Our inability to deceive God
four thoughts from Ananias and Sapphira
I’m reading through the book of Acts with my friend Jamie and there is so much I want to share about our conversations!1 Acts, a continuation of Luke’s gospel, is a foundational book of scripture for every disciple of Christ. In Acts the early church begins. Acts, in my opinion, is one of the most encouraging and empowering books of the New Testament, and it is the book that gives us clear guidance on how to enter into covenant relationship with Jesus Christ pulling together every book that precedes it and laying the foundation for every book that comes after it. Needless to say, I am enjoying my slow study through Acts!
Today my intention is not to write about the overall book of Acts, but to share thoughts from a portion of chapter 5 and an account you are likely familiar with—Ananias and his wife Sapphira2.
Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a piece of their property for the purpose of providing money to the church (meaning the collective body of members at this time). This was a voluntary action done not only by Ananias and Sapphira but by many in order to support the spread of the gospel and to meet the needs of the people.3
Ananias decided to keep a portion of the proceeds to himself and misrepresent the actual sale price to the apostles. Sapphira, his wife, was aware that Ananias was going to do this. As you likely know, this didn’t work out well for either of them. When Ananias came to Peter to provide the money, Peter said to him, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”4
After hearing those words Ananias fell down and died. Later, when his wife came and reiterated the lie of what the land sold for she was met with the same fate— she fell down and died immediately.5
When we talked about this account, Jamie commented that Ananias and Sapphira made her question who are they really worshipping. To her, it seemed as if they were more concerned with the approval of man rather than focusing on God. “They were willing to misrepresent their generosity or their response to the Holy Spirit and attempt to deceive Peter because they worshipped something other than God,” Jamie shared in our conversation. She asked, “who are they performing for, who are they trying to please?”
And as I thought about Jamie’s reflection, four things came to my mind that all blend together.
We cannot deceive God.
First, I thought about these words from Peter— “You have not lied to man but to God.”6
How mindful are we of the fact that God is aware of everything about us including the intent in our heart.
Yes, you can fool some humans with your behavior, your words, your actions, your “generosity,” your acts of kindness, and the like, but you can never deceive the Spirit of God.
We cannot deceive God.
Ananias’s act of generosity was met with death. To any onlooker, his giving is being done to meet the needs of the church. But inwardly, something else is going on. His actions were performative. I don’t believe that God respects performative works (more on that below in reference to Cain). God looks at the heart.7 The intent. What or who are you actually worshipping in your deeds.
If you are performing for man, there is a need to take pause and ask yourself, why? We don’t live for man, we exist to glorify God. Yes, we love one another, we help one another, we pray for one another, and a long list of “one another’s” found in scripture, but the basis for all of those things is Jesus Christ. Jesus is at the center of everything—our being, who we are, and what we do. When Jesus is not at the center, our actions can become performative, lacking honesty and integrity as with Ananias and Sapphira.
I am reminded of how important my authentic integrity is and the need to check my intentions and who is at the center of my choices. Is it me and my own version of righteousness or is it Jesus Christ and His righteousness?8
Who or what is at the center of my intentions?
There is no evidence that Ananias was forced to make this sale and purport to provide the church with the full sale price of his property. Peter even said to Ananias, this was yours to do whatever you wanted with, you did not have to conceive this lie in your heart about the price of the land.9
It would seem that Ananias choosing to make this offering is an act of faith, love, or something of the sort toward the spreading of the gospel and meeting the needs of others. But I am reminded of Cain and Abel and the fact that both brothers made a sacrificial offering to God, but only one was respected.10 From the outside looking in, both brothers have brought forth offerings. Both have provided works as an act of faith. But what we see and what is are not always the same. We don’t always see the heart behind the deed. God does.
Hollow acts of worship isn’t worship. And Ananias and Cain are examples of how works without faith can lead to death. If Jesus isn’t at the center, whatever you have is hollow and you will live your life trying to fill something that only God can inhabit.
If Jesus isn’t at the center, whatever you have is hollow and you will live your life trying to fill something that only God can inhabit.
Jesus Christ was not at the center of Ananias’s deed.
Peter tells Ananias that Satan filled his heart to lie (Satan is the father of all lies).11 Satan instills a fear in us to trust God fully. The human will says, “I’ll obey this commandment, but not this one. I’m willing to do this, but not that. I’ll do this, but in my own way” as if the way in which God has given us can’t be trusted and isn’t what is best for us.
