turned from their wicked ways. (Acts 3:26.)
Could it be that you have been pretending to be a CHRISTIAN, yet you know in yourself that sin still controls your heart and life? – Your “Christian life” is only a show! "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked." (Galatians 6:7.)
In Jerusalem, the young Church was like a "baby" in danger. God was not going to allow this “baby” Church to be corrupted and destroyed by people pretending to be Christians. Neither Ananias nor Sapphira showed any sign of repentance, so in one day God caused them both to die. (verses 5-10.)
As a result, the “baby” Church grew stronger and healthier. No more “pretenders” for a while! - Only those who truly believed in Jesus to forgive and save them were joined to the young Church, and it grew strong. (verses 13-14.)
ARE YOU A “TRUE BELIEVER” TODAY? Remember the warning God gives by His punishment of Ananias and Sapphira.
Read Acts chapter 5, verses 1-14.
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