In this “me-centered” rebellion we attempt to become Lord over our own lives. And isn’t that exactly what happened in the garden, man wanting to be like God?
Isn’t that what resulted in Satan being kicked out of heaven—wanting to be like the most high?12
The danger in living anything other than a Christ centered life is that you, similar to Satan, begin to think that you are at the center and you get to be the Lord of your own life. In the book Holier than Thou, the author writes something that struck me—
The serpent still incentivizes unbelief by promising that it will make us “like God,” but our motive has never been to be like God in terms of righteousness but of rights. (emphasis added)
If we’re going to be like God let it be in terms of living to be holy as He is holy, not in an attempt to be Lord over our own lives. That position was taken long before you were formed in your mother’s womb.
Ananias provides me with a reminder and a warning against a self-centered heart or even an “anything other than Christ” centered heart. I think of the words that God told Cain, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”13 Ananias didn’t make the choice to rule over sin. Instead Ananias’s actions say to us, “I want to show my faith with my works, but not without putting myself first.”
Works without faith is hollow.
Is holding something back a lack of faith?
Inwardly we are commanded to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. When we love God as He requires, it is reflected in how we love ourselves and how we love others. We don’t hold a portion back as Ananias did.
Do you think that you have to hold something back for yourself because God won’t do what He says? “I’ll be kind to them but not 100% because I need to hold something back because they aren’t kind to me,” for example.
Why did Ananias feel the need to hold a portion of the proceeds for himself and to lie about it? He wanted to represent that he was giving his all when in fact he was not. Can you see how that could be true of us in our own lives in giving ourselves to the kingdom of God?
I think again to Cain. His offering wasn’t respected and I wonder if it’s because it wasn’t a representation of all that he could have offered. Did Cain, like Ananias, hold something back and attempt to deceive God about it? Was Cain’s offering dishonest or just for show and not done as an act of worship?
And again, how infallible to think that we can deceive God.
Ananias warns of us what happens when we do not love God with all of our heart, when we reserve some of our heart to hold back for ourselves only.14 Within his heart he had a love for self, money, profit, security, and/or something else more than a love for the author of truth.
The father of lies filled his heart and it led to death. And I believe that if we are not vigilant and intentional, having a love of anything that is greater than our love for God can lead to a lack of spiritual growth (which is another way of saying leading to spiritual death).
Be intentional about who you walk in agreement with.
Sapphira could have made a different choice. She arrived three hours later and had the opportunity to tell the truth. Who you associate with and make agreements with in your life is really important. Here, it didn’t work out for Sapphira. She and Ananias, in Peter’s words, agreed to test the Spirit of the Lord.
I think of Sapphira and am reminded of why it is important to walk with people who strive to keep Christ at the center, because who you are in community with can add great blessings or great consequences to your life. More on that later when I write and reflect on Cornelius in chapter 10!
Those are a few initial thoughts that I wanted to type out to share with you. I have enjoyed meditating on these verses in Acts 5 and what I can learn about my own heart and intentions from Ananias and a lot of this reflection came out of the back and forth conversation with my friend Jamie.
As a side note, I cannot recommend enough talking about scripture with other disciples and other friends/people. You gain so much clarity in talking about what you’re reading and also from hearing reflections from someone else. Being able to explain and expound upon what you are learning and gleaning from God’s Word, in my experience, strengthens your belief and builds confidence that can plant or water a seed in someone else. Talking with others also helps you to see areas where you have questions and need more clarity, illumination, or understanding/wisdom—all three being vital in the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ.
If you would be interested in a weekly call to share what you are reading, studying and talk about God’s Word reply via email or in the comments below (depending on where you’re reading this) and I will consider setting that up for Invitation to Abide subscribers!
We are using this scripture journal. I like that I can take detailed notes alongside scripture. I read this alongside the New King James Version translation as well. I purchased the entire New Testament set which can be found here.
Acts 5:1-11 NKJV (all references are NKJV).
See, for example, Acts 4:32-37; Acts 11:27-30.
Acts 5:3-4.
Acts 5:7-10.
Acts 5:4.
1 Samuel 16:7
Matthew 6:33.
Acts 5:4.
Genesis 4:3-5.
John 8:44.
Isaiah 14: 12-17; Revelation 12:9
Genesis 4:7.